What cookies are and why you might want to clear 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 dark mode or language. When you visit a website again, it reads these files to personalize your experience without making you log in from scratch.
Over time, cookies build up. Some track your browsing across multiple sites to show you targeted ads. Others are simply outdated — a cookie from a site you visited months ago that no longer serves any purpose. Clearing cookies can speed up your browser slightly, free up disk space, and remove tracking data. The trade-off is that you'll have to log back into websites and lose saved preferences until new cookies are created.
Most people clear cookies once every few months or when they notice their browser running slowly. You can also set your browser to clear cookies automatically when you close it, which is a middle ground between privacy and convenience.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are stored in your browser, not your operating system, so you clear them from Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari — not from Windows or Mac settings.
- Each browser stores cookies in a different location and uses slightly different steps to delete them, though all offer the option in Settings or Preferences.
- Clearing cookies will log you out of websites and remove saved passwords unless you specifically choose to keep them.
- You can set any browser to clear cookies automatically when you close it, which removes the need to do it manually.
How to clear cookies in Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu. On the left sidebar, click Privacy and security, then click Clear browsing data.
A window will appear with several options. At the top, make sure the time range is set to what you want — All time clears everything, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, or Last 7 days clear only recent cookies. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. You can leave the other boxes unchecked unless you also want to clear your browsing history or cached images. Click Clear data.
If you want Chrome to clear cookies automatically every time you close the browser, go back to Settings > Privacy and security and scroll down to Clear browsing data. Toggle on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome.
How to clear cookies in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left sidebar, click Privacy, search, and services. Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.
A window will open. Select your time range at the top — All time clears everything, or choose a specific period. Check the box for Cookies and other site data. Click Clear now.
To clear cookies automatically when you close Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services and scroll down. Toggle on Clear browsing data under Clear browsing data, then toggle on Choose what to clear every time you close the browser. A new menu will appear — check Cookies and other site data.
How to clear cookies in Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner. Select Settings. Click Privacy & Security on the left sidebar. Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data.
A window will appear. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked. You can also check Cached Web Content if you want to clear temporary files. Click Clear.
To clear cookies automatically, go back to Settings > Privacy & Security. Under Cookies and Site Data, check the box for Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. Firefox will then remove all cookies every time you shut down the browser.
How to clear cookies in Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Settings (or Preferences on older Macs). Click the Privacy tab. Click Manage Website Data.
A list of websites and their stored data will appear. To clear all cookies, click Remove All. To remove cookies from specific sites, select them from the list and click Remove. Click Done.
Safari does not have a built-in option to clear cookies automatically on close, but you can set it to clear history and website data when you quit. Go to Safari > Settings > General and check Remove history items, then select after one day or your preferred timeframe from the dropdown.
What happens when you clear cookies
After you clear cookies, you will be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit a site that required a login, you'll need to enter your username and password again. Some sites may also look different — your font size preferences, dark mode settings, or language choice will revert to the site's defaults until you change them again.
Clearing cookies does not delete your passwords if you use a password manager or have chosen to save passwords in your browser. Those are stored separately. However, if a website stored your login information in a cookie rather than in your browser's password manager, you will need to log in again.
Your browsing history remains unchanged unless you specifically chose to clear that as well. Clearing cookies only removes the small files websites stored on your computer, not the record of which sites you visited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?
No. Passwords saved in your browser's password manager are stored separately from cookies. Clearing cookies will not affect them. However, if a website stored login information only in a cookie, you will need to log in again the next time you visit.
Can I clear cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
Yes. In Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, you can go to Settings > Privacy and search for "Manage cookies" or "Site data" to see a list of websites and delete cookies from specific ones. Safari's "Manage Website Data" option also lets you select individual sites before clicking Remove.
What's the difference between clearing cookies and clearing cache?
Cookies are small files that store login information and preferences. Cache is temporary copies of images, videos, and web pages that help sites load faster. Clearing cache frees up more disk space but doesn't log you out of websites. Most browsers let you clear them separately or together.
Is it safe to clear cookies?
Yes, it's completely safe. Clearing cookies will not harm your computer or browser. The only inconvenience is that you'll need to log back into websites and may lose saved preferences until new cookies are created.
How often should I clear cookies?
There's no set schedule. Many people clear cookies monthly or when they notice their browser slowing down. If privacy is a concern, you can set your browser to clear cookies automatically when you close it, which removes the need to do it manually.