Clear your cookies in Edge through Settings in about two minutes

Open Microsoft Edge and select the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Click Settings, then choose Privacy, search, and services from the left sidebar. Under the Clear browsing data section, click Choose what to clear. A window will appear with checkboxes for different types of data — make sure Cookies and other site data is checked, then click Clear now.

If you want to clear cookies automatically every time you close Edge, you can turn on Clear browsing data in the same Privacy settings menu. Toggle the switch to on, and Edge will delete your cookies, cached images, and other browsing data whenever you close the browser completely.

You can also clear cookies from a single website without clearing everything. Right-click on any webpage, select Inspect to open the developer tools, go to the process tab, expand Cookies in the left panel, click the website name, and delete individual cookies from the list.

Key Takeaways

  • The fastest way to clear all cookies is Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data, then check Cookies and other site data and click Clear now.
  • You can set Edge to automatically delete cookies every time you close the browser by toggling on Clear browsing data in Privacy settings.
  • Clearing cookies removes tracking data that websites and advertisers use to follow your activity across the internet.
  • If you want to keep cookies from specific websites you trust, you can add them to your exceptions list before clearing.

Why clearing cookies matters when removing your data

Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember your activity, login information, and browsing habits. Data brokers and advertisers use cookies to track which sites you visit and build a profile of your interests. When you clear cookies as part of removing your personal information, you stop websites from continuing to collect new tracking data about you going forward.

Clearing cookies does not remove data that has already been sold or shared with data brokers — that is why the removal process involves contacting brokers directly. But clearing cookies prevents new data collection from happening while you work through the removal steps.

The difference between clearing cookies and clearing cache

Cookies and cache are related but different. Cookies are files that store your login information, preferences, and tracking data. Cache is a folder of images, videos, and other files that websites save to make pages load faster when you visit again. When you clear browsing data in Edge, you can choose to clear one, the other, or both.

For privacy purposes, clearing cookies is the priority because that is where tracking data lives. Cache is less sensitive — it contains mostly images and page elements rather than information about you. If you want to keep cache to speed up your browsing but remove tracking data, uncheck Cached images and files and leave only Cookies and other site data checked.

How to prevent cookies from being stored in the first place

Edge has an InPrivate browsing mode that does not store cookies, history, or other browsing data. Press Ctrl + Shift + P on Windows or Command + Shift + P on Mac to open an InPrivate window. Any cookies created while you are in InPrivate mode are deleted as soon as you close that window, so websites cannot track you across sessions.

You can also block third-party cookies — the ones that advertisers and data brokers use to follow you across different websites. In Edge Settings, go to Privacy, search, and services and look for Tracking prevention. Set it to Strict to block most third-party cookies. This does not clear existing cookies, but it stops new ones from being created by advertisers.

What happens after you clear cookies

After you clear cookies, websites will no longer remember your login information, so you will need to sign back in the next time you visit. Your browsing history is also cleared if you selected that option, so the browser will not suggest websites you have visited before. Some websites may load slightly slower because they no longer have cached images stored locally.

Websites can still see your IP address and other technical information about your device, so clearing cookies alone does not make you completely anonymous. For stronger privacy, consider using a VPN or a privacy-focused browser in addition to clearing cookies regularly.

Clearing cookies on different devices

If you use Edge on multiple devices — a desktop, laptop, or phone — you need to clear cookies on each one separately. Edge does not automatically sync cookie deletion across devices. On your phone, open Edge, tap the three-dot menu at the bottom, select Settings, then Privacy, and tap Clear browsing data. The process is the same as on desktop, but the menu locations are slightly different.

If you have synced your Edge profile across devices using your Microsoft account, your browsing history and passwords will sync, but cookies are not synced for security reasons. This means you can clear cookies on one device without affecting cookies on another.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cookies log me out of websites?

Yes. Cookies store your login session, so clearing them will log you out of most websites. You will need to sign back in the next time you visit. If you want to stay logged into a specific site, add it to your exceptions list before clearing cookies.

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

Yes. Right-click on the webpage, select Inspect, go to the process tab, expand Cookies in the left panel, click the website name, and delete individual cookies. You can also use the developer tools to clear cookies from a specific site without touching cookies from other websites.

Does clearing cookies remove data that brokers already have?

No. Clearing cookies stops new data collection but does not remove information that has already been sold to data brokers. You need to contact brokers directly through their removal request forms to have your data deleted from their databases.

How often should I clear cookies?

That depends on your privacy preferences. Some people clear cookies weekly, others monthly. If you want to avoid the hassle of clearing manually, turn on automatic clearing in Edge settings so cookies are deleted every time you close the browser.

What is the difference between clearing cookies and using InPrivate mode?

Clearing cookies removes data that has already been stored. InPrivate mode prevents cookies from being stored in the first place — any cookies created during an InPrivate session are deleted when you close that window. InPrivate is useful for one-time browsing, while clearing cookies is better for regular privacy maintenance.