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. When you visit a website, it can save a cookie that tracks what you looked at, keeps you logged in, or remembers your preferences. Firefox stores these files so websites can recognize you the next time you visit.
You might want to clear cookies to free up storage space, remove tracking data from websites you no longer visit, or start fresh with a site that is not working properly. Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites, so you will need to sign back in afterward.
Key Takeaways
- Open Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac) to go directly to the clear data screen.
- Select "Cookies and Site Data" from the checkbox list, choose your time range, and click "Clear Now".
- Clearing cookies will log you out of websites, but it will not delete your saved passwords unless you also check that box.
- You can set Firefox to clear cookies automatically every time you close the browser by changing your privacy settings.
How to clear all cookies at once
The fastest way is to use the keyboard shortcut. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. This opens the "Clear Recent History" window directly.
Look for the checkbox labeled "Cookies and Site Data" and make sure it is checked. Leave the other boxes unchecked unless you want to delete other things like browsing history or cached images. At the top, you will see a dropdown menu that says "Time range to clear" — set it to "Everything" if you want to remove all cookies, or choose a specific time period like "Last Hour" or "Last 7 Days" if you only want to clear recent ones.
Click the blue "Clear Now" button. Firefox will delete the cookies when ready. You are done.
How to clear cookies through the Firefox menu
If the keyboard shortcut does not work for you, you can reach the same screen through the menu. Click the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) in the top right corner of Firefox.
Select "Settings" from the dropdown. On the left side, click "Privacy & Security". Scroll down until you see the section labeled "Cookies and Site Data". Click the button that says "Clear Data". The same "Clear Recent History" window will open, and you follow the same steps as above: check "Cookies and Site Data", set your time range, and click "Clear Now".
What happens when you clear cookies
After you clear cookies, websites will no longer remember you. The next time you visit a site where you were logged in, you will be logged out and will need to enter your username and password again. Sites that remembered your language preference, font size, or other settings will reset to their defaults.
Clearing cookies does not delete your saved passwords, credit card information, or addresses unless you specifically check those boxes in the clear data window. Your browsing history also stays unless you check that box separately. Only the cookies themselves are removed.
How to clear cookies from specific websites only
If you want to clear cookies from just one or two sites instead of everything, Firefox lets you do that. Click the address bar and look for the lock icon or information icon on the left side. Click it, then click the arrow next to "Connection find" or the site name.
You will see a section labeled "Cookies" with a number next to it showing how many cookies that site has stored. Click "Manage" or the trash icon next to it to delete only that site's cookies. The rest of your cookies stay in place.
How to make Firefox clear cookies automatically
You can set Firefox to clear cookies every time you close the browser. Open the Firefox menu (three horizontal lines), go to "Settings", then click "Privacy & Security" on the left.
Look for the section labeled "Cookies and Site Data". Check the box that says "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed". From that point on, Firefox will automatically clear all cookies when you shut down the browser. You will still be logged out of websites the next time you open Firefox, but you will not have to manually clear them yourself.
If you want certain websites to stay logged in even after you close Firefox, you can add them to an exception list. In the same section, click "Manage Exceptions" next to the auto-clear checkbox. Type the website address and click "Allow" to keep that site's cookies even when Firefox closes.
Clearing cookies when Firefox is not responding
If Firefox is frozen or will not open, you can still clear cookies by accessing them through your operating system. On Windows, open File Explorer and type %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles in the address bar. On Mac, open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, and type ~/Library/process Support/Firefox/Profiles.
Look for a folder with a name like "random.default-release". Inside it, find the file called cookies.sqlite and delete it. This removes all cookies. Be aware that deleting other files in this folder can cause Firefox to malfunction, so only delete the cookies file if you know what you are doing. If you are not comfortable with this method, restart your computer and try the normal Firefox steps instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. When you clear cookies, Firefox only removes the cookies unless you specifically check the "Passwords" box in the clear data window. You will need to check that box separately if you want to delete saved passwords.
Can I clear cookies from just one website without affecting others?
Yes. Click the lock or information icon in the address bar of the website you want to clear, then click "Manage" next to the cookies count. This deletes only that site's cookies. All other cookies stay in place.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?
Cookies are files websites store to remember you. Browsing history is the list of websites you visited. Clearing cookies logs you out of sites and removes tracking data. Clearing history removes the record that you visited those sites. They are separate things, and you can clear one without the other.
Why do I keep getting logged out after clearing cookies?
That is normal. Cookies are what keep you logged in. When you clear them, websites no longer have the file that says "this is you", so they log you out. You will need to sign back in. If you do not want this to happen, use the exception list to keep certain sites' cookies.
Does clearing cookies speed up Firefox?
Slightly, but not much. Cookies take up very little storage space. Clearing them might free up a few megabytes at most. If Firefox is running slowly, the problem is usually something else, like too many open tabs or browser extensions.