What cookies are and why you might want to remove them
Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you — your login details, what you put in a shopping cart, your language preference, or which ads you've seen. When you visit a website again, it reads that cookie file to recognize you and load your settings faster.
You might want to delete cookies because they can track your browsing across multiple websites, or because you want to log out of an account completely and make sure the site forgets you were there. Deleting cookies also frees up a small amount of storage space on your device, though the amount is usually negligible.
Chrome stores cookies automatically as you browse. Deleting them is straightforward and takes less than a minute, but it does mean you'll have to log back into websites you use regularly.
Key Takeaways
- Open Chrome's settings by clicking the three vertical dots in the top right corner, then select Settings.
- Go to Privacy and security, then Clear browsing data, and make sure "Cookies and other site data" is checked.
- You can delete all cookies at once or choose a specific time range — for example, just the cookies from the last hour or the last week.
- After you delete cookies, you'll need to log back into websites that require a login, because the site won't remember you.
- If you want to delete cookies from only one website instead of all of them, you can do that through the same Privacy and security menu.
How to delete all cookies at once
Open Google Chrome and look for the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the window. Click those dots to open the menu, then click Settings.
On the left side of the Settings page, click Privacy and security. Then click Clear browsing data. A window will pop up with several checkboxes. Make sure the box next to "Cookies and other site data" is checked. You can leave the other boxes checked or unchecked depending on what else you want to delete — for example, you might also want to delete your browsing history or cached images.
At the top of that same window, you'll see a dropdown menu that says "All time" or shows a time range. If you want to delete every cookie Chrome has stored, leave it set to "All time". Then click the blue Clear data button at the bottom right.
How to delete cookies from a specific time period
Sometimes you only want to remove recent cookies — for example, cookies from the last day or the last week — rather than everything. Follow the same steps above (Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data), but instead of leaving the dropdown set to "All time", click it and choose your preferred range.
Chrome offers several preset options: Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, and All time. Pick whichever matches what you want to delete. The rest of the process is the same — make sure "Cookies and other site data" is checked, then click Clear data.
How to delete cookies from just one website
If you want to remove cookies from a specific website without deleting cookies from everywhere else, you can do that through the same Privacy and security menu. Go to Settings > Privacy and security, but this time click Site settings instead of Clear browsing data.
Click Cookies and site data. You'll see a search box at the top. Type the name of the website you want to remove cookies from — for example, "amazon.com" or "gmail.com". When the site appears in the list, click it, then click Remove.
What happens after you delete cookies
Once you delete cookies, websites won't remember you the next time you visit them. If you were logged into your email, social media, or online banking, you'll be logged out. The next time you visit those sites, you'll need to enter your username and password again.
Some websites may also load slightly differently the first time you visit after deleting cookies, because they won't have your saved preferences. For example, if you had set a website to display in dark mode, it might go back to light mode until you change it again.
Deleting cookies does not delete your browsing history, your saved passwords, or your autofill information — those are stored separately in Chrome. If you want to delete those things too, you can check their boxes in the Clear browsing data window.
How to stop Chrome from storing cookies in the future
If you want to prevent Chrome from storing cookies altogether, you can change your cookie settings. Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data. You'll see several options: Allow all cookies, Block all cookies, or Block third-party cookies in Incognito.
Blocking all cookies will make many websites difficult or impossible to use, because they won't be able to keep you logged in or remember your preferences. A middle ground is to block only third-party cookies, which are cookies set by advertisers and other companies that aren't the website you're visiting. This reduces tracking without breaking most sites.
You can also use Chrome's Incognito mode to browse without storing cookies at all. Open a new Incognito window by pressing Ctrl+Shift+N (on Windows) or Command+Shift+N (on Mac), and Chrome won't save cookies from that session once you close the window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies slow down my computer?
No. Cookies take up very little storage space — usually just a few megabytes total across all websites. Deleting them won't noticeably speed up your computer or free up meaningful space. The main reason to delete cookies is privacy or to force a website to forget you, not for performance.
If I delete cookies, will websites know I deleted them?
No. Websites can't tell whether you deleted your cookies or whether you're just visiting for the first time. They'll straightforward treat you as a new visitor and create a new cookie file the next time you visit.
What's the difference between deleting cookies and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is a list of websites you've visited, stored on your device. Cookies are files websites store to remember information about you. Deleting history removes the list; deleting cookies removes the files websites use to recognize you. You can delete one without deleting the other.
Do I need to delete cookies regularly?
Not necessarily. How often you delete cookies depends on your privacy concerns. Some people delete them weekly, others only when they log out of sensitive accounts like banking or email. There's no technical reason to delete them regularly unless you're concerned about tracking.