Clear your Chrome cookies in three steps
Open Google Chrome and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows, or Command + Shift + Delete on Mac. This opens the Clear Browsing Data window directly. Select the time range at the top — choose "All time" to remove every cookie Chrome has stored. Check the box next to "Cookies and other site data", leave everything else unchecked if you only want cookies gone, then click "Clear data". Chrome will delete the cookies within seconds.
If that keyboard shortcut does not work on your device, you can reach the same window through the menu: click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome, select "Settings", then click "Privacy and security" on the left side, then "Clear browsing data". The window that opens is identical to the one the keyboard shortcut brings up.
After you clear cookies, you will be signed out of most websites. The next time you visit a site that used cookies to remember you — your email, your bank, a shopping site — you will need to sign in again. This is normal and expected.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Command + Shift + Delete (Mac) to open Chrome's cookie-clearing window in one step.
- Select "All time" from the dropdown to remove every cookie, not just recent ones.
- Check only "Cookies and other site data" unless you want to delete your browsing history, cached images, or passwords at the same time.
- After clearing cookies, you will be signed out of websites and will need to sign back in the next time you visit them.
- Clearing cookies does not delete your saved passwords unless you specifically check that box.
What cookies are and why you might want to clear them
A cookie is a small file that a website stores on your computer. When you visit that website again, it reads the cookie to remember things about you — your login status, items in your shopping cart, your language preference, or sites you have visited. Cookies make websites faster and more convenient because you do not have to re-enter the same information every time.
Some cookies are set by the website you are visiting. Others are set by advertisers or data brokers who track your browsing across many different websites. If you clear your cookies, you remove both types. Websites will no longer know you visited before, and advertisers will lose the record of where you have been online.
People clear cookies for different reasons. Some do it to sign out of a shared computer. Others do it because a website is behaving strangely and clearing the cookie fixes it. Some clear cookies regularly to limit how much information advertisers collect about their browsing habits.
The difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history
Clearing cookies and clearing browsing history are two separate things, though Chrome's Clear Browsing Data window lets you do both at once. Your browsing history is the list of websites you have visited — it is stored on your computer and visible in Chrome's history menu. Your cookies are the small files websites leave behind to remember you.
When you clear browsing history, Chrome removes the list of sites you visited, but the cookies those sites left behind stay on your computer. When you clear cookies, the websites forget you visited, but your own record of where you went remains in your history. If you want to remove all traces of your browsing, you need to clear both. If you only want websites to forget you, clearing cookies alone is enough.
The Clear Browsing Data window also offers options to delete cached images and files, autofill data, and passwords. Leave these unchecked unless you specifically want them gone — clearing them can slow down your browsing because Chrome will have to download images again the next time you visit a site.
Clearing cookies from a single website instead of all websites
If you only want to clear cookies from one specific website, you do not have to clear all your cookies. Click the lock icon or information icon next to the website's address in the address bar — it appears to the left of the URL. Click "Cookies and site data" or "Cookies", then find the website in the list and click the trash icon next to it. Chrome will delete only that website's cookies.
This method is useful when a single website is not working correctly and you suspect a corrupted cookie is the cause. It is also useful if you want to sign out of one account without signing out of everything else. You keep your cookies for every other website intact.
Cookies will come back when you browse
After you clear your cookies, websites will start creating new ones the moment you visit them again. This is normal. Websites need cookies to function — they use them to keep you signed in, to remember your preferences, and to show you relevant content. Clearing cookies does not prevent new ones from being created.
If you want to limit how many cookies websites can create, you can change Chrome's cookie settings. Click the three dots menu, go to "Settings", then "Privacy and security", then "Cookies and other site data". You can choose to block all cookies, block third-party cookies only (the ones used for tracking), or allow all cookies. Blocking all cookies will break many websites, so most people choose to block only third-party cookies if they want to restrict them.
Clearing cookies on a shared or borrowed computer
If you use someone else's computer or a shared family computer, clearing cookies is a good way to sign out of your accounts before you leave. Open Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (or Command + Shift + Delete on Mac), select "All time", check "Cookies and other site data", and click "Clear data". This removes the cookies that remember your login information, so the next person to use the computer will not have access to your email, bank account, or other signed-in services.
For extra security on a shared computer, also clear your browsing history by checking that box in the same window. This removes the record of which websites you visited. If you are concerned about passwords being saved, check "Passwords and other sign-in data" as well, though this will also delete any saved passwords for that computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. When you clear cookies, your saved passwords remain on your computer unless you specifically check the "Passwords and other sign-in data" box in the Clear Browsing Data window. If you only check "Cookies and other site data", your passwords stay intact.
Why does a website keep asking me to sign in after I clear cookies?
Websites use cookies to remember that you are signed in. When you clear cookies, that memory is erased, so the website no longer knows who you are. The next time you visit, you will need to sign in again. This is expected behavior. If you want to stay signed in, do not clear cookies from that website.
Can I clear cookies automatically every time I close Chrome?
Yes. Click the three dots menu, go to "Settings", then "Privacy and security", then "Cookies and other site data". Turn on "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome". From then on, Chrome will automatically delete all cookies when you close the browser completely. This does not happen when you close individual tabs — only when you fully exit Chrome.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and using Incognito mode?
Incognito mode prevents Chrome from storing cookies in the first place — websites can still create cookies while you browse, but Chrome deletes them when you close the Incognito window. Clearing cookies removes cookies that are already stored on your computer. Incognito is useful for one-time browsing where you do not want to leave a trace. Clearing cookies is useful when you want to remove cookies that have already accumulated.
Do I need to clear cookies regularly?
Not necessarily. Clearing cookies occasionally can limit how much information advertisers collect about your browsing, but it is not required for Chrome to work properly. If a website is behaving strangely, clearing its cookies often fixes the problem. Beyond that, how often you clear cookies is a personal choice based on your privacy preferences.