What cookies and cache do, and why you might delete them
Cookies are small files your browser stores when you visit a website. They remember your login information, shopping cart contents, and preferences so you don't have to re-enter them every time. Cache is a folder of images, scripts, and other page elements your browser saves locally so websites load faster on your next visit.
You might delete them to free up storage space, stop websites from tracking your activity, or fix a website that loads incorrectly. Deleting cookies will log you out of most sites, and deleting cache may make websites load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing — but both return to normal within a few visits.
The steps differ slightly by browser, but the process takes less than a minute on any of them.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies store login information and preferences; cache stores images and page elements to speed up loading.
- Deleting cookies will log you out of websites, and you'll need to log back in.
- Each browser has a different menu path to reach the clearing tool, but all are found in Settings or Preferences.
- You can set your browser to clear cookies and cache automatically when you close it.
How to delete cookies and cache in Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Settings from the menu, then click Privacy and security in the left sidebar. Click Clear browsing data.
A window will appear with checkboxes for different data types. Make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are both checked. At the top, choose the time range — All time will delete everything, or you can select Last hour, Last 24 hours, or Last 7 days to delete only recent data. Click Clear data to finish.
How to delete cookies and cache in Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Privacy & Security in the left sidebar. Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data.
A window will open with two checkboxes. Check both Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content. Click Clear to delete them. If you want to clear data from a specific time period instead of everything, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac) to open the full clearing tool, where you can select a date range.
How to delete cookies and cache in Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Select Settings (or Preferences on older versions). Click the Privacy tab.
Click Manage Website Data to see all stored cookies and cache. Select All at the bottom left to highlight everything, then click Remove. To clear cache only without touching cookies, go back to the Privacy tab and click Remove All Website Data instead — this removes cache but keeps some cookie data.
How to delete cookies and cache in Edge
Open Microsoft Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Privacy, search, and services in the left sidebar. Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.
Check both Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. At the top, select your time range — All time clears everything, or choose a shorter period. Click Clear now to finish.
How to automatically clear cookies and cache when you close your browser
Most browsers can be set to clear this data every time you close them, so you don't have to do it manually. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data, then 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, click Safari > Settings > Privacy, then check Remove all website data when quitting Safari. In Edge, go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services, scroll to Clear browsing data, and toggle on Choose what to clear every time you close the browser, then select which data types to clear.
What happens after you delete cookies and cache
You will be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit them, you'll need to enter your username and password again. Websites may also forget your preferences — for example, a news site might reset to its default layout instead of showing your customized version.
Websites will load slightly slower the first time you visit after clearing cache, because your browser has to download images and other elements again instead of pulling them from storage. This slowdown is usually not noticeable and disappears after a few visits as the cache rebuilds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies delete my passwords?
No. Passwords stored in your browser's password manager are separate from cookies and are not deleted when you clear cookies. If you want to delete saved passwords, you must do that separately through your browser's password settings. Cookies only store temporary login sessions, not the passwords themselves.
Can I delete cookies from just one website instead of all of them?
Yes. In Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, you can right-click on any website and select an option like Delete cookies for this site or access the site data manager to remove individual entries. In Safari, use Manage Website Data to find and remove specific sites from the list.
What's the difference between clearing cache and clearing cookies?
Cookies store information about you — logins, preferences, tracking data. Cache stores website files like images and scripts to make pages load faster. Deleting cookies logs you out and removes tracking; deleting cache just makes websites load slower temporarily. You can delete one without deleting the other.
Is it safe to delete all cookies and cache?
Yes, it is completely safe. You won't damage your browser or computer. The only inconvenience is that you'll need to log back into websites and they may load slightly slower until cache rebuilds. Some people clear them regularly for privacy; others do it only when troubleshooting a problem.