Why you might want to clear cookies and cache
Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember things about you — your login information, what you put in a shopping cart, your preferences. Cache is a folder where Chrome saves copies of images, scripts, and other files from websites you visit, so those pages load faster the next time.
You might clear both for a few practical reasons: to free up storage space on your device, to log out of websites completely (especially on a shared computer), to stop websites from tracking your browsing, or to fix a website that loads incorrectly because Chrome is showing you an old cached version instead of the new one.
Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites. Clearing cache will not log you out, but it will make websites load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing, because Chrome has to read those files again.
Key Takeaways
- Open Chrome, click the three-line menu in the top right, select Settings, then Privacy and security, then Clear browsing data.
- Choose your time range at the top — "All time" clears everything, "Last hour" clears only recent activity.
- Check the boxes next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files", then click Clear data.
- Clearing cookies will log you out of websites; clearing cache alone will not.
- You can set Chrome to clear cookies and cache automatically every time you close the browser.
How to clear cookies and cache in three steps
Open Google Chrome. In the top right corner, click the three horizontal lines (the menu button). A dropdown menu will appear.
Click Settings. On the left side of the page that opens, click Privacy and security. Then click Clear browsing data. A window will pop up with checkboxes for different types of data Chrome can delete.
At the top of that window, you will see a dropdown that says "All time" or "Last hour" or another time range. Leave it on All time unless you only want to clear recent activity. Check the boxes next to Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Leave the other boxes unchecked unless you have a reason to clear them too. Click the blue Clear data button. Chrome will delete those files and the window will close.
What happens after you clear cookies and cache
You will be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit a website, it may load slightly slower because Chrome has to read the images and files again instead of using the copies it had saved. After you visit a few websites, Chrome will start caching new files and pages will load normally again.
Websites will not remember your preferences or login information until you log back in and use them again. If you had saved passwords in Chrome, clearing cookies does not delete those — Chrome stores passwords separately, and you can still use autofill to log in.
How to choose what time period to clear
The dropdown at the top of the Clear browsing data window lets you pick how far back to go. All time deletes everything Chrome has ever cached or stored. Last hour deletes only the past hour. Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, and Last 4 weeks are also options.
If a website is loading incorrectly right now, clear Last hour or Last 24 hours to delete just the recent cached version. If you are selling a computer or giving it to someone else, or if you want a complete fresh start, choose All time.
How to make Chrome clear cookies and cache automatically
You can tell Chrome to delete cookies and cache every time you close the browser, so you do not have to do it manually. Open Chrome, click the three-line menu, click Settings, then click Privacy and security.
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 that toggle to turn it on. From now on, Chrome will automatically delete cookies and cached files every time you close the browser completely.
If you turn this on, you will be logged out of websites every time you close Chrome. You will need to log back in the next time you open it. This is useful if you share a computer or if you want maximum privacy, but it can be annoying if you are the only user and you want to stay logged in.
The difference between clearing cookies and clearing cache
Cookies are the data that websites use to remember you. They store your login information, what you searched for, items in your cart, and your preferences. When you clear cookies, websites forget who you are and you get logged out.
Cache is the folder where Chrome stores copies of images, videos, and code from websites so they load faster next time. Cache does not contain your personal information — it is just copies of files that are already public on the internet. Clearing cache does not log you out of anything; it just makes websites load a little slower the first time you visit them after clearing.
You can clear one without clearing the other. If you only want to log out of websites, clear cookies. If a website looks broken or outdated, clear cache. If you want to do both, check both boxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Chrome stores passwords in a separate system from cookies. Clearing cookies does not affect saved passwords, and you can still use autofill to log in. If you want to delete saved passwords, you have to do that separately in Settings under Passwords.
What if I clear cache and a website still looks wrong?
Try clearing cookies as well. If that does not work, try opening the website in an incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows, Command+Shift+N on Mac), which does not use any cached files or cookies. If the website works in incognito, the problem is with your cache or cookies. If it still looks wrong, the problem is with the website itself.
Does clearing cache free up a lot of storage space?
It depends on how much you browse and how long it has been since you last cleared. Cache can grow to hundreds of megabytes over months of browsing. If your device is running low on storage, clearing cache can help, but it is usually not the biggest space-saver. Deleting old downloads or videos will free up more space faster.
Can I clear cookies for just one website instead of all of them?
Yes. Visit the website, click the lock icon or info icon next to the web address at the top, click Cookies, then click the trash icon next to the cookie you want to delete. You can also click the three-line menu, go to Settings, Privacy and security, Cookies and other site data, and delete cookies for specific websites from there.