Where to find and delete cookies in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox
Clearing cookies on a Mac depends on which browser you use. Safari, Chrome, and Firefox each store cookies in different locations and offer different ways to remove them. The fastest method in any browser is to use the keyboard shortcut Command+Shift+Delete, which opens the cache-clearing menu. From there you can select a time range — last hour, last day, all time — and choose to delete cookies specifically.
If the keyboard shortcut does not work in your browser, you can also go through the menu. In Safari, click Safari in the top menu bar, then Preferences, then Privacy, then Manage Website Data. In Chrome, click Chrome in the top menu bar, then Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Clear Browsing Data. In Firefox, click Firefox in the top menu bar, then Settings, then Privacy & Security, then scroll to Cookies and Site Data and click Clear Data.
Each browser also lets you set cookies to clear automatically when you close it. This is useful if you want to avoid storing tracking cookies between sessions without having to manually clear them each time.
Key Takeaways
- Command+Shift+Delete opens the cookie-clearing menu in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox on a Mac.
- You can choose to delete all cookies or only those from a specific time period, such as the last day or last hour.
- Safari stores cookie settings under Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data; Chrome uses Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data; Firefox uses Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data.
- All three browsers can be set to clear cookies automatically when you close them, which removes tracking cookies without manual action.
How to clear cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top menu bar. Select Preferences, then click the Privacy tab. You will see a button labeled Manage Website Data on the right side. Click it to see a list of all websites that have stored cookies on your Mac.
From this window, you can remove cookies one site at a time by clicking the site name and then clicking Remove. To delete all cookies at once, click Remove All. If you want to clear cookies from a specific time period instead, close this window and use Command+Shift+Delete to open Safari's Clear History menu, where you can choose a time range and select Cookies.
To make Safari clear cookies automatically, go back to the Privacy tab and look for the section labeled Cookies and website data. Select the option that says Always block if you want to reject all cookies, or Allow from websites I visit if you want to allow some cookies but have them cleared when you close the browser.
How to clear cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and click Chrome in the top menu bar. Select Settings, then click Privacy and Security on the left side. Click Clear Browsing Data. A window will appear with several options at the top: you can choose a time range such as Last Hour, Last 24 Hours, Last 7 Days, Last 4 Weeks, or All Time.
Make sure the box next to Cookies and other site data is checked. You can also check or uncheck other items like Cached Images and Files if you want to delete those too. Once you have selected what you want to remove, click the Clear Data button.
To have Chrome clear cookies automatically when you close it, go back to Settings and click Privacy and Security. Scroll down to the section labeled Clear Browsing Data and toggle on the option that says Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. After you turn this on, Chrome will delete all cookies each time you fully close the browser.
How to clear cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and click Firefox in the top menu bar. Select Settings, then click Privacy & Security on the left side. Scroll down to the section labeled Cookies and Site Data. Click the button that says Clear Data.
A window will pop up with two checkboxes: Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content. Make sure the first box is checked, then click Clear. This will delete all cookies stored on your Mac. If you want to delete cookies from only a specific time period, use Command+Shift+Delete instead to open Firefox's Clear Recent History menu, where you can choose Last Hour, Last 2 Hours, Last 4 Hours, Today, or Everything.
To have Firefox clear cookies automatically, stay in the Privacy & Security settings and look for the section labeled Cookies and Site Data. Check the box next to Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. Firefox will then remove all cookies each time you close the browser completely.
What happens after you clear cookies
Once you clear cookies, websites you visit will no longer have access to the stored information from your previous visits. This means you may need to log back into accounts, websites may not remember your preferences, and some sites may load more slowly the first time you visit them after clearing.
Clearing cookies does not delete your browsing history, saved passwords, or autofill information unless you specifically select those options in the clearing menu. It also does not prevent websites from collecting new cookies the next time you visit them. If you want to stop websites from tracking you with cookies, you can use your browser's private browsing mode or install a browser extension that blocks tracking cookies.
Clearing cookies from specific websites only
If you want to keep most cookies but remove them from just one or two websites, Safari and Chrome both let you delete cookies per site. In Safari, go to Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data, find the website in the list, click it, and click Remove. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data, search for the website name, and click the trash icon next to it.
Firefox does not have a simple per-site cookie removal tool in its main settings, but you can use the browser's Developer Tools to inspect and delete cookies from individual sites. For most users, it is simpler to just clear all cookies and then log back into the sites you use regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies log me out of my accounts?
Yes. Cookies store your login session, so clearing them will log you out of most websites. You will need to enter your username and password again the next time you visit those sites. If you have saved passwords in your browser, you can use those to log back in quickly.
Does clearing cookies delete my passwords?
No. Cookies and saved passwords are stored separately. Clearing cookies will not affect your saved passwords, autofill information, or browsing history unless you specifically check those boxes in the clearing menu.
How often should I clear cookies?
That depends on your privacy preferences. Some people clear cookies weekly or monthly, while others only clear them when they notice a website behaving oddly. If you want to avoid tracking cookies entirely, you can set your browser to clear cookies automatically when you close it, which removes them without any manual action.
Can I clear cookies without clearing my browsing history?
Yes. When you open the clear data menu in any browser, you will see checkboxes for different types of data. Make sure only the Cookies box is checked, and uncheck Browsing History, Cached Images, and any other items you want to keep.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and using private browsing mode?
Private browsing mode prevents your browser from storing cookies and history while you are in that mode, but it does not delete cookies that were already stored. Clearing cookies removes cookies that are already on your Mac. You can use both together for maximum privacy: clear existing cookies, then browse in private mode to prevent new ones from being stored.