Where to find the cookie settings on your iPad
Cookies on your iPad live in your browser's settings, not in a separate folder you can find. The exact location depends on which browser you use — Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or another app. Most people use Safari, which comes built into every iPad.
To clear cookies in Safari, open the Settings app (the gray gear icon on your home screen), scroll down and tap Safari, then scroll to the bottom and tap Clear History and Website Data. A menu will appear asking what time period you want to clear — you can choose the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time. Tap your choice, and the cookies are gone.
If you use Chrome instead, open the Chrome app, tap the three dots in the bottom right corner, go to Settings, tap Privacy, then Clear Browsing Data. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked before you tap Clear Browsing Data.
Key Takeaways
- Safari cookies are cleared through Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, and you choose whether to clear all time or just recent activity.
- Chrome cookies are cleared in the Chrome app itself under Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data, with a checkbox to confirm you want cookies removed.
- Clearing cookies will sign you out of most websites, so you will need to log back in the next time you visit them.
- If you want cookies cleared automatically every time you close your browser, you can turn on that setting in Safari under Settings > Safari > Privacy.
What happens when you clear cookies
When you clear cookies, websites will no longer remember you the next time you visit. This means you will be logged out of email, social media, shopping sites, and anywhere else that kept you signed in. The first time you visit those sites again, you will need to enter your username and password.
Clearing cookies also removes tracking data that advertisers use to follow you across websites. This is why many people clear cookies regularly — it reduces the amount of information companies collect about your browsing habits. However, it does not make you completely anonymous online, and it does not affect data that websites have already stored about you under your account.
The difference between clearing cookies and clearing all browsing data
When you tap Clear History and Website Data in Safari, you are actually clearing more than just cookies. You are also removing your browsing history (the list of sites you visited), cached images and files (which speed up loading on sites you visit often), and autofill information like saved passwords and credit card numbers.
If you only want to clear cookies and not your entire browsing history, Safari does not give you that option directly. Chrome does — when you tap Clear Browsing Data, you can uncheck History and Cached Images and Files and leave only Cookies and Site Data checked. This way you keep your history but remove the tracking data.
How to stop cookies from being stored in the first place
If you want your iPad to stop accepting cookies altogether, you can turn on Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement in Safari, which limits how much tracking data websites can collect. Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy and toggle it on. This does not block all cookies, but it reduces the amount of information advertisers can gather about you.
For stronger privacy, you can also enable Prevent Cross-Site Tracking in the same menu. This tells websites not to track you as you move between different sites. However, some websites may not work properly if you turn this on, so you may need to turn it off temporarily if a site is broken.
If you want to block cookies more aggressively, you can use a different browser like Firefox or DuckDuckGo, which have stricter privacy settings built in. You can also use a VPN app, though that is a separate tool that hides your internet activity from your internet provider rather than blocking cookies specifically.
How to clear cookies from specific websites only
Safari does not let you delete cookies from just one website at a time. If you want to clear cookies selectively, you have two options: clear everything and accept that you will need to log back into sites, or use Chrome, which lets you manage cookies per website.
In Chrome, tap the three dots, go to Settings, tap Privacy, then Cookies. You will see a list of websites that have stored cookies on your iPad. You can tap any site and choose to delete its cookies without touching the others. This is useful if you want to log out of one account but stay logged into everything else.
Why websites ask you to clear cookies when something is broken
When a website is not working properly — a page will not load, you cannot log in, or something looks wrong — support staff often ask you to clear cookies. This works because corrupted or outdated cookie data can cause websites to behave strangely. Clearing them forces the website to create fresh data the next time you visit.
Before you clear all your cookies, try clearing them only for the broken website if you are using Chrome. If you are using Safari and the problem persists after clearing cookies, the issue is probably not cookies — it might be a problem with the website itself, your internet connection, or your iPad's memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?
Clearing cookies does not delete passwords stored in your iPad's password manager. However, it will log you out of websites, so you will need to enter your password the next time you visit. Your saved passwords remain in Settings > Passwords and Autofill and will fill in automatically when you log back in.
Can I clear cookies without clearing my browsing history?
In Safari, no — clearing cookies also clears your history. In Chrome, yes — uncheck History and Cached Images and Files before you tap Clear Browsing Data, leaving only Cookies and Site Data checked. This removes cookies but keeps your history intact.
Do I need to clear cookies regularly?
No, but many people clear them monthly or quarterly to reduce tracking. If you do not clear cookies, websites will continue to remember you and advertisers will continue to track your activity. Clearing them occasionally is a simple way to reduce that tracking without affecting how websites work.
What if a website stops working after I clear cookies?
Log back in and the website should work normally. If it still does not work, the problem is not cookies — try refreshing the page, closing and reopening the browser app, or restarting your iPad. If that does not help, the website itself may be having problems.
Does clearing cookies make me anonymous online?
No. Clearing cookies removes one type of tracking, but websites can still identify you through your IP address, login information, and other data. If you want stronger privacy, use a VPN app or a privacy-focused browser, though these have their own trade-offs and limitations.