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. When you visit a website, it can save a cookie that tracks what you looked at, what you bought, or that you were logged in. The next time you visit, the website reads that cookie and knows who you are without asking you to log in again.

You might want to delete cookies to free up a small amount of storage space, to stop websites from tracking your browsing, or to clear out login information if you share your computer with someone else. Deleting cookies will not harm your computer — it straightforward means websites will not remember you the next time you visit, and you may need to log in again.

Key Takeaways

  • Cookies are files websites store on your computer to remember information about you, and deleting them does not damage your computer.
  • The steps to delete cookies differ depending on which web browser you use — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge each have their own process.
  • You can delete all cookies at once or set your browser to delete them automatically when you close it.
  • After deleting cookies, you will need to log back into websites you use regularly, and some sites may load more slowly the first time you visit.

Delete cookies in Google Chrome

Open Google Chrome and look at the top right corner of the window. Click the three vertical dots (called the menu button). A dropdown list will appear. Click "Settings" near the bottom of that list.

On the left side of the Settings page, click "Privacy and security". Then click "Clear browsing data". A window will pop up. Make sure the box next to "Cookies and other site data" is checked. At the top of that window, you will see a dropdown that says "All time" — this controls how far back to delete. Leave it on "All time" to delete all cookies, or choose a shorter time period if you only want to delete recent ones. Click the blue "Clear data" button.

Delete cookies in Mozilla Firefox

Open Mozilla Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (the menu button) in the top right corner. Click "Settings". On the left side, click "Privacy & Security".

Under the "Cookies and Site Data" section, you will see a button that says "Clear Data". Click it. A window will pop up. Make sure both "Cookies and Site Data" and "Cached Web Content" are checked. Click the blue "Clear" button. If you want to delete cookies from only the last few hours or days instead of all time, look for the dropdown at the top of the window and change it before clicking Clear.

Delete cookies in Safari

Open Safari. At the top of your screen, click "Safari" in the menu bar (not inside the browser window, but at the very top of your Mac). A dropdown menu will appear. Click "Settings".

Click the "Privacy" tab at the top. You will see a button that says "Manage Website Data". Click it. A list of websites will appear. To delete all cookies at once, click "Remove All" at the bottom right. To delete cookies from specific websites, click on a website name in the list and then click "Remove".

Delete cookies in Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Click "Settings". On the left side, click "Privacy, search, and services".

Under "Clear browsing data", click "Choose what to clear". A window will pop up. Make sure "Cookies and other site data" is checked. At the top, you will see a dropdown — leave it on "All time" to delete everything, or choose a shorter period. Click the blue "Clear now" button.

Set your browser to delete cookies automatically

Instead of manually deleting cookies each time, you can tell your browser to delete them automatically when you close it. In Chrome, go to Settings, click "Privacy and security", then click "Cookies and other site data". Turn on the toggle next to "Delete cookies and site data when you close all windows".

In Firefox, go to Settings, click "Privacy & Security", and find the section labeled "Cookies and Site Data". Click the dropdown next to "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed" and turn it on. In Safari, go to Settings, click "Privacy", and check the box next to "Remove all website data when quitting Safari". In Edge, go to Settings, click "Privacy, search, and services", and turn on "Clear browsing data" under "Clear browsing data".

What happens after you delete cookies

After you delete cookies, websites will not remember you. If you were logged into your email, social media, or online banking, you will be logged out. The next time you visit those sites, you will need to enter your username and password again.

Some websites may also load more slowly the first time you visit after deleting cookies, because they have to rebuild information they normally store locally. This slowdown is temporary and only happens once per site. Your bookmarks, passwords (if you chose to save them), and browsing history are separate from cookies and will not be deleted by this process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting cookies delete my saved passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. When you delete cookies, your saved passwords remain on your computer. If you want to delete passwords, you must do that in a different section of your browser settings — usually under "Passwords" or "Autofill".

Can I delete cookies from just one website instead of all of them?

Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can go to the cookie settings and search for a specific website name, then delete only that site's data. In Safari, the "Manage Website Data" window shows a list of all websites — click the one you want and click "Remove".

If I delete cookies, will websites know I deleted them?

No. Websites cannot tell whether you deleted their cookies. They will straightforward not have the information they stored, so they will treat you as a new visitor the next time you arrive.

Do I need to delete cookies regularly?

Not necessarily. Cookies take up very little storage space. You only need to delete them if you want to stop websites from tracking you, if you share your computer and want to clear login information, or if a website is not working properly and clearing cookies fixes it.