“The main reason for clearing cookies on your phone is for the performance benefits,” says Jackson. “Every website that you visit uses cookies and these take up storage space on your device.” By clearing cookies you not only free up this storage space, but you also improve your phone’s performance.
Block all cookies will stop third-party cookies, but also the first-party cookie features mentioned earlier. To delete the cookies you already have, click Manage Website Data and select cookies from individual websites on the list and click Remove, or select Remove all to delete the lot.
When you delete cookies from your computer, you erase information saved in your browser, including your account passwords, website preferences, and settings. Deleting your cookies can be helpful if you share your computer or device with other people and don’t want them to see your browsing history.
Enable Cookies in Safari on iPhone
- On your iPhone, open the “Settings” App. Return to the Home Screen by pressing the round button underneath the screen.
- Scroll and tap on the “Safari” item.
- Scroll down and choose your Cookies preference.
- You have configured your Cookies settings.
In the Chrome app
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chrome app .
- At the top right, tap More .
- Tap History. Clear browsing data.
- At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time.
- Next to “Cookies and site data” and “Cached images and files,” check the boxes.
- Tap Clear data.
Cookies are files created by websites you visit. They make your online experience easier by saving browsing information. With cookies, sites can keep you signed in, remember your site preferences, and give you locally relevant content. The site is shown in the address bar.
Do you have to accept cookies? No, you don’t. If a cookie can identify you, you can decline the cookie completely. Websites that use these cookies have to get your permission – or risk huge fines under various laws.
Cookies are small files that websites store on your phone or computer to help them remember information about you and your visit. And some privacy advocates recommend blocking cookies entirely, so that websites can’t glean personal information about you.
In Chrome
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, click More .
- Click More tools. Clear browsing data.
- At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time.
- Next to “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files,” check the boxes.
- Click Clear data.
If you‘re using a public computer, you should delete them and other data, such as browsing history, right after your session. If it’s your personal device, we recommend clearing all cookies at least once a month. Also, you should do this if you see a drop in browser performance or after visiting a shady website.
On your Android phone or tablet, open the Chrome app. To the right of the address bar, tap on “More,” or what looks like three dots, and then select “Settings.” Tap on the “Privacy” category and then select “Clear browsing data.”
Deleting cookies removes session login information, including the previously entered username and password. However, deleting cookies does not affect passwords you saved in your browser, so when you revisit a site, your browser may automatically fill in the login page with your saved username and password.
What will I lose if I clear my cache?
Tip: Clearing the cache simply clears temporary files. It won’t erase login credentials, downloaded files, or custom settings.
Cookies can also cause problems when websites get updated (they may store old information that’s not helpful any longer) or get corrupted by data being accidentally written into it in the wrong format. If you are experiencing issues using a website after an update, clearing your cookies could help fix the problem.
Access the menu via the ellipsis menu in the lower-right (iOS) or upper-right (Android), and select Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data. Check off the section for cookies and tap Clear Browsing Data (iOS) or Clear Data (Android).
By default, when you run the Cleaner, CCleaner deletes all of the cookies for all of your Web browsers (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Opera, and so on) except those in the Cookies to Keep column, which can be found in Options > Cookies.
Most pastries, cookies, and cakes are unhealthy if eaten in excess. Packaged versions are generally made with refined sugar, refined wheat flour, and added fats. Shortening, which may be high in unhealthy trans fats, is sometimes added.
Performance. As the number of persistent cookies builds up on your computer, they can contribute to slow Internet performance. Deleting the cookies can lead to faster overall Internet access, but may also cause slower access to the sites you visit frequently.
Chrome stores a cached copy of a website you visit, so it can load the page faster when you visit it again. It also keeps a database of your browsing history and cookies for the same purpose. As you visit more and more websites, these pieces of data accumulate in Chrome and can slow the browser down.
Session cookies disappear once the user closes the browser window. All permanent cookies have an expiration date written in their code. According to the ePrivacy Directive, the cookie should last no longer than 12 months, but in practice, many cookies have a much longer duration.
David Nilsen is the former editor of Fourth & Sycamore. He is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. You can find more of his writing on his website at davidnilsenwriter.com and follow him on Twitter as @NilsenDavid.