Where to find and delete cookies on Samsung phones
Cookies on your Samsung phone live inside your web browser — most commonly Samsung Internet, Chrome, or Firefox. You delete them by going into your browser's settings, finding the storage or privacy section, and selecting the option to clear browsing data. The exact steps depend on which browser you use, but all three let you delete cookies in under a minute.
Cookies are small files that websites store on your phone to remember your login information, preferences, and browsing history. Deleting them clears that stored data, which can free up a small amount of storage space and reset how websites recognize your phone. Some people delete cookies regularly for privacy reasons; others do it when a website stops working correctly.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are stored inside your web browser, not on your phone's main storage, so you delete them through the browser's settings menu.
- Samsung Internet, Chrome, and Firefox all have a "Clear browsing data" or similar option that removes cookies in one step.
- You can choose to delete only cookies or cookies plus other data like cached images and browsing history.
- Deleting cookies will log you out of most websites and remove saved passwords unless you specifically protect them.
Delete cookies in Samsung Internet
Open Samsung Internet and tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings. Tap Privacy, then tap Delete browsing data.
A popup will appear with checkboxes for different types of data. Make sure Cookies and site data is checked. You can leave the other boxes checked or unchecked depending on what else you want to remove — for example, unchecking Cached images and files will delete only cookies and keep your cached data. Tap Delete at the bottom. The process takes a few seconds.
Delete cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and tap the three vertical dots (menu icon) in the top right corner. Tap Settings. Tap Privacy and security, then tap Clear browsing data.
A popup will show several checkboxes. At the top, you will see a dropdown that says All time — this controls how far back the deletion goes. Leave it on All time unless you only want to delete cookies from the last hour, day, or week. Make sure Cookies and site data is checked, then tap Clear data. Chrome will delete the cookies when ready.
Delete cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the bottom right corner. Tap Settings. Tap Delete browsing data.
A popup will appear with options for what to delete. Make sure Cookies is checked. You can also check or uncheck Cached images and files, Browsing history, and other options based on what you want to remove. Tap Delete browsing data at the bottom. Firefox will clear the selected data right away.
What happens after you delete cookies
After you delete cookies, you will be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit a site that required a login — like email, social media, or online banking — you will need to enter your username and password again. If you have saved passwords in your browser, you can usually log back in quickly by tapping the password field and selecting the saved password.
Websites may also forget your preferences. For example, if a news site remembered that you prefer dark mode, it will go back to light mode until you change it again. Some sites may load slightly slower the first time you visit after deleting cookies because they have to rebuild their stored data about your device.
Deleting cookies without deleting other data
All three browsers let you delete only cookies while keeping other browsing data intact. When you reach the "Clear browsing data" screen, uncheck everything except Cookies and site data (or just Cookies in Firefox). This protects your cached images, browsing history, and saved passwords while still removing the cookie files.
If you want to keep passwords saved but delete cookies, make sure the password checkbox is unchecked before you tap delete. Different browsers label this differently — Chrome calls it Passwords, Firefox calls it Saved Logins, and Samsung Internet calls it Passwords — but the idea is the same.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is not realizing that deleting cookies will log you out of websites. If you delete cookies right before you need to access your email or bank account, you will have to log back in. Plan the deletion for a time when you are not in the middle of using a website.
Another mistake is confusing cookies with cache. Cookies are small text files that store login data and preferences; cache is larger files like images and videos that websites store to load faster next time. Deleting cache frees more storage space but does not affect your login status. If you only want to delete cookies, make sure you uncheck Cached images and files or Cache.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies delete my saved passwords?
No, unless you specifically check the password box when clearing data. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. If you want to delete cookies but keep passwords, uncheck the password option before you tap delete.
How often should I delete cookies?
There is no set schedule. Some people delete cookies weekly for privacy, others only when a website stops working correctly. Deleting cookies does not harm your phone, so the choice is up to you and your privacy preferences.
Will deleting cookies free up storage space on my phone?
Cookies take up very little space — usually less than a megabyte total. Deleting them will not noticeably improve your phone's storage. If you need to free up space, deleting cached images and videos is more effective.
Can I delete cookies from only one website?
Not easily through the browser settings. All three browsers delete all cookies at once. If you want to keep cookies from specific sites, you would need to use your browser's private or incognito mode, which does not store cookies at all.
What if I delete cookies and a website still does not work?
Try clearing the cache as well. Open your browser settings, find the option to clear cache or cached data, and delete it. If the site still does not work, try closing and reopening the browser, or try accessing the site in a different browser like Chrome or Firefox.