What cookies are and why you might want to remove them

Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you. When you visit a website, it may save a cookie that tracks your login status, your preferences, items in your shopping cart, or your browsing history on that site. Most cookies are harmless and make websites work better — they let you stay logged in without typing your password every time, or they remember that you prefer dark mode.

You might want to remove cookies if you share your computer with other people, if you want to clear out old data that's taking up storage space, or if you're concerned about privacy. Removing cookies won't break your computer or damage your files. The worst that happens is you'll need to log back into websites and re-enter some preferences the next time you visit them.

Key Takeaways

  • Cookies are small files websites store on your computer to remember your login, preferences, and browsing activity.
  • You can delete all cookies at once through your browser settings, or delete cookies from specific websites only.
  • The steps to clear cookies differ between Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, but all are found in the browser's settings or preferences menu.
  • Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites and erase saved preferences, but won't affect your bookmarks or passwords unless you choose to delete those too.
  • You can set your browser to delete cookies automatically when you close it, or to block third-party cookies that track you across multiple sites.

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 open with several options. Make sure the time range at the top is set to what you want — All time will delete every cookie your browser has stored, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, or Last 7 days will delete only recent ones. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. You can leave the other boxes unchecked unless you also want to delete your browsing history or cached images. Click Clear data and you're done.

How to clear cookies in Mozilla Firefox

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

A small window will appear. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked. You can also check Cached Web Content if you want to free up storage space. Click Clear. Firefox will remove all cookies when ready. If you want to delete cookies from only the last few hours or days, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac) instead, which opens the full history clearing menu where you can set a time range.

How to clear cookies in Safari

Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions). Click the Privacy tab. Click the Manage Website Data button.

A list of websites and their stored data will appear. You can click on individual sites and click Remove to delete cookies from just that site, or click Remove All at the bottom right to delete all cookies at once. Click Done when finished. If you want a faster way, you can also go to Safari > Clear History and select how far back you want to clear (this removes 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 side, click Privacy, search, and services. Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.

A window will open. Set the time range at the top — All time clears everything, or choose a shorter period. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. Click Clear now. Edge will remove the cookies when ready. You can also turn on Clear browsing data at the top of the same page to make Edge automatically delete cookies every time you close the browser.

Deleting cookies from specific websites only

If you want to keep most cookies but remove them from just one or two websites, you can do that without clearing everything. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Cookies and data stored. Scroll down to Sites that can use cookies and you'll see a list of websites. Click the X next to any site to delete its cookies. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Manage Data, find the website in the list, and click Remove Selected.

In Safari, use the Manage Website Data button described above — you can select individual sites from the list and click Remove. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data > Choose what to clear every time you close the browser, then scroll down to Sites that can always use cookies and remove sites from there. This method takes a few extra seconds but leaves your other cookies intact.

Setting your browser to delete cookies automatically

You can configure your browser to delete all cookies automatically when you close it, so you don't have to do it manually. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data, and toggle on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security, find Cookies and Site Data, and check the box next to Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed.

In Safari, go to Settings > Privacy and uncheck Allow privacy-preserving ad measurement if you want to block tracking, though Safari doesn't have a built-in "delete on close" option for all cookies. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services and toggle on Clear browsing data at the top, then choose Every time you close the browser from the dropdown. Once this is on, your browser will wipe cookies automatically without you having to remember.

What happens after you delete cookies

After you clear cookies, you'll notice that websites no longer remember you. You'll be logged out of email, social media, and shopping sites, so you'll need to log back in the next time you visit. Websites won't remember your preferences — if you had set a site to dark mode or a specific language, it will go back to the default. Your bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history are separate from cookies and won't be affected unless you specifically chose to delete those too.

Clearing cookies won't slow down your computer or cause any problems. Your browser will straightforward start fresh, and websites will create new cookies as you use them. If you find yourself constantly logging back in and want to keep cookies from specific sites you trust, you can add those sites to your browser's exceptions list so their cookies are never deleted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting cookies delete my passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. When you clear cookies, you'll be logged out of websites, but your saved passwords remain in your browser's password manager. You can log back in using your saved password without re-entering it manually. If you want to delete passwords, you have to do that in a separate step in your browser settings.

Can I delete cookies from just one website without clearing all of them?

Yes. Every browser lets you view the list of websites that have stored cookies and remove individual ones. In Chrome and Edge, go to Site settings > Cookies. In Firefox, go to Cookies and Site Data > Manage Data. In Safari, use Manage Website Data. Find the website you want and click Remove or the X button next to it.

What's the difference between cookies and cache?

Cookies are small text files that store login information and preferences. Cache is a folder of images, scripts, and other files that websites use, stored so they load faster the next time you visit. Both can be cleared separately. Clearing cache frees up more storage space, but clearing cookies is what logs you out of websites.

Do I need to restart my browser after clearing cookies?

No. Cookies are deleted when ready when you click the clear button. You don't need to restart your browser, though you will need to log back into websites the next time you visit them. Your browser will start creating new cookies as soon as you visit a website that uses them.

What are third-party cookies and should I block them?

Third-party cookies are created by advertisers and tracking companies, not by the website you're visiting. They follow you across multiple sites to build a profile of your browsing habits for targeted ads. Most modern browsers now block third-party cookies by default. You can check your browser's settings under Privacy to see if this is turned on — it won't break websites, but it does limit tracking.