Delete cookies from Chrome in three steps
Open Chrome and press Ctrl + Shift + Delete on Windows, or Command + Shift + Delete on Mac. This opens the "Clear browsing data" window. Select the time range at the top — "All time" removes everything, "Last hour" removes only recent cookies. Check the box next to "Cookies and other site data", then click "Clear data".
That's the fastest way. If you want more control — like deleting cookies from one website but keeping others — Chrome also lets you manage cookies one at a time or set rules for how long cookies stay around.
Key Takeaways
- The keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Command + Shift + Delete (Mac) opens Chrome's cookie deletion window in one step.
- You can delete all cookies at once or choose a time range, so you don't have to clear everything if you only want to remove recent activity.
- Chrome can delete cookies automatically when you close the browser if you turn on "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome" in Settings.
- You can block cookies from specific websites or see which sites have stored cookies on your device before you delete them.
Delete all cookies at once
Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Command + Shift + Delete (Mac). The "Clear browsing data" window opens with three tabs: "On exit", "Basic", and "Advanced". Stay on the "Basic" tab unless you need the other options.
At the top, you'll see a dropdown that says "All time", "Last hour", "Last 24 hours", "Last 7 days", "Last 4 weeks", or "Last 4 weeks". Choose "All time" to delete every cookie Chrome has stored. Check the box next to "Cookies and other site data" — it's usually already checked. Leave the other boxes unchecked unless you also want to delete your browsing history, cached images, or passwords. Click "Clear data" at the bottom right.
Chrome will delete the cookies in a few seconds. You won't see a confirmation message — the window just closes. The next time you visit a website that used cookies, it will treat you as a new visitor.
Delete cookies from a specific time period
If you only want to remove recent cookies but keep older ones, use the time range dropdown. Select "Last hour" to delete only cookies from the past 60 minutes, or "Last 24 hours" for the past day. This is useful if you visited a website you don't trust recently and want to remove just that session's data without losing cookies that let you stay logged into your email or bank.
The trade-off is that you have to repeat this process if you want to delete cookies from multiple time periods. If you delete "Last hour" today and then want to delete "Last 24 hours" tomorrow, you'll need to open the window again and run the deletion twice.
Delete cookies from one website only
Open Chrome and press Ctrl + , (Windows) or Command + , (Mac) to go to Settings. On the left side, click "Privacy and security", then click "Cookies and other site data". You'll see a list of every website that has stored cookies on your device, organized alphabetically.
Type the website name into the search box at the top — for example, "facebook.com" or "amazon.com". Click the website name when it appears, then click "Remove" on the right side. Chrome deletes only that website's cookies. You can repeat this for as many sites as you want without affecting cookies from other websites.
This method takes longer if you want to delete cookies from many sites, but it's the only way to keep cookies from websites you trust while removing cookies from sites you don't.
Set Chrome to delete cookies automatically when you close it
Open Chrome Settings by pressing Ctrl + , (Windows) or Command + , (Mac). Click "Privacy and security" on the left, then click "Cookies and other site data". Scroll down until you see "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome" and toggle it on.
From now on, every time you close Chrome completely — not just a single tab or window — all cookies will be deleted. The next time you open Chrome, websites won't remember you. This is useful if you share a computer with other people or if you want to reduce how much data websites collect about your browsing.
The downside is that you'll be logged out of every website when you reopen Chrome. If you use Chrome on your personal computer and want to stay logged into your email or banking app, this setting will be annoying. You can turn it off anytime by going back to the same toggle.
Block cookies from specific websites
Open Chrome Settings and go to "Privacy and security" > "Cookies and other site data". Scroll down to "Sites that can never use cookies" and click "Add". Type the website address — for example, "facebook.com" — and click "Add". Chrome will block that website from storing cookies on your device from now on.
Some websites won't work properly if you block their cookies. They might not remember your login, your shopping cart, or your language preference. If a website stops working after you block it, go back to the same settings page, find the website in the list, and click the trash icon to remove it from the blocked list.
Understand what cookies do before you delete them
Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you. Some cookies let you stay logged in, remember your shopping cart, or keep your language preference. Other cookies track which websites you visit so advertisers can show you targeted ads.
When you delete cookies, you lose both types. Websites won't remember you, so you'll have to log in again. But advertisers also lose the ability to track your movement across the web. There's no way to delete only the tracking cookies and keep the login cookies — you either delete all cookies from a website or none of them.
If you delete cookies regularly, websites will ask you to log in more often, but you'll reduce how much data is collected about your browsing habits. If you never delete cookies, you'll stay logged in longer, but more websites will be able to track you. The choice depends on what matters more to you: convenience or privacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies log me out of everything?
Yes. If you delete all cookies, you'll be logged out of every website — email, banking, social media, everything. You'll need to log back in. If you only delete cookies from specific websites, you'll only be logged out of those sites.
Do I need to delete cookies regularly?
No. Deleting cookies won't speed up Chrome or fix problems. Delete them if you want to reduce tracking or if you share a computer with other people. Otherwise, there's no technical reason to delete them.
What's the difference between deleting cookies and clearing browsing history?
Cookies are files websites store on your device. Browsing history is a list of websites you visited, stored by Chrome. Deleting one doesn't delete the other. You can clear your history without touching cookies, or delete cookies without clearing history.
Can I delete cookies without deleting my passwords?
Yes. In the "Clear browsing data" window, make sure only "Cookies and other site data" is checked. Leave "Passwords and other sign-in data" unchecked. Chrome will delete the cookies but keep your saved passwords.
Why do some websites stop working after I delete cookies?
Some websites need cookies to function — they use them to remember your login, your settings, or items in your cart. If you delete cookies from a website and it stops working, the website needs you to log in again or reconfigure your settings. This is normal and not a sign something is broken.