Clear all cookies at once in Microsoft Edge
Open Microsoft Edge and select the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Choose Settings, then Privacy, search, and services from the left sidebar. Under the Clear browsing data section, click Choose what to clear.
A window will appear with several options. Make sure Cookies and other site data is checked. You can also check Cached images and files if you want to free up storage space. At the top, select the time range — All time will remove every cookie Edge has stored, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, and Last 3 months let you remove only recent ones. Click Clear now.
Edge will remove the cookies you selected and return you to the Settings page. The process takes a few seconds. You will be signed out of most websites automatically, since cookies are what keep you logged in.
Key Takeaways
- The fastest way to clear cookies is through Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Choose what to clear, then check Cookies and other site data and click Clear now.
- You can choose to clear cookies from all time or from just the last hour, day, week, or month.
- Clearing cookies will sign you out of websites you were logged into, since websites use cookies to remember who you are.
- You can also set Edge to clear cookies automatically every time you close the browser by turning on the Clear browsing data option in Settings.
Clear cookies automatically when you close Edge
If you want Edge to delete cookies without you having to do it manually each time, you can set it to clear them automatically. Open the three-dot menu, go to Settings, then Privacy, search, and services.
Scroll down to Clear browsing data and toggle on Choose what to clear every time you close the browser. A second toggle will appear below it — turn on Cookies and other site data. Now every time you close Edge completely, it will remove all cookies from that session.
This setting does not affect cookies from sites you visit in InPrivate windows, which Edge handles separately. If you close an InPrivate window, those cookies are deleted regardless of this setting.
Clear cookies from a single website
You do not have to clear all your cookies at once. If you want to remove cookies from just one website, open Edge and go to that site. Click the lock icon or information icon next to the web address in the address bar.
Select Cookies and site permissions. You will see a list of cookies that website has stored. Click the trash icon next to any cookie to delete it individually, or click Manage to see more details about what data that site has stored.
Removing a single website's cookies will sign you out of that site but leave you logged into others. This is useful if you want to clear data from one site without disrupting your session elsewhere.
Understand what cookies do and why you might clear them
Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you. They track what you have looked at, keep you logged in, and store preferences like your language or theme choice. Some cookies are necessary for websites to work properly, while others track your activity across multiple sites for advertising purposes.
Clearing cookies can improve privacy by removing records of where you have been online, but it also means you will need to log back into websites and they will forget your preferences. Websites may also load slightly slower the first time you visit after clearing cookies, since they have to download more data instead of using stored information.
If you are concerned about tracking cookies specifically, you can use Edge's Tracking prevention feature instead of clearing all cookies. Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services and set Tracking prevention to Strict to block many tracking cookies while keeping functional ones.
Clear cookies on exit from specific websites
Edge lets you choose which websites should have their cookies cleared every time you close the browser, while keeping cookies from other sites. Open Settings > Privacy, search, and services and scroll to Clear browsing data.
Under Clear browsing data, find Sites that can always use cookies and click Manage. You will see two lists: sites where cookies are always kept, and sites where cookies are always cleared. To add a site to the "always clear" list, click Add under that section and type the website address.
This approach is useful if you want to stay logged into most sites but automatically clear cookies from banking or email sites when you close Edge for security reasons.
Troubleshoot if cookies are not clearing
If you clear cookies but find you are still logged into websites, Edge may have cached your login information separately from cookies. Try clearing Cached images and files along with cookies — this removes temporary data that can also store login information.
If a website is not letting you clear its cookies through Edge's settings, the site itself may be storing data in a different format, such as local storage or session storage. These are not the same as cookies and require a different removal process. You can check what data a site has stored by clicking the lock icon next to the address bar and selecting Cookies and site permissions.
Some extensions or security software can also interfere with clearing cookies. If cookies are not clearing after you click Clear now, try disabling extensions temporarily or checking your antivirus software settings to make sure they are not blocking the action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies sign me out of everything?
Yes, clearing all cookies will sign you out of most websites because cookies are what websites use to remember that you are logged in. You will need to log back in to each site. If you only want to stay logged into certain sites, use the Sites that can always use cookies feature to protect them from being cleared.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and using InPrivate mode?
InPrivate mode prevents Edge from storing cookies and browsing history in the first place — nothing is saved to your computer. Clearing cookies removes data that has already been stored. InPrivate is useful for one-time browsing, while clearing cookies is better for removing old data from regular browsing.
Can I clear cookies from just the last day without clearing older ones?
Yes. When you go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Choose what to clear, select Last 24 hours from the time range dropdown before clicking Clear now. This removes only cookies from the past day while keeping older ones.
Do I need to clear cookies regularly?
Not necessarily. Clearing cookies is a personal choice based on your privacy preferences. If you are concerned about tracking, set Tracking prevention to Strict instead. If you share your computer with others, clearing cookies before handing it over prevents them from seeing your login information.
What happens to cookies from sites I have pinned to my home page?
Pinned sites are just shortcuts to websites — clearing cookies affects them the same way it affects any other site. You will be logged out of pinned sites when you clear cookies, but the pins themselves will remain on your home page.