What cookies are and why you might want to delete them

Cookies are small files that websites save on your computer to remember information about you — your login details, what you put in a shopping cart, your preferences for how a site looks. When you visit a website again, it reads that cookie and knows who you are without asking you to log in again.

Most cookies are harmless and make browsing faster. But some websites use cookies to track where you go online, and some people delete them for privacy reasons. Deleting cookies also frees up a small amount of storage space on your computer, though the amount is tiny. If a website is acting strangely — not loading properly, showing you logged out when you shouldn't be, or displaying old information — clearing cookies sometimes fixes it.

Key Takeaways

  • You can delete all your cookies at once through Chrome's settings, or delete cookies from only certain websites.
  • Deleting cookies will log you out of most websites, so you will need to log back in the next time you visit them.
  • You can set Chrome to delete cookies automatically every time you close the browser if you want.
  • Deleting cookies does not delete your browsing history, passwords, or autofill information unless you specifically choose those options too.

Delete all cookies at once

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.

On the left side of the Settings page, click Privacy and security. Then click Clear browsing data. A box will pop up with several options.

At the top of this box, you will see a dropdown menu that says All time, Last hour, Last 24 hours, or similar options. Choose how far back you want to go. If you want to delete every cookie Chrome has stored, pick All time.

Below that, you will see checkboxes for different types of data. Make sure the box next to Cookies and other site data is checked. You can leave the other boxes unchecked if you only want to delete cookies. Click the blue Clear data button at the bottom right. Chrome will delete the cookies when ready.

Delete cookies from a single website

If you only want to remove cookies from one website — for example, to log out of a site without logging out of everywhere else — you can do that without clearing everything.

Go to the website you want to remove cookies from. Click the lock icon or information icon to the left of the website address in the address bar at the top. A small panel will open. Click Cookies and site data or Cookies (the exact wording varies by Chrome version). You will see a list of cookies that website has stored.

Click the trash icon next to the cookie you want to delete, or click Remove all to delete every cookie from that website. The change happens right away. You will usually be logged out of that website.

Set Chrome to delete cookies automatically

If you want Chrome to delete all cookies every time you close the browser, you can turn on a setting to do this automatically. Open Chrome, click the three dots in the top right, and go to Settings. Click Privacy and security on the left.

Look for the section called Clear browsing data. You will see a toggle switch next to Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. Click the toggle to turn it on. From now on, every time you close Chrome completely, it will delete all cookies. You will need to log back into websites the next time you open Chrome.

What happens after you delete cookies

After you delete cookies, websites will not remember you the next time you visit. You will be logged out of most sites, so you will need to enter your username and password again. Some websites may load more slowly the first time you visit them because they are rebuilding information they had stored in cookies.

Deleting cookies does not affect your browsing history, your saved passwords, or your autofill information — those are stored separately. If you want to delete those too, you can check those boxes in the same Clear browsing data window, but you do not have to.

Cookies versus cache and browsing history

People often confuse cookies with two other things Chrome stores: your browsing history and your cache. Browsing history is the list of websites you have visited — the thing that appears when you press Ctrl+H (or Cmd+H on Mac). Cache is temporary copies of images, videos, and other files from websites, stored so pages load faster the next time you visit.

Deleting cookies does not delete either of these. If you want to delete your browsing history, go to Settings, click Privacy and security, click Clear browsing data, and check the box next to Browsing history instead of (or in addition to) cookies. The cache is usually called Cached images and files in that same window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting cookies delete my saved passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. If you delete cookies, you will need to log back in to websites, but Chrome will offer to save your password again when you do. If you want to delete saved passwords, you have to do that in a different part of Settings under Passwords.

Can I delete cookies from just one website without deleting all my cookies?

Yes. Go to the website, click the lock or information icon next to the address bar, find Cookies and site data, and click the trash icon next to the cookies you want to remove. This leaves your cookies from other websites untouched.

What if a website asks me to accept cookies and I click no?

The website will still work, but it may not remember your preferences or keep you logged in between visits. Some websites require you to accept cookies to use certain features. You can always delete cookies later if you change your mind.

Does deleting cookies make Chrome run faster?

Slightly, but the difference is usually too small to notice. Cookies take up very little space. If Chrome is running slowly, the problem is usually something else — too many open tabs, a slow internet connection, or extensions that use a lot of memory.

If I turn on automatic cookie deletion, will I stay logged into websites?

No. If you set Chrome to delete cookies when you quit, you will be logged out of every website the next time you open Chrome. You will need to log back in each time you start the browser.