How to Clear Cookies on Chrome, FireFox, Android, Mac – We all at one point or the other would have tried logging on a website and only to see a banner pop up almost instantaneously with an option to accept or reject. Those are cookies.
What are Cookies?
Cookies are texts that websites store on your browser, this is saved to identify users, save password logins, etc. Cookies track anytime a website is visited and the activities carried out on the website. Cookies are also installed to improve user’s experience and provide a more engaging browsing session. Cookies are of different types which are session cookies; they get stored temporarily in a browser’s subfolder whilst you visit websites.
The second is stored cookie which is permanently stored in your browser subfolder while the last is Third Party Cookies which are set by websites outside the one you’re browsing, they could be placed because of some other engagements on the primary websites. The role of third party cookies is to send information to the other website.
While these cookies are important as we surf, they also have disadvantages, hence the reason people do ask ‘how to delete cookies’. Cookies aren’t viruses and shouldn’t be considered as such but could be taken a bit more important than most people do.
Concerning deleting cookies, there are several reasons why people choose to delete cookies but majorly, I’d say is security purpose. Cookies could pose security threats in that hackers could cookies and gain access to your browser sessions. This could in turn lead to stealing, exposure, or misusing of information that ought to be private. Another reason is that due to accumulated cookies from subsequent visits to a website, your browser or device may begin to function slowly.
Below are practical steps by which you could delete cookies on your popular web browsers and devices.
How to clear cookies on Chrome
Follow the steps below:
- Open your chrome
- Tap on the three-dot icon menu in the right upper corner to access the Chrome menu
- At the top right, click More More.
- Click More tools
- Clear browsing data.
- Choose a time range or all time to delete everything
- Next to “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files,” check the boxes.
- Click Clear data.
How to clear cookies on Firefox
- Click the upper-right hamburger stack
- Select Options
- Go to Privacy & Security.
- Go to Cookies and Site Data
- Tap Clear Data
- Cookies and Site Data
- Clear to remove your entire cookie history.
You can also clear Data on your Firefox browser
- Go to cookies and Site Data
- Select to manage Data (to choose the sites from which you’ll like to remove cookies).
- Create exceptions or choose never to accept cookies from selected sites.
How to clear cookies on Android
Deleting cookies on Android phones could seem to be a bit tricky because several browsers differ in bits on their uses. Hence, I have decided to explain using the commonly used Android browser apps.
Chrome
From the opened window, you need to tap the options icon. The icon is the three vertical dots located at the top-right corner of the interface.
Open Chrome
- Click the “Settings” option.
- Click “Privacy”
- Tap the “Clear Browsing Data” button on the “Privacy” window.
- A box pops up
- Click to check “Clear cookies” and “Site data”
- Tap the “Clear” button to clear the chosen cookies
Firefox
- Click the three dots menu icon
- Click “Settings”
- Click “Clear private data”
- Click “Cookies & active logins”
- Click “Clear Data”
Opera Mini
- Click the menu icon in the upper left of your screen
- Click “Settings”
- Scroll down to the “Privacy”
- Click privacy
- Tap on “Clear browsing data”
- Select from checkbox close to “Clear cookies and data”
- Click OK
Microsoft Edge
- Click the three dots menu at the upper right of the screen
- Click on “Settings”
- Scroll down to “Advanced”
- Click on “Privacy”
- Click on “Clear browsing data”
- Click the checkbox close to “Cookies and site data
- Select “Clear”
Samsung Internet
For Samsung mobile users
- Click on the three-stacked line menu symbol
- Click on Settings
- Click on Privacy and security
- Click on Delete browsing data
- Click on Cookies and site data
- Click on Delete
How to clear cookies on Mac.
(The primary browser of Mac is Safari, hence the reason for using Safari in this post.)
- Go to the Safari menu
- Preferences
- Go to privacy
- Go to Cookies and website data
- Select to manage Website Data
- Select cookies to delete if remove all
- Tap on Remove all
You can also manage how Safari uses cookies: this would involve blocking cookies.
Check the “Block all cookies” option in the privacy tab
Select
When you delete cookies, it could lead to a faster internet experience but slower access to frequently visited sites. Since the information which was stored as cookies that enabled your frequently visited sites to load faster has been cleared.
As seen, clearing cookies are quite simple and by following these step by step guide, you can feel safer while using your devices. However, this process is to be repeated regularly for safer use. That could mean clearing the data as often as you close each browsing session. This could be considered a bit tasking but then it’s better tasking than you putting yourself at risk as even your location could be detected by hackers and fraudsters without the use of a VPN.
Conclusively, you could also have a safe cookie-based browsing experience by choosing how to manage your cookies some of which had been discussed earlier in the post. This can be managed to a very comfortable level. Also, installing anti-spyware applications or programs, and having them updated regularly would go a long way in helping you have a comfortable web experience. The last precaution is per dealing with cookies will be to have your web browser updated regularly. Browser updates do sometimes come with more advanced security measures due to recent happenings or engagements, this could help you tackle any issue that could arise from cookie tracking by hackers.