How to Clear Cookies on Microsoft Edge (All Methods Explained)

Cookies are small data files that websites store in your browser to remember your preferences, keep you logged in, and track your browsing activity. Over time, they accumulate — and clearing them can resolve login issues, fix broken page behavior, improve privacy, and occasionally speed things up. Microsoft Edge gives you several ways to do this, each suited to different situations.

What Cookies Actually Do in Your Browser

Before diving into the steps, it helps to understand what you're deleting. Cookies come in a few varieties:

• Session cookies — temporary files deleted automatically when you close the browser
• Persistent cookies — stored long-term to remember logins, preferences, and settings
• Third-party cookies — placed by advertisers or external services, not the site you're visiting

Clearing cookies logs you out of most websites, resets stored preferences, and removes any site-specific customizations. It does not delete your passwords (those live in a separate password manager), your bookmarks, or your browsing history — unless you specifically choose to clear those at the same time.

How to Clear Cookies in Microsoft Edge — Step by Step

Method 1: Clear Cookies Through Browser Settings

This is the most common approach and gives you the most control.

1. Open Microsoft Edge
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner
3. Select Settings
4. In the left sidebar, click Privacy, search, and services
5. Under the Clear browsing data section, click Choose what to clear
6. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data
7. Use the Time range dropdown to choose how far back you want to clear (last hour, last 24 hours, last 7 days, last 4 weeks, or all time)
8. Click Clear now

Method 2: Use the Keyboard Shortcut

If you want to get there faster:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Command + Shift + Delete (Mac) while Edge is open
2. This opens the Clear browsing data panel directly
3. Select your time range, check Cookies and other site data, and click Clear now

Method 3: Clear Cookies for a Specific Website Only

Sometimes you don't want to log out of everything — you just need to fix one misbehaving site. 🎯

1. Go to the website in question
2. Click the padlock icon (or info icon) in the address bar
3. Select Cookies and site permissions or Cookies
4. A dialog will show cookies stored by that site
5. You can delete individual cookies or click to remove all cookies from that domain

Alternatively, navigate to Settings → Cookies and site permissions → See all cookies and site data — this lists every site storing cookies in your browser, and you can delete by individual site.

Method 4: Set Edge to Clear Cookies Automatically on Close

If you'd rather not think about it manually:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy, search, and services
2. Scroll to Clear browsing data
3. Click Choose what to clear every time you close the browser
4. Toggle on Cookies and other site data

This runs a cleanup automatically each time you exit Edge, which is useful for shared computers or privacy-conscious users who don't want persistent tracking.

Clearing Cookies in Edge on Mobile (iOS and Android)

The mobile version of Edge handles this slightly differently:

1. Tap the three-dot menu at the bottom (iOS) or top-right (Android)
2. Select Settings
3. Tap Privacy and security
4. Tap Clear browsing data
5. Check Cookies and site data
6. Tap Clear

The same caveats apply — you'll be logged out of sites and local preferences will reset.

What Changes After You Clear Cookies

One thing worth noting: if you're signed into a Microsoft account in Edge, some data may sync back from the cloud — including site preferences tied to your account rather than local cookies.

Cookies vs. Cache — They're Not the Same Thing

A common point of confusion: cookies and cache are separate. The cache stores page assets (images, scripts, CSS files) to load sites faster. Cookies store user-specific data. You can clear either independently. If you're troubleshooting a broken website, you might need to clear both — but if you're focused on privacy or login issues, cookies alone are usually the right target.

Variables That Affect Which Method Makes Sense for You

The "right" way to manage cookies in Edge depends on a few things that vary by user:

• How many accounts you manage — frequent cookie clearing gets tedious if you're constantly re-logging in to a dozen services
• Whether you're on a shared or personal device — shared computers have a stronger case for automatic clearing on close
• Your Edge version — older versions of Edge (the original non-Chromium build) had a different settings layout; the steps above apply to the current Chromium-based Edge
• Whether you use Edge profiles — if you've set up multiple profiles (personal, work), cookies are stored separately per profile and must be cleared individually
• Mobile vs. desktop — mobile Edge has fewer granular controls than desktop

The per-site deletion method is underused but genuinely useful — it lets you fix a specific broken login without disrupting everything else. But how often that precision matters depends entirely on how you use your browser. 🔒