What Cookies Are and Why You Might Want to Clear Them
Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you — your login details, items in your shopping cart, your preferences, or your browsing history on that site. When you visit a website again, it reads that cookie to recognize you and load your settings faster.
Clearing cookies removes these stored files. You might do this to free up storage space, to log out of accounts completely, to stop websites from tracking your activity, or to troubleshoot a website that is not loading correctly. Clearing cookies does not delete your browsing history or passwords unless you specifically choose those options too.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are small files websites store on your computer to remember your preferences and login information.
- The steps to clear cookies differ depending on whether you use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — each browser has its own menu location.
- You can clear all cookies at once or choose a date range, and you can protect cookies from specific websites you want to stay logged into.
- Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites, so have your passwords ready if you need to log back in.
- If a website stops working correctly, clearing cookies is often the first troubleshooting step to try.
Clear Cookies in Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the window. Select Settings from the menu that appears. On the left side, click Privacy and security, then click Clear browsing data.
A window will open with several options. At the top, you will see a dropdown menu that says All time — this controls which cookies get deleted. Leave it on All time to remove every cookie, or choose Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or Last 3 months to delete only recent ones.
Make sure the checkbox next to Cookies and other site data is checked. You can leave the other boxes unchecked unless you also want to clear your browsing history or cached images. Click the blue Clear data button. Chrome will remove the cookies when ready, and the window will close.
Clear Cookies in Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy & Security.
Scroll down to the section labeled Cookies and Site Data. Click the button that says Clear Data. A small window will appear. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked, then click Clear. Firefox will delete all cookies when ready.
If you want to delete only recent cookies, go back to Privacy & Security, scroll to History, and click Clear Recent History instead. A larger window opens where you can choose a time range at the top and select what to delete before clicking Clear Now.
Clear Cookies in Safari
Open Safari. At the top of the screen, click Safari in the menu bar, then select Settings (or Preferences on older Macs). Click the Privacy tab.
Click the button labeled Manage Website Data. A list of websites that have stored cookies on your computer will appear. To remove all of them at once, click Remove All at the bottom right. To delete cookies from specific websites, click on a website name in the list and then click Remove.
If you want to delete cookies from a specific time period, close this window and go back to the Privacy tab. Look for the option Remove all website data and click it — this removes all cookies regardless of when they were created.
Clear Cookies in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy, search, and services.
Under the section Clear browsing data, click the button that says Choose what to clear. A window will open. At the top, select your time range from the dropdown — All time removes every cookie, or you can choose a shorter period.
Make sure the checkbox next to Cookies and other site data is checked. Click the blue Clear now button. Edge will delete the cookies and close the window.
Protect Specific Websites Before Clearing Cookies
If you want to stay logged into certain websites while clearing cookies from others, most browsers let you protect those sites. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data > Sites that can always use cookies. Type in the website address (for example, gmail.com) and click Add. When you clear cookies, Chrome will keep the cookies from those protected sites.
In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Manage Exceptions. Type the website address and click Allow. In Safari and Edge, you can select individual websites from the list before clicking delete, which removes cookies only from the sites you choose.
What Happens After You Clear Cookies
After clearing cookies, you will be logged 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 may also load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cookies, because they no longer have your preferences stored and have to load default settings instead.
Some websites may not remember your language preference, font size, or other customizations you had set. If a website was not working correctly and clearing cookies fixed it, the site should now load and function normally. If you cleared cookies by accident and need to undo it, you cannot recover them — you will need to log back into your accounts manually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?
No. Cookies and passwords are stored separately. When you clear cookies, your saved passwords remain on your computer. If you want to delete passwords too, you must check that box separately in the clear browsing data window — most browsers do not check it by default.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is a list of websites you have visited. Cookies are files those websites stored on your computer. Clearing history removes the list of sites; clearing cookies removes the files. You can do either one without doing the other.
How often should I clear cookies?
There is no set schedule. Clear cookies whenever a website is not working correctly, when you want to remove tracking data, or when you are sharing a computer with someone else. Many people clear cookies once a month or a few times a year for privacy reasons.
Can I set my browser to clear cookies automatically?
Yes. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data and turn on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. Firefox, Safari, and Edge have similar options in their settings. This will delete all cookies every time you close the browser.
Why is a website asking me to log in again after I cleared cookies?
Websites use cookies to keep you logged in. When you clear cookies, that login file is deleted, so the website no longer recognizes you. Log in again with your username and password, and the website will create a new cookie to remember you.