What cookies are and why you might want to delete them

Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you — your login details, what you put in a shopping cart, your preferences, or your browsing history on that site. They make websites faster and more convenient because you do not have to re-enter the same information every time you visit.

You might want to delete cookies to free up storage space, improve privacy, or fix a website that is not working correctly because it is using outdated stored data. Clearing cookies does not harm your computer. The main trade-off is that websites will forget your preferences and you may have to log in again the next time you visit.

Key Takeaways

  • Cookies are stored files that websites use to remember your information, and deleting them is safe and does not damage your computer.
  • The steps to clear cookies differ between browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge each have their own menu path and options.
  • You can delete all cookies at once or choose a date range — for example, cookies from the last week or the last month.
  • After clearing cookies, you will need to log back into websites you use regularly, and some sites may load more slowly until they rebuild their stored data about you.
  • Most browsers let you set rules so that cookies are deleted automatically when you close the browser, if you prefer not to store them at all.

How to clear cookies in Google 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 click Clear browsing data.

A window will appear with options at the top. Make sure the time range is set to what you want — All time will delete every cookie on your computer, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, and Last 90 days let you delete only recent ones. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. Leave other boxes unchecked unless you also want to delete your browsing history or cached images. Click Clear data.

How to clear cookies in Mozilla Firefox

Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (the menu button) in the top right corner. Click Settings. On the left, select Privacy & Security. Under the Cookies and Site Data section, click Clear Data.

A small window opens. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked. You can also check Cached Web Content if you want to free up more space. Click Clear. Firefox does not offer a date range option in this menu — it clears all cookies at once. If you want to delete only recent cookies, you can use the History menu instead: click the menu button, go to History, then Clear Recent History, set the time range, and make sure Cookies is checked.

How to clear cookies in Safari

Open Safari. Click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then select Settings (or Preferences on older versions). Click the Privacy tab. Click Manage Website Data. A list of websites and their stored data appears. You can click on individual sites and click Remove to delete cookies from just that site, or click Remove All to delete all cookies at once.

If you want to delete cookies from a specific time period, use the History menu instead. Click History in the menu bar, then Clear History. Choose your time range from the dropdown menu, make sure all history is selected, and click Clear History. This method clears cookies along with your browsing history.

How to clear cookies in Microsoft Edge

Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left, click Privacy, search, and services. Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear. A window appears with a time range dropdown at the top — select All time, Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or Last 90 days.

Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. Uncheck any other options you do not want to delete. Click Clear now. If you want Edge to delete cookies automatically every time you close the browser, go back to Privacy, search, and services and toggle on Clear browsing data under the Clear browsing data section, then check Cookies and other site data.

What happens after you clear cookies

Once cookies are deleted, websites will no longer remember your stored information. The next time you visit a site where you were logged in, you will see the login page instead of going straight to your account. Shopping sites will show you an empty cart. Websites may also show you more advertisements because they cannot remember your preferences or what you have already seen.

Some websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit after clearing cookies, because they have to rebuild their stored data about your visit. This is temporary and normal. After you visit a site a few times, it will store new cookies and perform at normal speed again.

How to set your browser to delete cookies automatically

If you do not want to manually clear cookies, you can set most browsers to delete them automatically when you close the browser. In Chrome, go to Settings, click Privacy and security, then toggle on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. In Firefox, go to Settings, click Privacy & Security, and under Cookies and Site Data, check Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed.

In Safari, go to Settings, click Privacy, and check Remove all website data when quitting Safari. In Edge, go to Settings, click Privacy, search, and services, and toggle on Clear browsing data, then check Cookies and other site data. With this setting turned on, you will have to log in to websites every time you open your browser, but your computer will not store any cookies between sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting cookies slow down my computer?

No. Cookies are very small files and do not significantly affect your computer's speed or storage. Deleting them will not make your computer faster, but it will not harm performance either. The only change you will notice is that websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cookies, because the sites have to rebuild their stored information about you.

Can I delete cookies from just one website instead of all of them?

Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can click on a website in your browsing history or bookmarks, right-click, and look for an option to clear data for that site. In Safari, go to Privacy settings, click Manage Website Data, find the site in the list, and click Remove. This approach is useful if you want to keep cookies from sites you use regularly but remove cookies from sites you visited only once.

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

Browsing history is a list of websites you have visited, stored as URLs with dates and times. Cookies are small data files websites store on your computer. Clearing history removes the list of sites you visited, while clearing cookies removes the stored information those sites left behind. You can clear one without clearing the other — most browsers let you choose which to delete.

Do I need to clear cookies regularly?

No. Clearing cookies is optional and depends on your privacy preferences. If you are concerned about websites tracking your activity, you might clear them weekly or monthly. If you do not mind cookies and want websites to remember your preferences, you can leave them alone. There is no technical reason to clear them regularly — they do not harm your computer or slow it down.

Will clearing cookies log me out of my accounts?

Yes. Cookies store your login information, so clearing them will log you out of any websites where you were signed in. The next time you visit those sites, you will need to enter your username and password again. This is why many people clear cookies selectively or set their browser to delete cookies only from sites they do not use regularly.