Where to find and delete cookies on Android

Cookies on Android live inside your web browser — usually Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet, or whatever app you use to browse the web. You delete them by going into that browser's settings and clearing your browsing data. The exact steps depend on which browser you have, but the process takes less than a minute and works the same way every time.

Unlike a computer, Android doesn't have a separate "cookies folder" you can find. Everything is stored inside the browser app itself. When you clear cookies, you're telling that specific browser to erase the small files websites have stored on your phone.

Key Takeaways

  • Cookies are stored inside your web browser app, not in a separate Android folder, so you clear them from within Chrome, Firefox, or whichever browser you use.
  • Most Android browsers let you clear cookies in Settings, usually under "Privacy" or "Clear browsing data," and the process takes under a minute.
  • You can choose to delete only cookies, or cookies plus other data like browsing history and cached images at the same time.
  • Clearing cookies will sign you out of most websites, so have your passwords ready if you need to log back in.

Clearing cookies in Chrome on Android

Chrome is the most common browser on Android. Open Chrome and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Scroll down and tap "Settings."

In Settings, tap "Privacy and security," then tap "Clear browsing data." A popup will appear with checkboxes. Make sure "Cookies and site data" is checked — it usually is by default. You can also check "Cached images and files" if you want to free up storage space. At the top, you'll see a dropdown that says "All time" — leave it there unless you only want to delete cookies from the last hour or day. Tap "Clear data" and you're done.

Clearing cookies in Firefox on Android

Open Firefox and tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right of the screen. Tap "Settings," then scroll down and tap "Delete browsing data."

A menu will pop up showing what you can delete. Make sure "Cookies" is checked. You can also check "Cache" to clear temporary files. Tap "Delete browsing data" at the bottom of the popup. Firefox will clear everything immediately.

Clearing cookies in Samsung Internet

If you're using Samsung Internet (the browser that comes on Samsung phones), tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right. Tap "Settings," then tap "Privacy."

Tap "Delete browsing data." A popup will show options including "Cookies and site data." Make sure it's checked, then tap "Delete." If you want to delete only cookies from a specific time period, tap the dropdown at the top before you delete.

What happens after you clear cookies

Once you delete cookies, you'll be signed out of most websites. The next time you visit Facebook, Gmail, your bank, or any other site where you were logged in, you'll need to enter your username and password again. Websites won't remember your preferences either — things like your language choice or whether you had items in a shopping cart will reset.

Your browsing history is separate from cookies. Clearing cookies does not delete your history unless you specifically check that box too. If you only want to delete cookies and keep your history, uncheck "Browsing history" before you tap delete.

Clearing cookies from a single website

If you want to delete cookies from just one website instead of everything, most browsers let you do that. In Chrome, go to Settings, tap "Privacy and security," then tap "Site settings." Tap "Cookies and site data" and you'll see a list of websites. Tap the one you want to remove and tap "Clear."

In Firefox, tap Settings, scroll to "Data Management," and tap "Manage Exceptions." You'll see websites listed — tap the one you want to remove cookies from and tap "Remove."

Preventing cookies from being stored

If you want to stop websites from storing cookies in the first place, you can turn on private browsing mode. In Chrome, tap the three dots and tap "New incognito tab." In Firefox, tap the three lines and tap "New private tab." Websites can still see you're visiting, but they won't store cookies that follow you around after you close the tab.

You can also block third-party cookies — the ones that track you across multiple websites. In Chrome, go to Settings, tap "Privacy and security," then tap "Third-party cookies" and choose "Block third-party cookies." This won't delete existing cookies, but it stops new ones from being stored.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. If you want to keep your passwords but delete cookies, make sure "Passwords" is unchecked before you tap delete. Most browsers keep these as separate options.

Do I need to clear cookies regularly?

Not necessarily. Cookies don't slow down your phone or use much storage. Clear them if a website isn't working right, if you're concerned about tracking, or if you're sharing your phone with someone else. Otherwise, there's no technical reason to clear them often.

What if I clear cookies and a website still won't work?

Try clearing your cache as well — tap the same delete button but also check "Cached images and files." If that doesn't work, try closing the browser completely and opening it again. Some websites also have bugs that clearing data won't fix.

Can I clear cookies without clearing my history?

Yes. When you tap "Clear browsing data," you'll see checkboxes for different things. Uncheck "Browsing history" and check only "Cookies and site data," then tap delete. Each browser lets you choose what to clear separately.

Does clearing cookies on Chrome also clear them in Firefox?

No. Each browser stores its own cookies separately. If you use both Chrome and Firefox, you need to clear cookies in each one individually. Clearing cookies in Chrome won't affect Firefox and vice versa.