What cookies are and why you might want to delete them
Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you — your login details, what you put in a shopping cart, your preferences for how a page should look. They make browsing faster and more convenient because you don't have to re-enter the same information every time you visit.
You might want to delete them for privacy reasons, to free up a small amount of storage space, or because a website is behaving oddly and clearing its cookie might fix it. Deleting cookies won't break your computer or your internet connection. The worst that happens is you'll have to log back into websites you use regularly, and some sites will forget your preferences until you visit them again.
The steps differ depending on which browser you use — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — but the idea is the same in all of them. You're looking for a menu option that says "Clear browsing data" or "Clear history", and you'll choose the option to delete cookies specifically.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are small files websites store on your computer to remember your login information and preferences.
- Deleting cookies won't harm your computer, but you may need to log back into websites afterward.
- The steps are different for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, but all involve a "Clear browsing data" or "Clear history" menu.
- You can delete all cookies at once or set your browser to delete them automatically when you close it.
- If a website is not working properly, clearing its cookies is often the first troubleshooting step to try.
How to delete cookies in Google Chrome
Open Chrome and look at the top right corner of the window. Click the three vertical dots (called the menu button) and select Settings from the dropdown. On the left side of the Settings page, 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 if you want to delete every cookie your computer has stored. If you only want to delete cookies from the last day or week, you can choose that instead. Below that, check the box next to Cookies and other site data. Make sure the boxes for "Browsing history" and "Cached images and files" are unchecked unless you want to delete those too. Then click the blue Clear data button.
Chrome will delete the cookies and close the window. You're done. The next time you visit a website that used cookies to remember you, you may need to log in again.
How to delete cookies in Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (the menu button) in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. On the left side, click Privacy & Security. Under the section labeled "Cookies and Site Data", click the button that says Clear Data.
A window will appear. Make sure the checkbox next to Cookies and Site Data is checked. You can leave "Cached Web Content" unchecked unless you want to delete that too. Click the blue Clear button. Firefox will delete the cookies when ready.
If you want to delete cookies from only one website instead of all of them, you can do that too. In the same Privacy & Security settings, scroll down to "Cookies and Site Data" and click Manage Data. Type the website name in the search box, select it from the list, and click Remove Selected.
How to delete cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the very top of your screen (not inside the browser window, but at the top of your Mac). From the dropdown, select Settings. Click the Privacy tab. On the right side, you'll see a button that says Manage Website Data. Click it.
A window will open showing all the websites that have stored data on your computer. If you want to delete cookies from all websites, click Remove All at the bottom right. If you want to delete cookies from only specific websites, click on each one in the list and click Remove. Then click Done.
Alternatively, you can use Safari's main menu. Click Safari at the top, then Clear History. Choose how far back you want to go (the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history), and click Clear History. This will delete cookies along with your browsing history.
How to delete cookies in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. On the left side, click Privacy, search, and services. Under "Clear browsing data", click the button labeled Choose what to clear.
A window will pop up. At the top, select the time range — All time will delete every cookie, or you can choose a shorter period. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. Uncheck any other options you don't want to delete. Click the blue Clear now button.
Edge will delete the cookies. If you want this to happen automatically every time you close the browser, go back to the Privacy settings and toggle on the option that says Clear browsing data every time you close the browser. Then check the box next to Cookies and other site data so it deletes those automatically.
Setting your browser to delete cookies automatically
If you don't want to manually delete cookies every time, you can set your browser to do it for you. In Chrome, go to Settings, click Privacy and security, then Cookies and other site data. Select Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. In Firefox, go to Settings, click Privacy & Security, and under "Cookies and Site Data" select Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed.
In Safari, this option is not available in the same way, but you can manually clear history and cookies each time you close the browser by going to Safari menu and selecting Clear History. In Edge, go to Settings, click Privacy, search, and services, and toggle on Clear browsing data every time you close the browser, then check Cookies and other site data.
Keep in mind that if you set your browser to delete cookies automatically, you'll need to log into websites more often because the browser won't remember you. This is a trade-off between convenience and privacy.
What to do if a website isn't working after you delete cookies
Sometimes a website will stop working properly if you delete its cookies — you might not be able to log in, or a feature might not work the way it should. This usually means the website needs its cookie to function. The solution is straightforward: log back in, and the website will create a new cookie. If the problem persists, try clearing the cache as well (this is different from cookies and stores temporary files the website uses).
If you deleted cookies from all websites and now several sites aren't working, you can restore some of them. Most browsers have an "undo" option that works for a short time after you clear data. In Chrome and Edge, look for an "undo" button that appears at the bottom of the screen right after you clear data. Click it to restore the cookies you just deleted. In Firefox and Safari, you may need to use your browser's history restoration feature or manually log back into the sites you use most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies slow down my internet?
No. Cookies are very small files, and deleting them won't noticeably change your internet speed. You might notice websites load slightly slower the first time you visit them after deleting cookies, because the website has to rebuild its cookie instead of reading the old one, but this is usually not noticeable.
Can I delete cookies from just one website?
Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can go to the cookie management section and search for the website name, then delete only that site's cookies. In Safari, you can use the "Manage Website Data" option to select individual websites. This is useful if one website is misbehaving but you want to stay logged into others.
What's the difference between cookies and cache?
Cookies are small files that store information about you (login details, preferences). Cache stores temporary copies of images, videos, and other files from websites so they load faster next time. They're separate things, and you can delete one without deleting the other, though most browsers let you delete both at the same time.
Do I need to delete cookies regularly?
No. Cookies don't accumulate in a way that slows down your computer. You only need to delete them if you're concerned about privacy, if a website is misbehaving, or if you want to clear out old login information. Many people never manually delete cookies and have no problems.
Will deleting cookies log me out of everything?
Yes, deleting all cookies will log you out of most websites because cookies store your login session. You'll need to log back in the next time you visit. If you only delete cookies from specific websites, you'll only be logged out of those sites.