What cookies are and why you might want to clear 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, sites you've visited, and sometimes your location or browsing habits. When you clear cookies, you delete these stored files, which erases that record from your device.
You might clear cookies because you're using a shared computer and don't want the next person to see where you've been, because a website isn't working properly and clearing cookies fixes it, or because you want to reduce the amount of tracking data sitting on your machine. Clearing cookies won't stop websites from collecting new information about you going forward — it only removes what's already stored locally on your device.
If you're clearing cookies as part of removing your information from data brokers, understand that this step handles only the files on your computer. It doesn't contact data brokers or remove your information from their servers. Those are separate steps that require you to contact each broker directly.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are files websites store on your computer to remember information about you, and clearing them removes only what's on your device, not what data brokers have collected.
- The steps to clear cookies differ depending on whether you use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, but all browsers let you delete cookies from the settings or preferences menu.
- You can clear all cookies at once or choose a specific date range, and you can usually select whether to clear cookies alone or along with browsing history and cached files.
- Clearing cookies will log you out of websites you're currently signed into, so save any work and close important tabs before you start.
- Clearing cookies on your computer does not affect cookies stored on your phone or tablet — you'll need to clear those separately in each device's browser settings.
How to clear cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and look for the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the window. Click those dots, then select "Settings" from the menu that appears. On the left side of the Settings page, click "Privacy and security," then click "Clear browsing data."
A window will pop up with several options. At the top, you'll see a dropdown that says "All time" — this controls which cookies get deleted. Leave it on "All time" to clear everything, or choose a specific range like "Last hour" or "Last 7 days" if you only want to remove recent cookies. Below that, make sure the checkbox next to "Cookies and other site data" is checked. You can leave the other boxes unchecked unless you also want to clear your browsing history or cached images. Click the blue "Clear data" button at the bottom right.
Chrome will clear your cookies within a few seconds. You'll be logged out of any websites you were signed into, so if you were in the middle of something important, you'll need to log back in.
How to clear cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) in the top right corner. Select "Settings" from the dropdown. On the left side, click "Privacy & Security." Under the "Cookies and Site Data" section, you'll see a button that says "Clear Data."
A window will appear with two checkboxes. Make sure "Cookies and Site Data" is checked, and leave "Cached Web Content" unchecked unless you want to clear that too. The time range defaults to "Everything," which clears all cookies. If you want to clear only recent cookies, click the dropdown and choose a different range. Click "Clear" to finish.
Firefox will remove your cookies when ready. Like Chrome, you'll be logged out of websites, so you may need to sign back in to accounts you use regularly.
How to clear cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click "Safari" in the menu bar at the very top of your screen (not inside the browser window). From the dropdown menu, select "Settings." Click the "Privacy" tab at the top of the window that opens.
Look for the section labeled "Cookies and website data." You'll see a button that says "Manage Website Data." Click it to see a list of all websites that have stored cookies on your computer. If you want to clear cookies from specific websites, you can select them from the list and click "Remove." To clear all cookies at once, close this window and instead click "Remove All" in the Privacy settings.
After you remove cookies, close the Settings window. Safari will delete the files, and you'll be logged out of any websites you were using.
How to clear 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 "Choose what to clear."
A window will open with a time range dropdown at the top — set it to "All time" to clear everything, or choose a specific range. Below that, check the box next to "Cookies and other site data." Leave other boxes unchecked unless you want to remove additional data. Click "Clear now" to finish.
Edge will delete your cookies right away. You'll be logged out of websites, just as with the other browsers.
What happens after you clear cookies
Once you clear cookies, websites will no longer have access to the stored information about you on that device. The next time you visit a website, it will treat you as a new visitor and may ask you to log in again or may show you a cookie consent notice.
Some websites may load more slowly the first time you visit after clearing cookies, because they have to rebuild some of the information they normally store locally. This is temporary and usually resolves within a few seconds.
Clearing cookies does not prevent websites from collecting new information about you. If you want to reduce tracking, you can turn on your browser's "Do Not Track" setting or use privacy-focused extensions, but these are separate from clearing cookies and work differently across browsers.
Clearing cookies on phones and tablets
If you use a phone or tablet, you'll need to clear cookies separately in each device's browser. On an iPhone or iPad using Safari, open Settings, scroll down to "Safari," tap "Clear History and Website Data," and confirm. On an Android phone using Chrome, open Chrome, tap the three dots, select "Settings," tap "Privacy," then "Clear browsing data," check "Cookies and site data," and tap "Clear browsing data."
Clearing cookies on your phone does not clear them from your computer, and vice versa. Each device stores its own set of cookies, so you'll need to repeat the process on every device you use if you want to clear them everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies log me out of everything?
Yes. Clearing cookies removes the files that keep you logged into websites, so you'll be logged out of email, social media, banking sites, and any other accounts you were signed into. Save any work you're doing before you clear cookies, and be prepared to log back in to the sites you use regularly.
Do I need to clear cookies regularly?
No, clearing cookies is not necessary for your computer to run well. You only need to clear them if you want to remove stored tracking data, if a website isn't working properly, or if you're using a shared computer and want to erase your browsing record. Most people can go months without clearing cookies without any problems.
Will clearing cookies remove my information from data brokers?
No. Clearing cookies only removes files from your device. Data brokers collect information about you through many sources — public records, purchase history, online behavior — and store it on their own servers. To remove your information from data brokers, you need to contact each broker directly and request removal, which is a separate process from clearing cookies.
Can websites see that I cleared my cookies?
Websites cannot see that you cleared cookies on your device. However, they can see that you no longer have their stored cookies, because the next time you visit, you'll appear as a new visitor without the usual stored information. This is normal and happens to many users.
What's the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?
Cookies are files websites store on your device to remember information about you. Browsing history is the list of websites you've visited, which your browser keeps on your computer. Clearing cookies removes the stored files, while clearing history removes the list of sites you went to. You can clear one without the other, though most browsers let you clear both at the same time.