Jun 212 min read

How to Clear Cookies

Clear Cookies graphic from Cybernews article (for education)

Cookies are small files that websites store on our computers. They are used to remember information about us, such as our passwords, preferences, and browsing history. Cookies can be useful, but they can also be a privacy concern.

Why We Should Clear Cookies

WARNING: Make sure to have all website and app login credential available before clearing cookies, because, the stored information to automatically login will be removed along with the corresponding cookie.

There are a few reasons why we might want to clear our cookies.

Privacy: Cookies can reveal our online activity to advertisers and other 3rd party groups who have not earned our trust. By clearing cookies, we make it difficult for hackers and unauthorized people to invade our privacy.
Performance: Cookies can “get stale” and sometimes bog down our browser and computer. Clearing cookies can help improve our browsing experience.
Security: Cookies can be used to steal our personal information. By clearing cookies, we help protect ourselves from identity theft.

How to Clear Cookies in Browsers

Most browsers have privacy settings that allow us to clear cookies. To access these settings:

Chrome and Edge Browsers

Click on the 3 dots then click "Settings". Within the settings window click "Privacy and security" then click "Delete browsing data...".

image of Chrome browser three dots menu — Accessing Chrome and Edge Settings

image of Chrome Privacy and security options — Chrome and Edge "Privacy and security"

image of Delete browsing data options in Chrome — "Delete browsing data" in Chrome and Edge

Firefox Browser

Click on the 3 horizontal lines then click "Settings". Within the settings window click "Privacy and security" then scroll down to "Cookies and Site Data" section and click "Clear Data...".

image of Firefox hamburger menu — Accessing Firefox settings

image of Firefox Cookies and Site Data options — "Cookies and Site Data..." in Firefox

image of Firefox "Clear Data" options — "Clear Data" in Firefox

Safari Browser

Click on “Safari” in the upper left screen menu; then click on “Settings…”; then click the “Privacy” tab; then click “Manage Website Data…”

image of Safari Manage Website Data options — "Manage Website Data" in Safari

image of Safari remove website data options — "Remove All" in Firefox

How to Clear Cookies with a Cookie Cleaner

There are several cookie cleaners available online. These programs can help clear and manage cookies quickly and easily. ANVCS.org likes CCleaner (www.ccleaner.com)

What to Do After Clearing Cookies

Once we have cleared our cookies, we may need to log back in to some websites. We may also need to reset our preferences on some websites.

More Tips for Protecting Our Privacy

In addition to clearing cookies, there are a few other things we can do to protect our privacy online.

Use a privacy-focused browser: There are several privacy-focused browsers available, such as Brave and Firefox. These browsers can help protect privacy by blocking trackers and cookies.
Use a VPN: A VPN can help to protect privacy by encrypting our internet traffic.
Be careful what information we share online: Be careful what information we share online; especially, on social media and other public websites.
Use strong passwords: Use strong passwords for all online accounts.

Conclusion

Clearing cookies is a simple way to help protect our privacy online. By following the tips in this blog, we can keep personal information safer.

For more information watch our class on Cookies and Browsers!

graphic of Cookies and Browser class title

About AnewVista Community Services

ANVCS.org is a non-profit organization that provides a variety of services to seniors and their communities.