What cookies are and why you might want to delete 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 preferences for text size or language. When you visit a website again, it reads that cookie and uses the information inside it.
You might want to delete cookies to free up storage space, to stop websites from tracking your browsing habits, or to clear out login information if you share a computer with someone else. Deleting cookies does not break your browser — it straightforward removes those stored files, and websites will create new ones the next time you visit.
The process differs slightly between browsers, but the principle is the same in all of them: you open a menu, find the option to clear browsing data, select cookies, and confirm the deletion.
Key Takeaways
- Every major browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge — stores the option to delete cookies in the Settings or Preferences menu under a section called "Privacy", "History", or "Browsing Data".
- You can delete all cookies at once or choose a time range, such as "last hour" or "all time", depending on what you need to clear.
- Deleting cookies will log you out of most websites, so you will need to sign back in the next time you visit them.
- If you want to prevent cookies from being stored in the first place, most browsers offer a "Private" or "Incognito" mode that does not save cookies after you close the window.
How to delete cookies in Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu that appears. On the left side, click Privacy and security, then click Clear browsing data.
A window will pop up with several options. Make sure the Cookies and other site data checkbox is checked. At the top of the window, you will see a dropdown that says All time — you can change this to delete cookies from only the last hour, day, week, or month if you prefer. Click the blue Clear data button to finish.
How to delete cookies in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy & Security. Scroll down until you see the section labeled Cookies and Site Data.
Click the Clear Data button. A small window will appear with two checkboxes. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked, then click Clear. If you want to delete cookies from only a specific time period, use the dropdown menu at the top of the Privacy & Security page instead — it says Clear Recent History — and select your time range before clicking Clear.
How to delete cookies in Safari
Open Safari. At the top of the screen, click Safari in the menu bar, then select Settings (or Preferences on older versions of macOS). Click the Privacy tab.
Click the Manage Website Data button. You will see a list of all websites that have stored cookies on your computer. To delete all of them at once, click Remove All. To delete cookies from specific websites, select them from the list and click Remove. Click Done when finished.
How to delete cookies in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy, search, and services. Under the section labeled Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.
A window will open. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. At the top, you can select a time range using the dropdown menu — the default is All time. Click the blue Clear now button to delete the cookies.
Using private or incognito mode to avoid storing cookies
If you do not want your browser to save cookies in the first place, you can use a private browsing mode. In Chrome, this is called Incognito mode. In Firefox, it is Private Window. Safari calls it Private Browsing. Edge uses InPrivate browsing.
To open a private window, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+N (Chrome and Edge on Windows), Cmd+Shift+N (Chrome on Mac), Ctrl+Shift+P (Firefox on Windows), or Cmd+Shift+P (Firefox and Safari on Mac). You can also right-click the browser icon and select the private mode option from the menu.
When you close a private window, the browser automatically deletes all cookies, browsing history, and temporary files from that session. This is useful if you are using a shared computer or if you want to browse without being tracked by cookies.
What happens after you delete cookies
After you delete cookies, you will be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit a site where you have an account, you will need to sign in again. Websites may also forget your preferences — for example, if a news site remembered that you prefer dark mode, it will go back to light mode until you change it again.
Some websites may load slightly slower the first time you visit after deleting cookies, because they need to re-read certain information. This is temporary and usually not noticeable. Your browser will continue to work normally, and websites will begin storing new cookies as soon as you visit them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies break my browser or cause problems?
No. Deleting cookies is safe and will not damage your browser or any of its functions. The only effect is that you will be logged out of websites and they will forget your stored preferences until you visit them again.
Can I delete cookies from only one website instead of all of them?
Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can click Manage all site data or Manage Website Data to see a list of websites with stored cookies. Select the ones you want to delete and click Remove. Safari's Manage Website Data button works the same way.
What is the difference between deleting cookies and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is a list of websites you have visited. Cookies are files that websites store on your computer. Deleting history removes the list of sites you visited, but does not remove the cookies those sites stored. You can delete one without deleting the other — most browsers let you choose which data to clear.
Do I need to delete cookies regularly?
Not necessarily. Cookies take up very little storage space, and deleting them frequently means you will have to sign back into websites more often. Delete cookies only when you want to clear login information, reduce tracking, or free up space on a shared computer.
Can websites see that I deleted their cookies?
No. Once you delete a cookie, the website cannot tell that it was deleted. The next time you visit, the website will straightforward see that no cookie exists and will create a new one if needed.