What cookies are and why you might want to clear them

Cookies are small files that websites store on your iPad to remember things about you — your login information, what you put in a shopping cart, which articles you've read. They make websites faster and more convenient because you don't have to re-enter the same information every time you visit.

But cookies also let websites track where you go and what you do, even after you leave their site. Clearing them removes that record and stops some of that tracking. It also frees up a small amount of storage space, though usually not much. The main reason people clear cookies is privacy: you're erasing the breadcrumbs websites have collected about your browsing.

You don't need to clear cookies often. Once every few months is reasonable if you're concerned about tracking. If you clear them too frequently, you'll have to log back into websites constantly, which defeats the convenience they provide.

Key Takeaways

  • Clearing cookies removes the files websites store about your browsing history and login information, reducing tracking but requiring you to log back in to some sites.
  • On iPad, you clear cookies through Settings by going to Safari (or your browser app) and selecting "Clear History and Website Data".
  • You can choose to clear only cookies from the last hour, day, or week, or clear everything — you don't have to erase your entire browsing history if you don't want to.
  • Private browsing mode prevents cookies from being stored in the first place, though websites can still see what you're doing while you're on them.

Clearing cookies in Safari on iPad

Safari is the built-in browser on iPad. To clear cookies, open Settings on your home screen, then scroll down and tap Safari. Near the bottom of the Safari settings page, you'll see Clear History and Website Data. Tap it.

A popup will appear asking what time period you want to clear. Your options are "the last hour," "today," "today and yesterday," or "all time." Choose whichever matches what you want to erase. When you tap the option, Safari when ready clears the cookies, browsing history, and cached files from that period. There's no confirmation screen — it just happens.

If you only want to clear cookies and not your browsing history, Safari doesn't give you that option directly. Clearing history and website data removes both together. If you want to keep your history but clear cookies, you'll need to use a different browser or accept that both get erased.

Clearing cookies in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge on iPad

If you use Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge instead of Safari, the steps are slightly different for each app, but the idea is the same.

Chrome: Open the Chrome app, tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner, then tap Settings. Tap Privacy, then Clear Browsing Data. Choose your time range at the top, make sure "Cookies and site data" is checked, and tap Clear Browsing Data.

Firefox: Open Firefox, tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right, then tap Settings. Tap Data Management, then Clear Private Data. Check the box next to "Cookies" and tap Clear Private Data.

Edge: Open Edge, tap the three dots in the bottom right, then tap Settings. Tap Privacy, search, and services, then Clear browsing data. Choose your time range, make sure "Cookies and other site data" is checked, and tap Clear now.

The difference between clearing cookies and using private browsing

Private browsing mode (called "Private" in Safari, "Incognito" in Chrome) prevents your iPad from storing cookies in the first place. When you close a private tab, nothing from that session gets saved — no cookies, no history, no cached files.

Private browsing is useful if you're on a shared iPad or if you want to browse without leaving a record. But it doesn't make you invisible to websites. The website still sees what you're doing while you're on it. It just doesn't store that information on your device afterward.

Clearing cookies after the fact removes cookies that were already stored. Private browsing prevents them from being stored at all. You can use both: browse privately most of the time, and clear cookies occasionally from any non-private browsing you do.

What happens after you clear cookies

After you clear cookies, you'll notice that websites ask you to log in again. That's because your login information was stored in a cookie, and you just deleted it. You'll also see that websites don't remember your preferences — if a site had a dark mode setting you turned on, it will go back to light mode the next time you visit.

Some websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit after clearing cookies, because they have to rebuild their cache of your information. This is temporary and usually not noticeable.

Clearing cookies does not delete your passwords. Passwords are stored separately in your iPad's keychain, not in cookies. If you want to delete saved passwords, you have to do that through a different settings menu.

When clearing cookies actually helps with privacy

Clearing cookies reduces tracking, but it's not a complete privacy solution. Websites can track you in other ways — through your IP address, your device fingerprint, or by logging your activity if you're signed into an account. Clearing cookies stops cookie-based tracking, but not all tracking.

If you want stronger privacy, consider using a VPN (virtual private network), which hides your IP address from websites. You can also use a browser that blocks tracking by default, like Firefox or DuckDuckGo. These tools work alongside clearing cookies, not instead of it.

For most people, clearing cookies every few months is a reasonable balance between privacy and convenience. If you're more concerned about tracking, clear them more often or use private browsing mode by default.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies in your iPad's keychain. Clearing cookies does not affect saved passwords. If you want to delete a saved password, go to Settings, tap Passwords, find the password you want to remove, and swipe left on it.

Can I clear cookies from just one website?

Safari doesn't let you clear cookies from a single website. You can only clear all cookies from a time period. Some other browsers like Chrome have more granular controls, but on iPad the options are limited. If you need to clear one site's cookies, you could use private browsing mode for that site going forward.

What if a website stops working after I clear cookies?

Log back in and refresh the page. Most websites will work normally once you've re-authenticated. If a site continues to malfunction, try clearing the app's cache or reinstalling the app. If you're using a browser, try a different browser to see if the problem is specific to that app.

Does clearing cookies speed up my iPad?

Slightly, but not noticeably for most people. Cookies take up very little storage space. If your iPad is slow, clearing cookies won't fix it. Restarting your iPad or closing unused apps will have a much bigger effect.