Where to find and delete cookies on your Samsung tablet
Cookies are small files that websites store on your tablet to remember your login information, preferences, and browsing history. Deleting them clears out this stored data and can free up space, though you will be logged out of most websites the next time you visit them. On a Samsung Galaxy tablet, the steps depend on which browser you use — most people use either Samsung Internet (the default browser) or Google Chrome.
The fastest way to delete cookies is through your browser's settings menu. You do not need to read anything or restart your tablet. The process takes about two minutes and works the same way whether you have a Tab S, Tab A, or any other Samsung model.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are files websites store on your tablet to remember your login information and preferences, and deleting them logs you out of most sites.
- Samsung Internet and Google Chrome both let you delete cookies from their settings menu without restarting your tablet.
- You can delete all cookies at once or choose a specific date range if you only want to remove recent ones.
- Clearing cookies does not delete your saved passwords unless you specifically choose to clear those too.
Delete cookies in Samsung Internet
Open Samsung Internet, the blue and white browser icon that comes built into most Samsung tablets. Tap the three horizontal lines (called a menu icon) in the bottom right corner of the screen. Scroll down and tap Settings.
In Settings, tap Privacy. You will see an option called Delete browsing data — tap that. A popup will appear with several checkboxes. Make sure Cookies and site data is checked. You can leave the other boxes checked or unchecked depending on what else you want to clear (browsing history, cached images, and so on). At the top of the popup, you will see a dropdown that says All time — this controls whether you delete all cookies or just ones from a specific date range. Once you have made your choices, tap Delete at the bottom right. The cookies are now gone.
Delete cookies in Google Chrome
Open Google Chrome, the colorful circle icon. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings.
Tap Privacy and security, then tap Clear browsing data. A popup will appear. Make sure the checkbox next to Cookies and site data is checked. At the top, you will see a dropdown showing All time — you can change this to Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or All time depending on how far back you want to go. Once you have chosen what to delete, tap Clear data at the bottom right.
What happens after you delete cookies
After deletion, websites will no longer remember you. The next time you visit a site where you were logged in — like email, social media, or online banking — you will need to enter your username and password again. This is normal and expected.
If you saved passwords in your browser, deleting cookies does not remove those saved passwords. Your browser will still offer to fill in your login information when you visit a site, even though the cookies are gone. If you want to delete saved passwords as well, you can do that separately in your browser's settings, but it is not necessary just to clear cookies.
Delete cookies on a schedule
If you want your tablet to delete cookies automatically every time you close your browser, you can turn on that setting. In Samsung Internet, go to Settings > Privacy and look for Delete browsing data on exit — toggle it on. In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security and turn on Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. With this setting on, you will not have to manually delete cookies, though you will still be logged out of websites each time you close the browser completely.
Automatic deletion is useful if you share your tablet with others and want to avoid leaving traces of your browsing. It also means you will need to log back into sites more often, since the cookies that keep you logged in will be removed each time you fully close the browser.
When you might want to delete cookies
Delete cookies if you are concerned about privacy on a shared tablet, since cookies can reveal which websites you have visited. You might also delete them if a website is not working properly — sometimes old cookie data causes login problems or page display issues, and clearing cookies fixes it. If your tablet is running slowly or you are low on storage space, deleting cookies frees up a small amount of room, though the effect is usually minor since cookies are small files.
You do not need to delete cookies regularly for security reasons on your own personal tablet. Cookies themselves are not dangerous — they are just data files. If you are worried about a specific website or notice unusual activity on an account, deleting cookies from that site can help, but routine deletion is optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Cookies and saved passwords are stored separately. Deleting cookies will not remove passwords your browser has saved. You will still be able to use autofill for login information, even though the cookies are gone.
Can I delete cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
In Samsung Internet, you can tap and hold a website in your history, then choose to clear data for that site only. In Chrome, this option is less straightforward — you can clear all cookies or none, but not individual sites. If you need to clear one site, Samsung Internet is the easier choice.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is the list of websites you have visited. Cookies are files those websites stored on your tablet. Clearing history removes the list; clearing cookies removes the stored files. You can do either one without doing the other.
Do I need to restart my tablet after deleting cookies?
No. Cookies are deleted when ready and your tablet does not need to restart. You can keep using your browser right away.
Why does a website keep logging me out after I delete cookies?
That is normal — websites use cookies to keep you logged in. After you delete cookies, the website no longer has that file, so it logs you out. Log back in and the website will create a new cookie. If a site keeps logging you out even after you log back in, the problem is usually something else, like a browser setting or a problem with the website itself.