Why and how to clear cookies on a Samsung tablet

Cookies are small files that websites store on your tablet to remember things about you — your login information, what you put in a shopping cart, sites you've visited. Clearing them removes that stored data, which can speed up your tablet if it's running slowly and can help protect your privacy if you share your device with others.

The steps differ slightly depending on which browser you use — Samsung Internet, Chrome, Firefox, or another app. The process takes about two minutes and you can do it from your tablet's settings or directly from the browser itself.

Key Takeaways

  • Cookies are stored in your browser, so you clear them through the browser's settings, not your tablet's main settings menu.
  • Samsung Internet, Chrome, and Firefox each have their own clearing process, but all let you choose what time period to clear (last hour, last day, all time).
  • You can also clear cookies automatically every time you close your browser by turning on a privacy setting.
  • Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites, so you'll need to sign back in the next time you visit them.

Clearing cookies in Samsung Internet

Samsung Internet is the default browser on most Samsung tablets. Open the app and tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings.

Tap Privacy, then tap Delete browsing data. A popup will appear with checkboxes. Make sure Cookies and site data is checked — you can leave the other boxes checked or unchecked depending on what else you want to clear. At the top of the popup, tap the dropdown that says All time if you want to clear everything, or choose Last hour, Last day, or Last week to clear only recent cookies. Tap Delete.

Clearing cookies in Chrome

Open Chrome and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Tap Settings, then tap Privacy and security. Tap Clear browsing data.

A popup will show several options. Make sure the checkbox next to Cookies and site data is checked. At the top, use the dropdown to choose your time range — All time clears everything, or pick a shorter period. Tap Clear data to finish.

Clearing cookies in Firefox

Open Firefox and tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner. Tap Settings, then tap Privacy. Under the "Cookies" section, tap Delete cookies.

Firefox will immediately delete all cookies stored on your tablet. If you want more control over what gets cleared and when, you can instead tap Delete browsing data (also in the Privacy section), which lets you choose a time range and select other data types to clear alongside cookies.

Set your browser to clear cookies automatically

If you want your browser to clear cookies every time you close it, you can turn on this setting so you don't have to do it manually. In Samsung Internet, go to Settings > Privacy and turn on Delete browsing data on exit. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security, turn on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy and tap the dropdown next to "Cookies" to select Delete cookies and site data when closing the app.

Keep in mind that turning on automatic clearing means you'll be logged out of websites each time you close the browser, so you'll need to sign back in the next time you visit them.

What happens after you clear cookies

Once you clear cookies, websites won't remember you the next time you visit. You'll be logged out of email, social media, shopping sites, and anywhere else you were signed in. Websites may also forget your preferences — things like your language choice or whether you had dark mode turned on.

Your browsing history is separate from cookies, so clearing cookies does not erase your history. If you want to clear that too, look for a Browsing history checkbox in the same menu where you clear cookies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. If you want to clear saved passwords, you'll need to go to your browser's password settings and delete them there. Most browsers have a separate option for this in the same privacy menu where you clear cookies.

Do I need to clear cookies regularly?

Not necessarily. Clearing cookies occasionally can help with privacy and performance, but most people don't need to do it more than once a month. If your tablet is running slowly or you're concerned about privacy, clearing cookies is a quick step that may help.

What's the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?

Cookies are files websites store on your device to remember information about you. Browsing history is a list of websites you've visited. Clearing one doesn't clear the other — you have to choose both options if you want to remove both.

Can I clear cookies from just one website instead of all of them?

Most browsers don't have an easy way to clear cookies from a single site. Your best option is to clear all cookies, or to use your browser's private or incognito mode when visiting a specific site so no cookies are stored from that session.