Where cookies live on your Mac and how to remove them
Cookies on macOS are stored in different places depending on which browser you use. Safari keeps them in a folder called Library, while Chrome and Firefox store them in their own application folders. You can delete them directly through each browser's settings menu — the fastest route — or you can find and delete the cookie files themselves if you want to be thorough.
Most people delete cookies through the browser because it takes 30 seconds and doesn't require hunting through hidden folders. If you use multiple browsers, you'll need to repeat the process in each one, since cookies from Safari don't appear in Chrome and vice versa.
Key Takeaways
- Safari, Chrome, and Firefox each store cookies in different locations, so you must delete them separately in each browser you use.
- The fastest method is to use each browser's built-in privacy settings to clear cookies, which takes less than a minute.
- You can choose to delete all cookies at once or clear cookies from only the past hour, day, or week.
- Deleting cookies will sign you out of most websites, so you'll need to log back in the next time you visit them.
Delete cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select Clear History from the dropdown menu. A window will appear asking how far back you want to clear — choose All history to delete all cookies, or pick a specific time range like the last hour or today if you only want to remove recent ones.
Make sure the checkbox next to Cookies and website data is checked. If you want to keep your browsing history but only delete cookies, uncheck History and leave Cookies and website data checked. Click Clear History and you're done.
Delete cookies in 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, choose your time range — All time deletes everything, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, and Last 4 weeks let you be more selective. Make sure Cookies and other site data is checked, then click Clear data.
Delete cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. On the left, click Privacy & Security. Under the Cookies and Site Data section, click Clear Data.
A window appears with two checkboxes. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked — you can uncheck Cached Web Content if you only want to remove cookies. Click Clear and the cookies are gone.
Find and delete cookie files manually
If you want to delete cookie files directly instead of using browser settings, you'll need to access your Library folder, which is hidden by default on macOS. Open Finder and click Go in the menu bar. Hold down the Option key and Library will appear in the dropdown — click it.
For Safari cookies, navigate to Library > Safari and look for a file called Cookies.binarycookies. For Chrome, go to Library > Application Support > Google > Chrome > Default and find the file named Cookies. For Firefox, go to Library > Application Support > Firefox > Profiles, open the folder with a random name, and look for cookies.sqlite. Drag any of these files to the Trash and empty it.
What happens when you delete cookies
Deleting cookies will sign you out of most websites. The next time you visit a site where you were logged in, you'll see the login page instead of your account. You'll need to enter your username and password again. This is normal and expected.
Some websites may also load more slowly the first time you visit after deleting cookies, because they have to rebuild your preferences and settings from scratch. Websites won't know you've visited before, so you may see welcome messages or tutorials you've already seen. None of this causes any damage — it's just how cookies work.
Prevent cookies from being stored in the future
If you want to stop websites from storing cookies altogether, you can adjust your browser settings. In Safari, go to Safari > Settings > Privacy and change the Cookies and website data setting to Never allow. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data and select Block all cookies. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and under Cookies and Site Data, choose Block all cookies.
Be aware that blocking all cookies will break many websites. You won't be able to stay logged in, shopping carts won't work, and some sites won't load properly. A middle ground is to allow cookies but delete them regularly — weekly or monthly — rather than blocking them entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies delete my passwords?
No. Cookies and saved passwords are stored separately. Deleting cookies will not affect your saved passwords in any browser. You'll still be able to use your browser's password manager to log back in quickly after deleting cookies.
Do I need to delete cookies from all three browsers?
Only if you use all three. Cookies from Safari don't appear in Chrome or Firefox, so deleting them in one browser doesn't affect the others. If you only use Safari, you only need to delete cookies there.
What's the difference between deleting all cookies and deleting cookies from the last hour?
Deleting all cookies removes every cookie stored on your Mac from every website you've ever visited. Deleting cookies from the last hour only removes cookies created in the past 60 minutes. Choose the time range based on how much browsing history you want to clear.
Can I delete cookies from just one website?
Yes, but the method varies by browser. In Safari, go to Safari > Settings > Privacy, click Manage Website Data, find the site you want, and click Remove. In Chrome and Firefox, you can't delete cookies from a single site through the settings menu, but you can block future cookies from that site.