Why you might want to clear cookies and cache
Cookies are small files your browser stores when you visit websites. They remember your login information, shopping cart contents, and preferences. Cache is a folder of images, scripts, and other files your browser downloaded and saved so pages load faster the next time you visit.
You might delete these for privacy — to remove the record of sites you visited — or to free up disk space. Clearing cache can also fix a website that looks broken or loads incorrectly, because your browser will read fresh copies of the files instead of using old, corrupted ones. Deleting cookies forces you to log back into websites, which is inconvenient but sometimes necessary if you share a computer or suspect a site's login was compromised.
The process takes less than a minute and works the same way in most browsers, though the exact menu names differ slightly.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies store login information and site preferences; cache stores downloaded images and files to speed up loading.
- Clearing both is safe and will not damage your browser or computer, but you will need to log back into websites afterward.
- In Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, the option is usually under Settings or Preferences, then Privacy or History.
- You can choose to delete only cache, only cookies, or both, and you can set your browser to clear them automatically when you close it.
How to delete cookies and cache in Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Privacy and security in the left sidebar. Click Clear browsing data.
A window will appear with three dropdown menus. At the top, choose the time range — All time will delete everything, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, or Last 7 days will delete only recent data. Below that, make sure both Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are checked. Click Clear data.
Chrome will clear the selected data and return you to the Settings page. You are done — the next time you visit a website that required a login, you will need to enter your username and password again.
How to delete cookies and cache in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) in the top right. Select Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the left sidebar. Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data.
A small window will appear. Check both Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content. Click Clear. Firefox will remove both when ready and close the window.
If you want to delete only data from a specific time period rather than everything, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac) instead. This opens the History window, where you can choose a time range before clearing.
How to delete cookies and cache in Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Clear History. A dropdown will appear asking how far back to clear — choose All history to delete everything, or pick a specific time range.
Click Clear History. This removes both cookies and cache at once. Safari does not offer a separate option to delete only one or the other from this menu.
If you need more control, go to Safari > Preferences > Privacy and click Manage Website Data to see a list of all sites that have stored cookies or cache. You can select individual sites and click Remove to delete data from only those sites.
How to delete cookies and cache in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Privacy, search, and services in the left sidebar. Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.
A window will appear. At the top, select your time range — All time deletes everything. Check both Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Click Clear now.
Edge will clear the data and close the window. You can also set Edge to clear this data automatically every time you close the browser by toggling Clear browsing data to On in the same menu.
Set your browser to clear cookies and cache automatically
If you want your browser to delete cookies and cache every time you close it, you can turn on automatic clearing instead of doing it manually. This is useful if you share a computer or want to keep your browsing private.
In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data, then check the box that says Clear cookies and other site data when you quit Chrome. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to Cookies and Site Data, and check Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. In Safari, go to Preferences > Privacy and check Remove all website data when quitting Safari. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services and toggle Clear browsing data to On, then choose what to clear.
Once you turn this on, you will not need to manually clear anything — your browser will handle it automatically.
What happens after you delete cookies and cache
After you clear cookies, websites will no longer remember you. The next time you visit a site that required a login — like email, social media, or online banking — you will need to enter your username and password again. Sites will also forget your preferences, so if you had customized a website's appearance or language, those settings will reset to the default.
Clearing cache means your browser will read fresh copies of images and files the next time you visit those sites. This takes slightly longer on your first visit, but pages will load normally after that. If a website was displaying incorrectly or showing outdated information, clearing cache usually fixes it.
Neither action will delete your browser history, bookmarks, or saved passwords (unless you specifically chose to delete passwords in the clear data window). Your computer's files and programs are not affected at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies and cache slow down my browser?
No. Clearing cache might make your first visit to a website slightly slower because your browser has to read files again, but this happens only once per site. After that, your browser will cache the files again and pages will load normally. Deleting cookies does not affect speed at all.
Can I delete cookies from only one website instead of all of them?
Yes. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data > Manage all cookies and site data, find the site you want, and click the trash icon next to it. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Manage Data, find the site, and click Remove Selected. In Safari, go to Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data, select the site, and click Remove. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy > Manage website permissions > Cookies and site permissions, find the site, and click Remove.
What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing cache?
Cookies are small text files that store information like your login details and site preferences. Cache is a folder of images, videos, and code files that your browser downloaded and saved. Clearing cookies logs you out of websites; clearing cache frees up space and fixes broken pages. You can delete one without deleting the other.
Is it safe to delete cookies and cache?
Yes, it is completely safe. Deleting cookies and cache will not damage your browser, computer, or any files. The only inconvenience is that you will need to log back into websites and some sites may load slightly slower on your first visit. If you are concerned about losing important information, you can delete data from only a specific time period instead of everything.
Do I need to delete cookies and cache regularly?
Not necessarily. Deleting them once a month or when a website is not working correctly is usually enough. If you share a computer, you may want to clear them more often for privacy. If you are running low on disk space, clearing cache can free up several hundred megabytes, depending on how much you browse.