Clear cookies through your browser settings in under two minutes

Clearing cookies means deleting the small files your browser stores when you visit websites. These files track your activity, remember your login information, and follow you across sites. You clear them through your browser's settings menu — the exact steps depend on which browser you use, but the process takes the same path in all of them: Settings > Privacy or History > Clear browsing data > select Cookies > Clear.

Most people clear cookies to stop websites from tracking their movement online, to free up storage space, or to remove login information before sharing a computer. You can clear all cookies at once or delete them from specific websites only. You can also set your browser to delete cookies automatically every time you close it.

Key Takeaways

  • Cookies are stored in your browser settings under Privacy, History, or Browsing Data — not in a separate folder on your computer.
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all have a "Clear browsing data" option that lets you select Cookies and choose a time range.
  • You can clear cookies from all time or just the last hour, day, or week — choose the range that matches what you want to delete.
  • Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites and remove saved passwords unless you specifically protect them during the clearing process.
  • You can set your browser to delete cookies automatically when you close it, which removes the need to clear them manually.

Clear cookies in Chrome

Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. On the left side, click Privacy and security, then select Clear browsing data.

A window will open with several options. Make sure the Cookies and other site data checkbox is checked. At the top, choose your time range — All time deletes every cookie, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, and Last 3 months let you delete only recent ones. Click Clear data when you are ready.

If you want Chrome to delete cookies automatically, go back to Privacy and security and scroll down to Clear browsing data. Toggle on Delete cookies and site data when you close Chrome. From that point forward, all cookies will disappear each time you shut down the browser.

Clear cookies in Firefox

Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. On the left, click Privacy & Security. Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data.

A window will appear with two checkboxes: Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked, then click Clear. If you want to delete cookies from a specific time period instead of all of them, click the History menu at the top, select Clear Recent History, choose your time range, make sure Cookies is checked, and click Clear Now.

To set Firefox to clear cookies when you close the browser, go back to Privacy & Security and scroll to Cookies and Site Data. Check the box next to Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed.

Clear cookies in Safari

Open Safari and click Safari in the top menu bar. Select Clear History from the dropdown menu. A window will open asking how far back you want to clear — choose All history to delete all cookies, or select a specific time range like the last hour or day.

Safari does not have a separate "Clear cookies only" option like other browsers do. When you clear history in Safari, it removes cookies, browsing history, and other data from your selected time period together. If you want to remove only cookies without clearing your browsing history, you will need to use a different method: go to Safari > Preferences, click Privacy, and select Manage Website Data to see a list of all sites storing cookies. You can select individual sites and click Remove to delete their cookies only.

To set Safari to clear cookies automatically, go to Safari > Preferences, click Privacy, and check Remove all website data when quitting Safari.

Clear cookies in Microsoft Edge

Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. On the left, click Privacy, search, and services. Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.

A window will open. Make sure Cookies and other site data is checked. At the top, select your time range — All time, Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or Last 3 months. Click Clear now when you are ready.

If you want Edge to delete cookies every time you close the browser, go back to Privacy, search, and services and scroll down to Clear browsing data. Toggle on Choose what to clear every time you close the browser. Then click Every time you close the browser and make sure Cookies and other site data is checked.

Delete cookies from one website instead of all of them

If you only want to remove cookies from a specific website, most browsers let you do that without clearing everything. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data > Manage all cookies and site data. Search for the website name and click Remove. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Manage Data, search for the site, and click Remove Selected. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy > Cookies and other site data > Manage, search for the site, and click Remove.

Safari's method is the same as the full clear process: go to Safari > Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data, find the site in the list, select it, and click Remove.

What happens when you clear cookies

Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites. The next time you visit a site that required a login, you will need to enter your username and password again. Websites will no longer remember your preferences, like your language setting or items in your shopping cart. Ads may become less targeted because advertisers will no longer have a record of your browsing history on that site.

Clearing cookies does not delete your browsing history, your saved passwords, or your autofill information unless you specifically select those options during the clearing process. If you want to keep your passwords but clear cookies, make sure the Passwords checkbox is unchecked when you clear browsing data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?

No, unless you specifically check the Passwords box during the clearing process. Cookies and passwords are stored separately. You can clear cookies while keeping passwords intact by leaving the Passwords option unchecked in your browser's clear browsing data menu.

Do I need to clear cookies regularly?

No, but many people clear them monthly or quarterly to reduce tracking and free up storage space. If you set your browser to delete cookies when you close it, you do not need to clear them manually. Cookies do not slow down your computer or cause security problems on their own.

What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?

Browsing history is a list of websites you visited. Cookies are files websites store on your computer. Clearing history removes the list but leaves cookies behind, so websites can still track you. Clearing cookies removes the tracking files but leaves your history intact. Most browsers let you clear both at the same time.

Can I clear cookies from just one browser if I use multiple browsers?

Yes. Each browser stores its own cookies separately. Clearing cookies in Chrome does not affect Firefox, Safari, or Edge. If you use multiple browsers, you will need to clear cookies in each one individually if you want to remove them from all of them.

Why do websites ask me to accept cookies when I visit?

Websites are required by law in many countries to tell you they are storing cookies and ask for your permission. You can usually click Reject or Manage Preferences to limit which cookies are stored. Rejecting all cookies may prevent some website features from working properly.