Delete all cookies at once in Safari
Open Safari and go to the menu bar at the top. Click Safari, then select Settings (on newer macOS versions) or Preferences (on older versions). A window will open with several tabs across the top — click the Privacy tab.
In the Privacy tab, you'll see a section called Cookies and website data. Click the button that says Manage Website Data. A list of websites will appear showing how much data each one has stored on your computer. To remove everything at once, click Remove All at the bottom right of that window, then confirm by clicking Remove Now.
Safari will close the window and return to your settings. You can now close the Settings window entirely. All cookies are gone, and websites will treat you as a new visitor the next time you visit them.
Key Takeaways
- The fastest way to delete all cookies is through Safari > Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data > Remove All.
- You can delete cookies from specific websites only by selecting them in the Manage Website Data list before clicking Remove.
- On iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data and choose what time period to clear.
- Deleting cookies will log you out of most websites and may slow down browsing temporarily as sites rebuild their stored data.
- Safari can be set to delete cookies automatically when you close the browser by enabling "Remove all website data" in Privacy settings.
Delete cookies from specific websites only
If you want to keep cookies from some websites but remove others, follow the same steps to reach Manage Website Data. Instead of clicking Remove All, scroll through the list and click on individual website names to select them. You can select multiple sites by holding down the Shift key and clicking, or by holding Command and clicking each one separately.
Once you've selected the websites you want to remove, click the Remove button (not Remove All). This deletes only the cookies from those specific sites while leaving your data on other websites intact. This is useful if you want to log out of one account but stay logged into others.
Delete cookies automatically when you close Safari
You can set Safari to delete all cookies and website data every time you close the browser. Go to Safari > Settings > Privacy and look for the checkbox labeled Remove all website data when quitting Safari. Check this box if it isn't already checked.
With this setting on, you start fresh each time you open Safari — no cookies carry over from your previous session. This means you'll be logged out of websites automatically, and each visit will be treated as new. Some people prefer this for privacy; others find it inconvenient because they have to log in again every time.
Delete cookies on iPhone and iPad
The process on Apple's mobile devices is different from the Mac version. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad (not Safari itself). Scroll down and tap Safari. Near the bottom of the Safari settings, you'll see Clear History and Website Data.
Tap that option and you'll see a choice of time periods: the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time. Select the period you want to clear, then tap Clear History and Data to confirm. This removes cookies, browsing history, and other website data from that time period. Unlike the Mac version, you cannot delete cookies from individual websites on iOS — it's all or nothing based on the time range you choose.
Understand what happens when you delete cookies
Cookies are small files that websites store on your device to remember information about you — your login status, your preferences, items in your shopping cart, or tracking data. When you delete them, websites no longer have access to that stored information.
The immediate effect is that you'll be logged out of most websites. The next time you visit a site, it won't remember you, so you'll need to log in again. Some websites may also forget your preferences, like your language choice or whether you prefer a dark theme. Websites may also load slightly slower on your first visit after deletion because they have to rebuild their stored data about you.
None of this is permanent — websites will start storing new cookies as soon as you visit them again. Deleting cookies does not affect your bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history (unless you specifically delete those too).
Why you might want to delete cookies
The main reason people delete cookies is privacy. Tracking cookies allow advertisers and data brokers to follow your browsing across multiple websites. Deleting them regularly makes this tracking harder, though it doesn't stop it entirely — your internet service provider and the websites themselves can still see what you visit.
Another reason is to free up storage space, though cookies use very little space on modern devices. A third reason is to force a website to forget your data if you're using a shared computer or a borrowed device. Deleting cookies is faster than logging out of every account individually.
Some people also delete cookies when a website is behaving strangely — occasionally a corrupted cookie can cause a site to load incorrectly or log you out unexpectedly. Deleting that site's cookies and logging back in often fixes the problem.
The difference between cookies and other website data
When Safari shows Cookies and website data, it's actually referring to several types of stored information. Cookies are the most common, but websites can also store data in other formats like local storage, session storage, and IndexedDB. These all serve similar purposes — remembering information about you between visits.
When you use the Remove All or Clear History and Website Data options, Safari deletes all of these types at once. You cannot delete just cookies while keeping other website data in Safari — it's a package deal. If you need more granular control, you would need to use a different browser or clear your data less frequently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from cookies in Safari's password manager. Deleting cookies does not affect saved passwords. You'll still be able to use Safari's autofill feature to log in, even after clearing cookies. If you want to delete saved passwords, you have to do that separately through Settings > Passwords.
Do I need to delete cookies regularly?
Not necessarily. Deleting cookies is a personal choice based on your privacy preferences. If you're concerned about tracking, deleting them monthly or quarterly can help. If you're using a shared device, delete them more often. If you're the only user and don't mind tracking, you can leave them alone — they won't harm your device.
Why am I still being tracked after deleting cookies?
Cookies are just one tracking method. Websites can also track you through your IP address, browser fingerprinting, and login accounts. Deleting cookies reduces tracking but doesn't eliminate it. For stronger privacy, consider using Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention feature (enabled by default) or a VPN service.
Can I delete cookies from one website without logging out?
On Mac, yes — select that website in Manage Website Data and click Remove. On iPhone, no — you can only clear by time period, which affects all websites. If you want to log out of one account on iPhone without logging out of others, you'll need to do it manually through that website's settings or account page.
What if a website won't let me delete its cookies?
Websites cannot prevent Safari from deleting their cookies — the deletion happens on your device, not on their server. If a website seems to keep tracking you after deletion, it's using a different tracking method, not cookies. You can report this to the website, but Safari's built-in Intelligent Tracking Prevention already blocks many of these alternative methods.