Where Android stores cookies and why you might want to remove them

Cookies on your Android phone are small files that websites store on your device to remember information about you — your login details, what you put in a shopping cart, your preferences. Your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet, or whichever one you use) keeps these files so sites load faster and you don't have to log in every time.

Deleting cookies clears out this stored data. You might do this if you're selling your phone, if you want to log out of accounts on shared devices, or if you simply want to reduce the amount of tracking data sitting on your device. The process is different depending on which browser you use, and the steps take about two minutes.

Key Takeaways

  • Chrome, Firefox, and Samsung Internet all store cookies in different places, so the deletion steps vary by browser.
  • Deleting cookies will log you out of most websites on that browser, so have your passwords ready if you need to log back in.
  • Clearing cookies does not delete your browsing history unless you specifically choose to clear that too.
  • You can delete all cookies at once or set your browser to delete them automatically when you close the app.

Delete cookies in Chrome on Android

Open Chrome and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings. Tap Privacy and security, then tap Clear browsing data.

At the top of the screen, you'll see a dropdown menu that says All time by default. Leave it there unless you want to delete cookies from only the last hour, day, or week. Make sure the box next to Cookies and site data is checked. You can uncheck Browsing history and Cached images and files if you want to keep those. Tap Clear data at the bottom.

Chrome will delete the cookies immediately. You'll be logged out of most websites the next time you visit them.

Delete cookies in Firefox on Android

Open Firefox and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu button) at the bottom right. Tap Settings. Scroll down and tap Delete browsing data.

You'll see checkboxes for different types of data. Make sure Cookies is checked. The other boxes — history, cache, site permissions — are optional depending on what you want to remove. Tap Delete browsing data at the bottom of the screen.

Firefox will clear the cookies right away. Like Chrome, you'll need to log back into websites that required a login.

Delete cookies in Samsung Internet

Open Samsung Internet and tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right. Tap Settings. Tap Privacy. Tap Delete browsing data.

Check the box next to Cookies and site data. You can leave the other options unchecked if you only want to remove cookies. Tap Delete.

The cookies are removed immediately, and you'll be logged out of websites that stored your login information.

Set your browser to delete cookies automatically

If you want cookies deleted every time you close your browser, you can turn on that setting instead of doing it manually.

In Chrome: Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data. Toggle on Clear browsing data (the switch at the top). Choose what data you want cleared — make sure Cookies and site data is on — and Chrome will delete it when you close the app.

In Firefox: Go to Settings > Privacy. Scroll to Delete browsing data on quit and toggle it on. Then tap Browsing data and make sure Cookies is checked.

In Samsung Internet: Go to Settings > Privacy > Delete browsing data on exit and toggle it on.

What happens after you delete cookies

Websites will no longer remember you. You'll have to log in again to email, social media, banking apps, and any other site that required a password. Shopping carts will be empty. Sites won't remember your language preference or dark mode setting.

Your browsing speed might be slightly slower at first because websites have to load without the cached data they normally use. This difference is usually not noticeable. After you visit a site a few times, it will store new cookies and things will feel normal again.

Deleting cookies does not delete your browsing history, your saved passwords, or your autofill information unless you specifically checked those boxes during the deletion process.

The difference between cookies and other stored data

Cookies are just one type of data websites store. Your browser also keeps cached images and files (copies of pictures and videos to load pages faster), site data (information websites store locally on your phone), and browsing history (a list of sites you visited). You can delete any of these separately or all together.

If you're concerned about privacy, clearing cookies is a good start, but it's not the only thing tracking you. Websites can also track you through your IP address, your device fingerprint (a profile of your phone's settings and software), and login accounts. Deleting cookies removes one layer of tracking but not all of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting cookies delete my saved passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies. When you delete cookies, your saved passwords stay on your phone unless you specifically check the box to delete them. You can usually find that option in the same menu where you delete cookies — it might say Passwords and autofill or Saved passwords.

Can I delete cookies from just one website?

Most Android browsers don't have a built-in way to delete cookies from a single site. You have to delete all cookies at once. If you want to log out of one account without clearing everything, the easiest way is to use your browser's incognito or private mode for that site — those modes don't store cookies at all.

What if I delete cookies by accident?

You can't undo a cookie deletion. But cookies are created again the next time you visit a website, so you'll just have to log back in and let the sites rebuild their stored data. This usually happens within a few visits.

Do I need to delete cookies regularly?

Not necessarily. Cookies take up very little space on your phone. You might delete them if you're concerned about privacy, if you're sharing your phone with someone else, or if a website isn't working properly. Otherwise, there's no technical reason to delete them regularly.

Does deleting cookies speed up my phone?

Not significantly. Cookies are tiny files and don't slow down your phone. If your phone feels slow, deleting cookies won't fix it. You'd get more benefit from clearing your cache or restarting your phone.