What clearing cookies and cache actually does
Clearing your cookies and cache removes two different types of stored data from your device. Cookies are small files that websites save to remember you — your login information, what you put in a shopping cart, your preferences. Cache is a collection of images, scripts, and other page elements that your browser saves so websites load faster the next time you visit.
When you clear both, websites will load slightly slower on your first visit because your browser has to download everything fresh. You will be logged out of most sites. Sites will not remember your preferences until you visit them again and they set new cookies. This is useful if you share a device, want to remove tracking data, or are troubleshooting a website that is not loading correctly.
Clearing cookies and cache does not delete your passwords, bookmarks, or browsing history — those are separate. If you want to remove those too, you can do that in the same menu, but it is a different action.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies store login information and preferences; cache stores images and page elements to speed up loading.
- The steps to clear both are different on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, but all are found in browser settings.
- You can set your browser to clear cookies and cache automatically every time you close it.
- Clearing cache on your phone requires going into the app settings, not the browser itself.
- If a website is not working correctly, clearing cache often fixes the problem without losing your login information.
How to clear cookies and cache on Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. On the left side, click Privacy and security, then click Clear browsing data.
A window will pop up. At the top, make sure the time range is set to All time unless you only want to clear data from a specific period. Check the boxes next to Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Leave everything else unchecked unless you want to remove those too. Click the blue Clear data button.
Chrome will clear the data in a few seconds. You will be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit a site, it will load from scratch, which may take a few extra seconds.
How to clear cookies and cache on Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left, 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 both Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content are checked. Click Clear. Firefox will remove the data immediately.
If you want to clear only data from a specific time period, use the menu at the top of the Privacy & Security page. Look for Clear Recent History, click it, set your time range, and make sure the same two boxes are checked before clicking Clear Now.
How to clear cookies and cache on Safari
Open Safari. At the top of the screen, click Safari in the menu bar, then select Clear History. A dropdown menu will appear asking how far back you want to clear. Select All history to remove everything, or pick a specific time period.
Click Clear History. This removes your browsing history, cookies, and cache all at once. Safari does not separate these into different options the way Chrome and Firefox do.
If you want more control over what gets cleared, go to Safari > Settings, click the Privacy tab, and look for options about cookies. However, the quickest way to clear everything is still the History menu.
How to clear cookies and cache on Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy, search, and services. Under the section Clear browsing data, click the button that says Choose what to clear.
A window will open. At the top, set the time range to All time. Check the boxes for Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Click the blue Clear now button.
Edge will clear the data in a few seconds. You can also set Edge to clear this data automatically every time you close the browser — look for the toggle that says Choose what to clear every time you close the browser on the same Privacy page.
How to clear cache on phones and tablets
On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings and scroll down to find Safari. Tap Safari, then scroll down and tap Clear History and Website Data. A popup will ask you to confirm. Tap Clear History and Data. This removes cookies, cache, and browsing history.
On an Android phone, open Chrome and tap the three dots in the bottom right. Select Settings, then tap Privacy and security. Tap Clear browsing data. Make sure Cookies and site data and Cached images and files are checked. At the top, select All time, then tap Clear data.
If you use a different browser on your phone, the steps will be slightly different, but look for a menu option labeled Settings, Privacy, or Clear Data. The process is the same — find the privacy menu and look for an option to clear browsing data.
Set your browser to clear data automatically
Most browsers can clear cookies and cache automatically every time you close them. This is useful if you share a device or want to remove tracking data without thinking about it.
On Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security and turn on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. On Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to Cookies and Site Data, and check the box that says Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. On Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services and turn on Choose what to clear every time you close the browser, then select which data types to clear.
Safari on Mac does not have an automatic clear option, but you can manually clear history and data whenever you want using the menu. On iPhone and iPad, there is no automatic option either — you have to clear manually through Settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing my cache log me out of everything?
Clearing cache alone will not log you out, because cache is just images and page elements. However, if you clear cookies at the same time, you will be logged out of most websites because cookies store your login session. If you only want to clear cache and keep your logins, look for an option to clear only cached files and uncheck the cookies box.
What is the difference between clearing cache and clearing cookies?
Cache stores images, videos, and code that websites use, so they load faster next time. Cookies store information about you — login details, what you put in a cart, your preferences. Clearing cache makes sites load slower on first visit. Clearing cookies logs you out and removes personalization. You can clear one without the other.
If I clear my cache, will I lose my passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies and cache. Clearing cache and cookies does not touch your saved passwords. If you want to remove passwords too, you have to do that in a different menu — usually under Passwords or Autofill in your browser settings.
Why is a website not working right after I clear my cache?
Clearing cache usually fixes websites that are not loading correctly, not breaks them. If a site stops working after you clear cache, it is probably a temporary issue with the site itself. Try refreshing the page, closing and reopening your browser, or waiting a few minutes. If it still does not work, the problem is likely on the website's end, not yours.
Can I clear cookies and cache for just one website instead of all of them?
Yes, but the steps are different for each browser. On Chrome, right-click anywhere on the website and select Inspect, then go to the Application tab and look for Cookies and Cache Storage to delete just that site's data. On Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to Cookies and Site Data, click Manage Data, search for the site name, and click Remove. The easiest way is usually to just clear everything and log back in to the sites you use regularly.