Where to find and delete cookies on Windows and Mac
Cookies are small files your browser stores when you visit websites. They remember your login information, shopping cart contents, and browsing preferences — but they also let websites and advertisers track your movement across the internet. Clearing them removes that stored data and stops many tracking attempts.
The steps differ slightly between browsers and operating systems. On Windows, you'll find the cookie deletion option in your browser's settings menu, usually labeled "Clear browsing data" or "Privacy." On Mac, the process is nearly identical — the menu location and wording are the same across most browsers, whether you use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
You can clear cookies one time, or set your browser to delete them automatically every time you close it. Most people benefit from doing both: clearing old cookies now, then letting the browser handle future ones without thinking about it.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies stored on your computer track your browsing across websites and let advertisers follow you from site to site.
- Every major browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge — lets you clear cookies through the settings menu in under a minute.
- You can delete all cookies at once or set your browser to clear them automatically when you close it.
- Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites, so you'll need to sign back in after you clear them.
- Clearing cookies does not delete your browsing history, passwords, or autofill information unless you specifically choose those options too.
How to clear cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select "Settings" from the menu, then click "Privacy and security" in the left sidebar. Choose "Clear browsing data" from the list.
A window will pop up with several checkboxes. Make sure "Cookies and other site data" is checked. At the top of the window, you'll see a dropdown menu that says "All time" — this controls how far back the deletion goes. Leave it on "All time" to clear everything, or choose a shorter period like "Last hour" or "Last 7 days" if you only want to remove recent cookies.
Click the blue "Clear data" button. Chrome will delete the cookies immediately, and you'll be logged out of most websites you were signed into.
How to clear cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (the menu button) in the top right corner. Select "Settings," then click "Privacy & Security" in the left sidebar. Under the "Cookies and Site Data" section, click the "Clear Data" button.
A small window appears with two checkboxes. Make sure "Cookies and Site Data" is checked — the other option, "Cached Web Content," is separate and optional. Click "Clear" to remove the cookies immediately.
If you want to clear cookies from only a specific time period, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac) to open the "Clear Recent History" window instead. This gives you more control over the time range and what data gets deleted.
How to clear cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click "Safari" in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select "Settings" from the dropdown menu, then click the "Privacy" tab. Look for the "Manage Website Data" button and click it.
A list of websites and their stored data will appear. To clear all cookies at once, click "Remove All" at the bottom of the window. To remove cookies from specific websites only, select the websites you want to delete and click "Remove."
Safari doesn't have a time-range option like Chrome and Firefox do, so this method clears all stored website data. If you want more control, use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+Y to open your history, then click "Clear History" in the bottom right corner and choose your time range.
How to clear cookies in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select "Settings," then click "Privacy, search, and services" in the left sidebar. Under "Clear browsing data," click "Choose what to clear."
A window will open with several options. Check the box next to "Cookies and other site data." At the top, use the dropdown menu to select your time range — "All time" clears everything, or you can choose "Last hour," "Last 24 hours," "Last 7 days," or "Last 4 weeks."
Click the blue "Clear now" button. Edge will delete the cookies and sign you out of websites where you were logged in.
Set your browser to clear cookies automatically
Most browsers can delete cookies every time you close them, so you don't have to do it manually. This is useful if you want to stop tracking without thinking about it each time.
In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data. Turn on "Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome." In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to "Cookies and Site Data," and check "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed." In Safari, go to Settings > Privacy and uncheck "Allow privacy-preserving ad measurement" if you want to block tracking, though Safari doesn't have a simple "delete on close" toggle like other browsers. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data and turn on "Choose what to clear every time you close the browser."
Once you turn this on, your browser will automatically remove cookies in the background. You'll still be logged out of websites when you restart your browser, but you won't have to manually clear them.
What happens when you clear cookies
When you clear cookies, you'll be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit Gmail, Facebook, your bank, or any other site where you were signed in, you'll need to enter your username and password again. Websites that remember your preferences — like font size, language, or dark mode settings — will reset to their defaults.
Clearing cookies does not delete your browsing history, saved passwords, or autofill information. If you want to remove those too, the same "Clear browsing data" window in your browser has separate checkboxes for each one. You can choose to clear only cookies, or cookies plus any combination of history, passwords, and cached images.
Cookies will start building up again as soon as you visit new websites. This is normal and expected — you can't stop websites from creating cookies, but you can clear them regularly or set your browser to do it automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Cookies and passwords are stored separately. When you clear browsing data, you'll see checkboxes for both — they're unchecked by default. You have to specifically check "Passwords" to delete them. Most people clear cookies but leave passwords alone so they don't have to re-enter them everywhere.
Do I need to clear cookies on my phone too?
Yes, the same tracking happens on mobile browsers. On iPhone, open Safari, tap the tabs icon at the bottom, then tap "History" and "Clear History and Website Data." On Android Chrome, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data, check "Cookies and site data," and tap "Clear data." The process is similar to desktop.
What's the difference between clearing cookies and using private browsing?
Private or incognito mode prevents your browser from storing cookies and history in the first place — they're deleted when you close the window. Clearing cookies removes data that's already been stored. Private mode is useful for one-time browsing, while clearing cookies is better for regular cleanup of existing data.
Will clearing cookies stop ads from following me?
Clearing cookies removes one tracking method, but not all of them. Websites also use fingerprinting, pixel tags, and login-based tracking that cookies don't control. Clearing cookies regularly helps, but it's not a complete privacy solution. For stronger protection, consider using a privacy-focused browser or installing a tracker blocker.
Can I clear cookies from just one website?
Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can visit a website, click the lock icon or info icon next to the URL, find "Cookies" or "Site settings," and delete that site's data only. In Safari, use the "Manage Website Data" option and select specific sites before clicking "Remove." This is useful if one site is misbehaving but you want to keep cookies from others.