What cookies are and why you might want to clear them

Cookies are small files that websites store on your computer to remember things about you — your login information, what you put in a shopping cart, your preferences. They make browsing faster and more convenient. But over time, your browser collects hundreds of them, and some track your activity across websites. Clearing cookies can speed up your browser, free up storage space, and stop certain websites from tracking where you go online.

The trade-off is that you will be logged out of most websites, and sites will forget your preferences until you visit them again. If you have saved passwords in your browser, clearing cookies alone will not delete those — passwords and cookies are stored separately. You can clear just cookies and leave passwords intact on most browsers.

Key Takeaways

  • Clearing cookies logs you out of websites and makes sites forget your preferences, but does not delete your saved passwords.
  • The steps differ by browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge each have their own menu path to the clearing tool.
  • You can choose to clear all cookies at once or set your browser to clear them automatically every time you close it.
  • If a website stops working after you clear cookies, try logging back in or refreshing the page.

Clear cookies in Google 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. At the top, make sure the time range is set to what you want — All time clears everything, Last hour clears only recent cookies, or you can pick a custom date range. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data. Uncheck any other boxes if you want to keep that data. Click Clear data and you are done.

Clear cookies in Mozilla Firefox

Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left, click Privacy & Security. Scroll down to the section labeled Cookies and Site Data. Click the button that says Clear Data.

A small window appears. Make sure Cookies and Site Data is checked. You can also check Cached Web Content if you want to free up more space. Click Clear. Firefox will clear the cookies and close the window automatically.

Clear cookies in Safari

Open Safari. At the top of the screen, click Safari in the menu bar (not inside the browser window, but at the very top of your screen). Select Settings or Preferences depending on your macOS version. Click the Privacy tab.

Click the button labeled Manage Website Data. A list of websites and their stored data appears. Click Remove All to clear all cookies at once, or select individual websites and click Remove to clear only those. Click Done when finished.

Clear cookies in Microsoft Edge

Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top right corner. Select Settings. On the left side, click Privacy, search, and services. Under the section Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.

A window opens. At the top, select your time range — All time is the most thorough. Check the box for Cookies and other site data. Uncheck anything else you want to keep. Click Clear now and the cookies are removed.

Set your browser to clear cookies automatically

Instead of clearing cookies manually each time, you can tell your browser to clear them automatically when you close it. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security and toggle on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to Cookies and Site Data, and check Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed.

In Safari, go to Settings > Privacy and select Remove all website data when quitting Safari from the dropdown menu. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services and toggle on Clear browsing data under Clear browsing data. With this setting on, your browser will wipe cookies every time you close it completely — not just when you close a single tab.

What to do if a website stops working after clearing cookies

Some websites rely on cookies to function properly. If a site looks broken, shows an error, or will not let you log in after you clear cookies, try these steps: First, refresh the page by pressing Ctrl+R on Windows or Command+R on Mac. Second, log back into the website if you have an account — this creates new cookies. Third, clear your browser cache separately from cookies, as some sites need cached files to load correctly.

If the problem persists, the website may have a temporary issue unrelated to your cookie clearing. Try visiting the site again in a few hours. You can also try a different browser to see if the problem is specific to one browser or affects all of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?

No. Passwords and cookies are stored in different places. Clearing cookies will not touch your saved passwords. If you want to delete saved passwords, you have to do that separately through your browser settings, usually under Passwords or Autofill.

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

Yes, but the method varies by browser. In Chrome and Edge, you can click the lock icon next to the website address in the address bar and select Cookies to see and remove cookies for that site only. In Firefox and Safari, you can select individual websites from the data management window and remove them one at a time.

What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing cache?

Cookies are small data files that store login info and preferences. Cache is a collection of images, scripts, and other files that websites download to make pages load faster. Clearing cache frees up more storage space but does not log you out of websites. Most browsers let you clear them separately or together.

If I clear cookies, will websites still track me?

Clearing cookies stops most tracking, but not all. Websites can track you through other methods like your IP address or browser fingerprinting. For stronger privacy, consider using your browser's private or incognito mode, or installing a privacy-focused browser extension.

How often should I clear my cookies?

There is no set rule. If you notice your browser running slowly or you are concerned about privacy, clearing cookies monthly is reasonable. If you prefer convenience and do not mind websites remembering you, you may never need to clear them manually — just set your browser to clear them automatically when you close it.