What clearing cookies does and why you might want to
Clearing your browser cookies removes the small files that websites store on your computer to remember you. When you clear them, websites forget your login information, your shopping cart empties, and sites can no longer track your browsing across the web using those stored identifiers. This is different from clearing your browsing history — history is the list of sites you visited, while cookies are the data those sites left behind.
Most people clear cookies to stop websites from tracking them, to free up a small amount of storage space, or to force a website to treat them as a new visitor (which sometimes fixes login problems). You can clear all cookies at once or delete them from specific websites only.
Key Takeaways
- Clearing cookies removes stored login information, so you will need to sign back into websites afterward.
- Each browser stores cookies in a different location, so you must clear them separately in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
- You can clear all cookies at once or delete cookies from only the websites you choose.
- Clearing cookies takes less than a minute and does not harm your computer or browser.
Clear all cookies at once 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. Make sure the time range at the top is set to All time — if you only want to clear cookies from the last day or week, you can choose that instead. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. Uncheck any other boxes if you want to keep your browsing history or cached images. Click the blue Clear data button at the bottom right.
Chrome will clear the cookies and close the window. You are done. The next time you visit a website that required a login, you will need to sign in again.
Clear all cookies at once in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Click Settings. On the left side, click Privacy & Security. Scroll down to the section labeled Cookies and Site Data.
Click the button that says Clear Data. A small window will appear. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked. Click Clear. Firefox will remove all cookies and close the window.
Clear all cookies at once in Safari
Open Safari. At the top of your screen, click Safari in the menu bar (not inside the browser window — in the very top menu of your Mac). 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. Click Remove All at the bottom right. Safari will ask you to confirm — click Remove Now. All cookies are now cleared.
Clear all cookies at once in Edge
Open Microsoft 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, set the time range to All time. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. Uncheck anything else you want to keep. Click Clear now. Edge will remove all cookies.
Delete cookies from only one website
If you want to clear cookies from a specific website without clearing all of them, the process is similar but stops partway through. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, open Settings, go to Privacy and Security, and look for a section called Cookies or Site Data. Click a button that says Manage or See all cookies and site data. A list of websites will appear. Search for the website you want to remove, click it, and click Delete or Remove.
In Safari, click Safari in the top menu, then Settings, then Privacy. Click Manage Website Data. Find the website in the list, click it once to select it, then click Remove. Click Done.
What happens after you clear cookies
Websites will no longer remember you until you visit them again and log back in. Your shopping carts will be empty. Websites will not be able to track your activity across the web using those stored cookies. Some websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cookies, because they have to download certain files again instead of using cached versions.
Clearing cookies does not delete your browser extensions, your saved passwords (unless you specifically clear those too), or your bookmarks. It does not affect other browsers on your computer — if you use both Chrome and Firefox, clearing cookies in Chrome does not touch Firefox's cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. When you clear browsing data, you have the option to clear passwords, but it is unchecked by default. You have to check that box yourself for passwords to be deleted.
Do I need to clear cookies regularly?
No. Clearing cookies is optional and depends on your privacy preferences. If you do not want websites tracking you, clearing them once a month or once a week is common. If you do not mind being tracked, you do not need to clear them at all.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is the list of websites you visited. Cookies are files websites stored on your computer. You can clear one without clearing the other — most browsers let you choose which data to delete when you clear browsing data.
Will clearing cookies log me out of websites?
Yes. Cookies store your login session, so clearing them will log you out. You will need to sign back in the next time you visit those websites. This is why many people clear cookies only from websites they do not use often.
Can I set my browser to clear cookies automatically?
Yes. All major browsers have an option to clear cookies automatically when you close the browser. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, go to Settings, find the Privacy section, and look for an option like Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows. Toggle it on. In Safari, go to Privacy settings and choose Remove all website data from the dropdown menu.