Where to find the cookie setting in Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions). Click the Privacy tab.
Under "Cookies and website data," you will see three options. Choose Allow from websites I visit to let most sites store cookies while blocking tracking from sites you have not visited. This is the default and the most common choice. If you want to allow all cookies without restriction, select Always allow. If you want to block all cookies, select Never allow — though this will break login and shopping cart features on most websites.
Close the Settings window. The change takes effect when ready; you do not need to restart Safari.
Where to find the cookie setting in Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. Click Privacy and security in the left sidebar, then click Cookies and other site data.
You will see four options. Allow all cookies lets every site store cookies. Block all cookies stops all cookie storage but will break many websites. Block third-party cookies (the default) allows cookies from the site you are visiting but blocks tracking cookies from other companies. Block third-party cookies in Incognito applies the block only to private browsing windows.
Click your choice. Chrome saves the setting when ready without requiring a restart.
Key Takeaways
- Safari's "Allow from websites I visit" setting is the default and blocks most tracking while letting sites you choose to visit store cookies.
- Chrome's "Block third-party cookies" setting is the default and works the same way — it stops tracking cookies but allows the site itself to function.
- Allowing all cookies makes websites faster and remembers your login, but lets advertisers track you across the web.
- If a website stops working after you change the cookie setting, you can add that site to an exception list instead of allowing all cookies globally.
Why websites ask you to enable cookies
A cookie is a small file that a website stores on your Mac. When you return to that site, it reads the cookie and remembers things about you — your login status, items in your shopping cart, your language preference, or what you looked at last time.
Without cookies, you would have to log in to every website every single time you visit. Shopping carts would empty. Sites would not remember your settings. Some websites genuinely need cookies to work at all.
The tradeoff is that advertisers also use cookies to track you across different websites and build a profile of your interests. That is why blocking third-party cookies (the default on both Safari and Chrome) is a reasonable middle ground: the site you chose to visit can store cookies, but other companies cannot.
How to allow cookies for one site while blocking them elsewhere
In Safari: Visit the website that needs cookies. Click Safari in the menu bar, then Settings. Go to the Privacy tab. Click Manage Website Data. Find the website in the list and click Remove to delete its old cookies, or leave it alone if you just want to allow future ones. Close Settings. The site will now store cookies on your next visit.
Alternatively, if a site is broken because of your cookie setting, you can add it to an exception list: go to Privacy settings, scroll down to "Cookies and website data," and look for a Manage button next to your chosen setting. Add the website there.
In Chrome: Click the three dots, go to Settings, then Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data. Scroll down to "Sites that can always use cookies" and click Add. Type the website address and click Add site. That site will now store cookies even if your global setting blocks them.
What to do if a website says cookies are disabled
First, check your browser's cookie setting using the steps above. If you have chosen "Block all cookies," change it to "Allow from websites I visit" (Safari) or "Block third-party cookies" (Chrome).
If your setting already allows cookies but the site still complains, the site may be checking for a specific type of cookie. Try clearing that site's existing cookies and visiting it again. In Safari, go to Privacy settings and click Manage Website Data, find the site, and click Remove. In Chrome, click the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data, make sure Cookies and other site data is checked, and click Clear data.
If the site still does not work, try a different browser. Some websites have bugs that affect only Safari or only Chrome. You can also try disabling browser extensions, which sometimes interfere with cookies.
The difference between cookies and tracking
A cookie itself is just a file. What matters is what the cookie does. A cookie that stores your login is useful. A cookie that an advertising company uses to follow you from website to website is tracking.
Third-party cookies are the ones that do most of the tracking. They come from companies other than the website you are visiting — usually advertisers. Blocking third-party cookies stops most tracking without breaking the websites you want to use. First-party cookies come from the site itself and are usually necessary for the site to work.
If you want more control, both Safari and Chrome let you see which cookies a site is trying to store. In Safari, go to Privacy settings and click Manage Website Data to see a list of every site storing cookies on your Mac. In Chrome, click the lock icon next to the website address in the search bar, then click Cookies to see what that specific site is storing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will enabling cookies make my Mac slower?
No. Cookies are tiny files, usually just a few kilobytes. Storing thousands of them would not noticeably affect your Mac's speed. What slows down websites is usually the ads and tracking scripts that cookies enable, not the cookies themselves.
Can I enable cookies for some websites but not others?
Yes. Both Safari and Chrome let you add specific websites to an exception list. In Safari, use the "Manage Website Data" button in Privacy settings. In Chrome, add sites to the "Sites that can always use cookies" list in your cookie settings.
What happens if I delete cookies?
You will be logged out of websites, your shopping carts will empty, and sites will forget your preferences. The next time you visit, they will start fresh. Deleting cookies does not break anything — you just have to log back in.
Is it safe to allow all cookies?
It is safe in the sense that cookies cannot install malware or steal passwords. But allowing all cookies means advertisers can track you across the web more easily. The default setting — allowing cookies from sites you visit but blocking third-party cookies — is a reasonable balance.
Why does a website say cookies are required if I have them enabled?
The site may be checking for a specific cookie it set before, or it may have a bug. Try clearing that site's cookies and visiting again. If it still does not work, the problem is usually with the website, not your settings.