What cookies are and why you might want to clear them
Cookies are small files that websites store on your phone to remember information about you — your login details, what you put in a shopping cart, your preferences. They make browsing faster and more convenient because sites don't have to ask for the same information twice.
Over time, your phone collects hundreds of these files. Clearing them out can free up storage space, speed up your browser, and remove tracking data that websites have gathered about your browsing habits. If a website isn't working right, or if you're having trouble logging into an account, clearing cookies is often the first thing that fixes it.
The steps differ slightly depending on which browser you use — Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet, or another one — but the process is the same on every Android phone: open your browser settings, find the option to clear browsing data, and select cookies.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are small files websites store on your phone to remember your login information and browsing preferences.
- Clearing cookies frees up storage space, can fix websites that aren't loading properly, and removes tracking data from your browsing history.
- The steps are different for each browser app, so you need to know which one you use — Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet, or another.
- You can clear all cookies at once or set your browser to clear them automatically every time you close the app.
How to clear cookies in Chrome
Open the Chrome app on your Android phone. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner — this opens the menu. Scroll down and tap Settings.
In Settings, tap Privacy and security, then tap Clear browsing data. A window will pop up with several 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 — Cached images and files takes up the most storage, and Browsing history removes your list of visited sites.
At the top of the window, you'll see a dropdown that says All time. This means Chrome will clear cookies from your entire browsing history. If you only want to clear recent cookies, tap this dropdown and choose Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, or Last 4 weeks instead. Then tap Clear data at the bottom.
How to clear cookies in Firefox
Open the Firefox app. Tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner to open the menu. Tap Settings.
Scroll down to Privacy and tap it. Under the Data Collection section, tap Delete browsing data. A list of options will appear. Make sure Cookies is checked, then tap Delete browsing data at the bottom of the screen.
Firefox clears all cookies from your entire history when you use this method. If you want to clear cookies automatically every time you close the app instead, go back to Settings, tap Privacy, and toggle on Delete browsing data on quit. Then check the box next to Cookies and site data.
How to clear cookies in Samsung Internet
Open the Samsung Internet app. Tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner. Tap Settings.
Tap Privacy, then tap Delete browsing data. A window will appear with checkboxes. Make sure Cookies and site data is checked. You can also check Cached images and files and Browsing history if you want to clear those too. Tap Delete at the bottom.
Samsung Internet will clear all cookies from your entire history. To clear cookies automatically, go back to Settings, tap Privacy, and look for Delete browsing data on exit. Toggle this on and make sure Cookies and site data is selected.
How to clear cookies in other browsers
If you use a different browser like Opera, Edge, or Brave, the steps are similar but the menu names may be different. Open your browser and look for a menu button — usually three dots or three lines in a corner of the screen. Tap it and look for Settings, Privacy, or Clear data.
Once you find the clearing option, look for a checkbox labeled Cookies, Cookies and site data, or Site data. Make sure it's checked, then tap the button to clear. If you can't find the option, search the settings for the word "cookie" — most browsers have a search function in their settings menu.
Set your browser to clear cookies automatically
Instead of clearing cookies manually every time, you can tell your browser to do it for you. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security, tap Clear browsing data, and toggle on Clear browsing data at the very top. Choose how often you want this to happen — On exit means every time you close the app.
In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy, toggle on Delete browsing data on quit, and check Cookies and site data. In Samsung Internet, go to Settings > Privacy and toggle on Delete browsing data on exit. Once you turn this on, your browser will clear cookies automatically without you having to do anything.
The downside is that you'll be logged out of websites the next time you open your browser, since cookies are what keep you logged in. If you log into the same sites every day, automatic clearing can be annoying. If you're concerned about privacy or want to free up storage space regularly, it's worth the extra step of logging back in.
What happens after you clear cookies
Websites will no longer remember your preferences or login information. The next time you visit a site you normally log into, you'll have to enter your username and password again. Sites may also show you their cookie notice again, since they'll think you're visiting for the first time.
If a website wasn't working properly before you cleared cookies, it should work normally now. If you were having trouble logging in, you should be able to log in again. Some sites load slightly faster after clearing cookies because your browser doesn't have to process as many stored files.
Clearing cookies does not delete your Google account, your saved passwords, or your browsing history — those are stored separately. If you want to remove those too, you'll need to clear them from a different menu in your browser settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. If you want to remove saved passwords, you'll need to go to your browser's password settings and delete them there. Clearing cookies only removes the small tracking files that websites use to remember your preferences and login sessions.
Do I need to clear cookies on my Android phone?
You don't have to, but it's a good idea to do it occasionally. Clearing cookies frees up storage space, can fix websites that aren't loading properly, and removes data that websites have collected about your browsing. If you're not having any problems, you can wait until your phone starts running slowly or a website stops working right.
What's the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?
Browsing history is the list of websites you've visited. Cookies are small files those websites stored on your phone. Clearing history removes the list; clearing cookies removes the files. You can clear one without clearing the other — most browsers let you choose which one you want to remove.
Will clearing cookies log me out of everything?
Yes. Cookies are what keep you logged into websites, so clearing them will log you out of any site where you were signed in. The next time you visit those sites, you'll have to log in again. This is why some people only clear cookies when they're having a problem with a specific website rather than clearing all of them at once.
Can I clear cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
Most Android browsers don't have an easy way to clear cookies from a single site. Your best option is to clear all cookies, then log back into the sites you use regularly. If you want more control over which cookies stay and which ones go, you can use a browser extension, but most Android browsers don't support extensions the way desktop browsers do.