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 for how a page should look. When you visit a website again, it reads that cookie file to recognize you.
Deleting cookies clears out this stored information. You might do this to free up a small amount of disk space, to stop websites from tracking your browsing habits, or to force a website to treat you as a new visitor (which sometimes fixes login problems). The steps differ slightly depending on which web browser you use.
Key Takeaways
- Most browsers let you delete all cookies at once through the Settings or Preferences menu, usually under Privacy or History.
- You can delete cookies from a specific date range — for example, just the last hour or the last week — rather than everything ever stored.
- Deleting cookies will log you out of most websites, so you will need to sign back in the next time you visit them.
- If you want to prevent cookies from being stored in the future, you can turn on Private or Incognito mode when you browse.
How to delete cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu that appears. On the left side, click Privacy and security, then click Clear browsing data.
A window will pop up. At the top, you will see a dropdown menu that says All time — click it to choose a different time range if you want to delete only recent cookies instead of all of them. Make sure the box next to Cookies and other site data is checked. Click the blue Clear data button at the bottom right.
Chrome will delete the cookies and close the window. You are done. The next time you visit a website that used to recognize you, it will treat you as a new visitor.
How to delete cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) in the top right corner. Click Settings. On the left side, click Privacy & Security. Scroll down until you see the section labeled Cookies and Site Data.
Click the button that says Clear Data. A small window will appear. Make sure both Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content are checked. Click Clear. Firefox will delete the cookies when ready.
How to delete cookies in Safari
Open Safari. At the top of the screen, click Safari in the menu bar (not in the address bar — in the very top menu). Click Settings or Preferences depending on your macOS version. Click the Privacy tab.
Click the button labeled Manage Website Data. A list of websites will appear. To delete all cookies at once, click Remove All at the bottom right. To delete cookies from specific websites only, click on a website name and then click Remove. Click Done when you are finished.
How to delete cookies in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Click Settings. On the left side, click Privacy, search, and services. Under the section labeled Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.
A window will open. At the top, select your time range from the dropdown — All time will delete everything, or you can pick Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, or Last 4 weeks. Make sure Cookies and other site data is checked. Click Clear now.
What happens after you delete cookies
Once you delete cookies, websites will no longer remember your preferences or login information. The next time you visit a site where you had an account, you will see the login page instead of being automatically signed in. You will need to enter your username and password again.
Some websites may also forget other settings — for example, if you had adjusted the text size or chosen a dark theme, those choices will reset to the default. This is temporary; the website will store new cookies as soon as you visit again and make those choices a second time.
How to prevent cookies from being stored in the future
If you want to browse without storing cookies, use your browser's private or incognito mode. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows or Command+Shift+N on Mac. In Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows or Command+Shift+P on Mac. In Safari, click File at the top and select New Private Window. In Edge, press Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows.
When you close a private or incognito window, all cookies from that session are automatically deleted. However, websites can still see your activity while you are browsing — private mode only prevents your browser from storing the data locally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies slow down my computer?
No. Cookies are very small files — typically a few kilobytes each — so they take up almost no disk space. Deleting them will not noticeably speed up your computer or free up meaningful storage. The main reason to delete cookies is privacy or to fix a website that is not recognizing you correctly.
Can I delete cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
Yes. In Chrome, go to Settings, click Privacy and security, then click Cookies and other site data. You will see a list of websites; click the trash icon next to any site to delete only its cookies. Firefox and Safari have similar options in their Privacy settings. Edge lets you delete cookies by site in Settings under Privacy, search, and services.
What is the difference between deleting cookies and clearing browsing history?
Cookies are small data files that websites store on your computer. Browsing history is a list of websites you have visited. Deleting cookies removes the stored data, while deleting history removes the record of which sites you went to. Most browsers let you delete one without deleting the other.
Do I need to restart my browser after deleting cookies?
No. The deletion takes effect when ready. You can keep browsing right away. However, you will be logged out of any websites where you were signed in, so you may want to restart your browser or close and reopen tabs to see the change take effect on sites you are currently viewing.
Will deleting cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies in your browser's password manager. When you delete cookies, your saved passwords remain. If you want to delete saved passwords, you need to go to your browser's password settings separately — usually under Settings, then Passwords or Autofill.