What cookies are and why you might want to delete them
Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember things about you — your login information, items in your shopping cart, your language preference, or what you looked at last time you visited. When you clear cookies, you delete those files, which means websites will forget this information the next time you visit.
You might clear cookies to free up storage space, to log out of accounts on a shared computer, to stop a website from tracking your browsing, or straightforward because your browser is running slowly. Clearing cookies is safe — it will not damage your computer or your browser itself.
Key Takeaways
- Clearing cookies removes stored login information, so you will need to sign back into websites afterward.
- Each browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge — has a different menu path to clear cookies, but the process takes less than a minute.
- You can clear all cookies at once or choose a specific date range, like the last hour or the last week.
- Clearing cookies does not delete your passwords, browsing history, or other files unless you specifically choose to clear those too.
How to clear cookies in Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu that appears. On the left side, click Privacy and security, then click Clear browsing data.
A window will pop up. At the top, you will see a dropdown menu that says All time — you can change this to Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or Last 90 days if you only want to clear recent cookies. Make sure the box next to Cookies and other site data is checked. Then click Clear data.
How to clear cookies in Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left, click Privacy & Security. Under the section labeled Cookies and Site Data, click the button that says Clear Data.
A small window will appear. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked. You can also choose whether to clear data from all websites or just one specific site. Click Clear to finish.
How to clear cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the very top of your screen (not in the browser window, but at the top of your Mac). Click Settings. Go to the Privacy tab. Click the button that says Manage Website Data.
A list of websites will appear. You can click on individual sites and then click Remove to delete cookies from just that site, or click Remove All to clear cookies from every website at once. Then click Done.
How to clear cookies in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy, search, and services. Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.
A window will open. At the top, select your time range from the dropdown menu. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. Click Clear now.
What happens after you clear cookies
After you clear cookies, you will be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit a site where you have an account, you will need to sign in again. Websites may also load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing cookies, because they are rebuilding their stored information about you.
Your saved passwords will still be there — clearing cookies does not erase passwords unless you specifically clear those too. Your browsing history will also remain unless you chose to clear that as well. Only the cookie files themselves are removed.
When to clear cookies and when to leave them alone
Clear cookies if you are using a shared or public computer and want to make sure the next person cannot access your accounts. Clear them if a website is not working properly and you want to start fresh. Clear them if you are concerned about tracking and want to reduce the information websites collect about your browsing.
You do not need to clear cookies regularly on your personal computer unless you have a specific reason. Cookies take up very little storage space, and most people do not notice any slowdown from having them. If you clear cookies too often, you will spend more time signing back into websites, which can be annoying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. If you want to delete passwords, you have to choose that option separately in your browser settings. Clearing cookies alone will not affect your saved passwords.
Can I clear cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can type a website address into the clear data window to remove cookies from only that site. In Safari, you can select individual sites from the list and click Remove. This is useful if one website is misbehaving but you want to stay logged into others.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is a list of websites you visited. Cookies are files websites store on your computer. Clearing history removes the list of sites you went to. Clearing cookies removes the files those sites stored. You can clear one without clearing the other.
Do I need to clear cookies if I use private or incognito mode?
No. Private browsing mode does not save cookies after you close the window, so there is nothing to clear. Cookies are only stored when you use regular browsing mode. Private mode is useful if you want to browse without leaving a trace on your computer.