What cookies are and why you might want to clear them
Cookies are small files that websites store on your Mac to remember information about you — your login details, what you put in a shopping cart, sites you've visited, and your browsing habits. When you clear your cookies, you delete these stored files, which erases that record from your computer.
If you're removing your information from data broker websites, clearing cookies is one step in that process. Data brokers track your online activity partly through cookies, so removing them from your browser stops new tracking from that point forward. This won't erase information brokers already collected, but it prevents them from adding to it as you browse.
You can clear cookies from your entire browsing history or just from a specific time period — say, the last day or the last week. Most people find it easiest to clear all cookies at once, though some prefer to keep cookies from sites they use regularly (like email or banking) and only clear the rest.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are files websites store on your Mac to track your activity and remember information about you.
- Safari, Chrome, and Firefox all have a built-in option to clear cookies, usually found in the browser's settings or preferences menu.
- You can clear all cookies at once or choose a specific time period, like the last day or week.
- Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites, so you'll need to sign back in the next time you visit them.
- Clearing cookies stops new tracking but does not remove information data brokers already collected about you.
How to clear cookies in Safari
Safari is the default browser on Mac. To clear your cookies, open Safari and click the Safari menu at the top left of your screen, then select Settings (or Preferences if you're using an older version of macOS). A window will open with several tabs across the top.
Click the Privacy tab. You'll see a section labeled Cookies and website data with a button that says Manage Website Data. Click that button. A list of websites will appear — these are all the sites that have stored cookies on your Mac. You can select individual sites and click Remove, or click Remove All at the bottom right to delete everything at once.
After you click Remove All, close the window and close Settings. Your cookies are now cleared. The next time you visit a website that previously stored cookies, it will be treated as your first visit.
How to clear cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the window. A menu will drop down. Click Settings. On the left side of the page that opens, click Privacy and security, then click Clear browsing data.
A box will pop up with several options. At the top, you'll see a dropdown menu that says All time — this controls which cookies get deleted. Leave it on All time unless you want to clear only cookies from a specific period (like Last 24 hours or Last 7 days). Make sure the checkbox next to Cookies and other site data is checked, then click Clear data.
Chrome will delete your cookies and close the box. You're done. Like Safari, you'll be logged out of most websites until you sign 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. Click Settings. On the left side, click Privacy & Security. Scroll down until you see a section called Cookies and Site Data.
In that section, click the button labeled Clear Data. A small window will appear. Make sure both Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content are checked (or just the first one if you only want to clear cookies). Click Clear. Firefox will delete your cookies and close the window.
If you want to clear cookies from only a specific time period instead of all of them, go back to the main Firefox menu, click the three horizontal lines, then click History and select Clear Recent History. A window will open where you can choose a time range before you clear.
What happens after you clear your cookies
Once you clear your cookies, websites will no longer have the stored information they kept about you on your Mac. You'll be logged out of most sites — email, social media, banking, shopping sites, and anything else that remembered you. The next time you visit those sites, you'll need to sign in again.
Websites will also lose other stored preferences, like your language settings or whether you had items in a shopping cart. Some sites may load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cookies, because they have to re-read certain files.
Clearing cookies does not affect your browsing history (the list of sites you've visited) or your saved passwords, unless you specifically chose to clear those too. If you want to clear your browsing history as well, that option is usually in the same menu where you clear cookies.
When to clear cookies and how often
There's no single right answer for how often to clear cookies. Some people clear them weekly, others monthly, and some only clear them when they're concerned about privacy. If you're actively working to remove your information from data brokers, clearing cookies regularly (weekly or monthly) makes sense, because it stops new tracking data from accumulating.
You might also clear cookies before visiting a sensitive website — a bank, a health provider, or a government site — to make sure no tracking cookies from other sites are active. Some people clear cookies every time they close their browser, though this is more aggressive than most people need.
If you find it annoying to be logged out of sites you use daily, you can clear cookies selectively instead of all at once. In Safari, you can remove data from specific websites while keeping cookies from others. In Chrome and Firefox, you can set the browser to clear cookies automatically when you close it, but add exceptions for sites you want to stay logged into.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Cookies and saved passwords are stored separately. Clearing cookies will not affect your saved passwords unless you specifically check a box labeled "Passwords" or "Autofill data" when you clear your cookies. By default, most browsers only clear cookies when you use the standard clear option.
Can I clear cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
Yes, in Safari. Open Safari Settings, click Privacy, click Manage Website Data, find the website in the list, and click Remove. In Chrome and Firefox, you can clear all cookies from a specific time period, but not from individual sites through the standard menu. You would need to use your browser's developer tools for that level of control.
If I clear my cookies, will websites still track me?
Clearing cookies stops tracking through cookies, but websites can still track you through other methods — your IP address, browser fingerprinting, and login accounts. Clearing cookies is one part of reducing tracking, not a complete solution. If you want stronger privacy, consider using a VPN or a privacy-focused browser.
Do I need to clear cookies on my phone too?
Yes, if you use your phone to browse. The process is similar but slightly different on iPhone and Android. In Safari on iPhone, go to Settings, scroll down to Safari, tap Clear History and Website Data, and choose the time period. On Android Chrome, tap the three dots, go to Settings, tap Privacy, and select Clear Browsing Data.
What's the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is the list of websites you've visited. Cookies are files those websites stored on your computer. Clearing history removes the list of sites; clearing cookies removes the files. You can do either one without doing the other, though many people do both for privacy.