Delete all your Firefox cookies at once

Open Firefox and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows, or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. This opens the Clear Recent History window. At the top, change the dropdown from "Last Hour" to Everything, then make sure the checkbox next to Cookies is checked. Click Clear Now.

Firefox will delete every cookie it has stored — from every website you have visited. This happens instantly. When you close the window, the cookies are gone. The next time you visit a website that used cookies, it will not recognize you, and you may need to log in again.

If you want to keep some cookies (for example, to stay logged into email or banking), do not use this method. Instead, use the steps in the next section to delete cookies from specific websites only.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac) to open the Clear Recent History window, then select Everything and Cookies to delete all cookies at once.
  • Deleting all cookies logs you out of most websites and removes tracking data, but you can delete cookies from individual sites instead if you want to keep some.
  • To delete cookies from one website only, go to Settings, Privacy & Security, scroll to Cookies and Site Data, and click Manage Data to search for and remove specific sites.
  • You can set Firefox to delete cookies automatically when you close the browser, which removes tracking data without manual steps each time.
  • Clearing cookies does not delete your browsing history, passwords, or autofill information unless you check those boxes too.

Delete cookies from specific websites only

If you want to keep cookies from some sites but remove them from others, use the Manage Data window. Click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of Firefox, then select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy & Security.

Scroll down to the section labeled Cookies and Site Data. Click the button that says Manage Data. A window opens showing every website that has stored a cookie on your computer. Type the name of the website in the search box — for example, type "facebook" to find Facebook's cookies. Click the website name to select it, then click Remove Selected. The cookies from that site are deleted immediately.

You can remove multiple sites at once by clicking each one while holding Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac), then clicking Remove Selected once. This is useful if you want to clear cookies from tracking companies or advertisers without touching your banking or email cookies.

Set Firefox to delete cookies automatically when you close it

If you want Firefox to delete all cookies every time you close the browser, you can turn on this setting. Click the menu button in the top right, then Settings, then Privacy & Security on the left.

Under the Cookies and Site Data section, check the box that says Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. From now on, every cookie will be removed the moment you close Firefox completely. The next time you open Firefox and visit a website, that site will not recognize you.

This setting does not affect passwords or autofill data — those stay saved. Only cookies are deleted. If you want to stay logged into certain sites even after closing Firefox, do not turn on this setting, because it will log you out of everything.

Understand what deleting cookies actually does

Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you. Some cookies let you stay logged in. Others track which websites you visit so advertisers can show you targeted ads. Deleting cookies removes both types.

When you delete cookies, websites will not remember you the next time you visit. You may need to log in again to email, social media, banking, and shopping sites. You may also see ads that are less targeted to your interests, because advertisers will not know what you have looked at recently.

Deleting cookies does not delete your browsing history, your saved passwords, or your autofill information. Those are stored separately. If you want to delete those too, you can check their boxes in the Clear Recent History window, but they are not affected by cookie deletion alone.

The difference between deleting all cookies and clearing your browsing history

Clearing your browsing history removes the list of websites you have visited. Deleting cookies removes the files those websites stored on your computer. These are two separate things, and deleting one does not delete the other.

If you want to remove all traces of your browsing, you should do both. Open the Clear Recent History window (Ctrl+Shift+Delete or Command+Shift+Delete), change the time range to Everything, and check both Browsing & Download History and Cookies. You can also check Cache to remove temporary files websites store, and Site Preferences to remove permissions you granted to websites (like camera or location access).

What to do if a website stops working after you delete cookies

Some websites rely on cookies to function properly. If a site stops working after you delete cookies, the site may need to set new cookies. Refresh the page or close and reopen Firefox. Most sites will work normally once their cookies are restored.

If a website still does not work, you may need to log in again. Enter your username and password, and the site will set new cookies. If the site still has problems, it may have a technical issue unrelated to cookies — try visiting the site in a different browser to see if the problem is specific to Firefox.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting cookies delete my saved passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. Deleting cookies will not affect your saved passwords. If you want to delete passwords too, you must check that box separately in the Clear Recent History window.

Can I delete cookies from one website without deleting cookies from all the others?

Yes. Use the Manage Data window (Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Manage Data) to search for and remove cookies from individual websites. You can delete cookies from one site while keeping cookies from all others.

What happens if I delete cookies from a site where I am logged in?

You will be logged out. The next time you visit that site, you will need to enter your username and password again. The site will then set new cookies to keep you logged in.

Does deleting cookies stop advertisers from tracking me?

Deleting cookies removes one type of tracking, but advertisers use other methods too, like fingerprinting and pixel tracking. Cookies are just one tool. Deleting them helps, but does not stop all tracking. For more protection, consider using Firefox's Enhanced Tracking Protection, which you can turn on in Settings > Privacy & Security.

Can I delete cookies from my phone's Firefox?

Yes. On Firefox for Android, tap the menu button (three dots), then Settings, then Delete Browsing Data. Check Cookies and tap Delete. On Firefox for iPhone, tap the menu button, then Settings, then Clear Private Data, then check Cookies and tap Clear Private Data.