Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (2024)

You can choose to delete existing cookies, allow or block all cookies, and set preferences for certain websites.

Important: If you are part of the Tracking Protection test group, you will see a new Chrome setting for managing third-party cookies called "Tracking Protection." Learn more about Tracking Protection.

What cookies are

Cookies are files created by websites you visit. By saving information about your visit, they make your online experience easier. For example, sites can keep you signed in, remember your site preferences, and give you locally relevant content.

There are 2 types of cookies:

  • First-party cookies: Created by the site you visit. The site is shown in the address bar.
  • Third-party cookies: Created by other sites. A site you visit can embed content from other sites, for example images, ads, and text. Any of these other sites can save cookies and other data to personalize your experience.

Delete all cookies

Important: If you delete cookies, you might get signed out of sites that remember you, and your saved preferences could be deleted. This applies any time a cookie is deleted.

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (1) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (2) Settings Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (3).
  3. Click Privacy and security Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (4) Third-party cookies.
    • Tip: If you are part of the Tracking Protection test group, select Tracking Protection instead.
  4. Click See all site data and permissions Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (5) Delete all data.
  5. To confirm, click Delete.

Delete specific cookies

Delete cookies from a site

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (6) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (7) Settings Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (8).
  3. Click Privacy and security Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (9) Third-party cookies.
    • Tip: If you are part of the Tracking Protection test group, select Tracking Protection instead.
  4. Click See all site data and permissions.
  5. At the top right, search for the website's name.
  6. To the right of the site, click Delete Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (10).
  7. To confirm, click Delete.

Delete cookies from a period of time

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (11) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (12) Delete browsing data.
  3. At the top, next to "Time range," click the dropdown.
  4. Choose a time period, such as the last hour or the last day.
  5. Check Cookies and other site data.
  6. Uncheck all the other items.
  7. Click Delete data.

Change your cookie settings

Important: If you don't allow sites to save cookies, sites may not work as expected. To manage first-party cookies, learn more about on-device site data.

You can allow or block cookies for any site.

Allow or block third-party cookies

You can allow or block third-party cookies by default.

  1. On your computer, open Chrome Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (13).
  2. At the top right, click More Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (14) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (15) Settings Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (16).
  3. Click Privacy and security Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (17) Third-party cookies.
    • Tip: If you are part of the Tracking Protection test group, follow the “Tracking Protection” instructions instead.
  4. Select an option:
    • Allow third-party cookies.
    • Block third-party cookies in Incognito mode.
    • Block third-party cookies.
      • If you block third-party cookies, all third-party cookies from other sites are blocked unless the site is allowed on your exceptions list.

Allow third-party cookies for a specific site

Important: If you’re using your Chromebook at work or school, you might not be able to change this setting. For more help, contact your administrator.

If you block third-party cookies by default, you can still allow them for a certain site.

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (18) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (19) Settings.
  3. Click Privacy and security Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (20) Third-party cookies.
    • Tip: If you are part of the Tracking Protection test group, select Tracking Protection instead.
  4. Next to "Allowed to use third party cookies," click Add.
  5. Enter the web address.
    • To create an exception for an entire domain, insert [*.] before the domain name. For example, [*.]google.com will match drive.google.com and calendar.google.com.
    • You can also put an IP address or a web address that doesn't start with http://.
  6. Select Add.

To remove an exception you don't want any more, to the right of the website, click Remove Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (21).

Allow third-party cookies temporarily for a specific site

If you block third-party cookies, some sites may not work as you expected. You can temporarily allow third-party cookies for a specific site you visit.

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. In the address bar at the top:
    • To allow third-party cookies: Select Third-party cookies blocked or Tracking protection Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (22) and turn on Third-party cookies.
    • To block third-party cookies: Select Third-party cookies allowed or Tracking protection Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (23) and turn off Third-party cookies.
  3. To close the dialog box and reload the page, select Close Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (24). You can also select anywhere outside of the dialog box to close it.
  4. Once the page reloads, the address bar shows “Third-party cookies allowed,” “Third-party cookies blocked,” or “Third-party cookies limited” depending on your settings.

Tips:

  • This option is only temporary and only for the site you’re on.
  • Sites get added to the exception list automatically.
  • If you temporarily allow third-party cookies on a site, that setting carries over into Incognito mode and you can't reset it from Incognito mode.

Allow related sites to access your activity

A company can define a group of sites that are related to each other. For example, a company might want to keep you signed in as you move between acme-music.example and acme-video.example.

If you allow third-party cookies: Allows related sites to access your activity to personalize content or keep you signed in across sites.

If you block third-party cookies: It often prevents this kind of connection between sites. You can block third-party cookies while you allow sites in the same group to improve your experience.

You can find the full list of companies who define groups of related sites on Github. Learn more about related sites and third-party cookies.

Important: If you select “Allow third-party cookies,” then a group of related sites can share your activity in the group by default.

Important: If you have “Tracking Protection” in your settings, then a group of related sites can share your activity in the group by default.

To allow related sites to see your activity within the group:

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (25) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (26) Settings.
  3. Click Privacy and security Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (27) Third-party cookies.
    • Tip: If you are part of the Tracking Protection test group, follow the “Tracking Protection” instructions instead.
  4. Select Block third-party cookies.
  5. Turn Allow related sites to see your activity in the group on or off.

To show related sites in the same group:

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (28) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (29) Settings.
  3. Click Privacy and security Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (30) Third-party cookies Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (31) See all site data and permissions.
    • Tip: If you are part of the Tracking Protection test group, select Tracking Protection instead.
  4. Choose a site.
  5. Click More Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (32) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (33) Show sites in the same group.

Tip:

  • To find related sites, next to the address bar, click View site information Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (34) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (35) Cookies and site data Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (36) See related sites.
    • If you are part of the Tracking Protection test group, select Tracking Protection instead.

About embedded content

Sites you visit can embed content from other sites, for example images, ads, text, and even features — like a text editor or weather widget. These other sites can ask for permission to use info they’ve saved about you (often saved using cookies) in order for their content to function properly.

For example, imagine you normally compose documents on docs.google.com. While completing a task for school, you need to collaborate with other students on your school’s class portal that offers direct access to Google Docs. With your permission:

  • Google Docs can access its third-party cookies while you use your school’s site, allowing a connection between the site and Google Docs.
  • This may allow Google Docs to verify who you are, find your info, and save changes you make to your documents on the site.

In some cases, this info can be used to track your activity as you browse sites. As a privacy feature, you can decide when to allow embedded content to access your data for sites you trust.

Tip: The connection uses cookies and lasts for 30 days or as long as you remain active. You can stop allowing the connection anytime in Settings.

To allow or decline permission

When you browse a site that displays a prompt requesting for permission for the embedded content to use information they’ve saved about you:

  • Select Allow to give the site access to information they’ve saved about you (using cookies)
  • Select Don’t allow to deny access

Tips:

  • To stop allowing access, learn how to manage site settings permissions.
  • You can also manage access by clicking View site information Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (37) to the left of the address bar, and then turning Embedded content on or off.

Manage your tracking protections

When turned on, Tracking Protection significantly limits sites from using third-party cookies to track you as you browse, except for limited cases to allow basic services to function. If you choose to, you can block third-party cookies completely in your settings. You can manage your Tracking Protection preferences in your “Privacy and Security” settings.

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. At the top right, click More Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (38) Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (39) Settings Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (40).
  3. Click Privacy and security Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (41) Tracking Protection.
  4. You can also choose advanced privacy protections:
    • Block all third-party cookies: When you toggle this on, features on some sites may not work. Chrome blocks all third-party cookies from sites you visit, including related sites.
    • Send “Do not track” request with your browsing traffic: When you toggle this on, you request that sites not track you. Sites use their discretion whether to comply with the request. Learn more about "Do Not Track".
    • Choose which sites you allow to use third-party cookies: You can also check and edit which sites you allow to use third party cookies under “Sites allowed to use third-party cookies.” Learn how to allow third-party cookies.

Related resources

  • Change site settings permissions
  • Delete browsing data
  • Delete cache and cookies
  • Manage your ad privacy in Chrome
  • Learn about on-device site data in Chrome

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Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer (2024)

FAQs

Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome - Computer? ›

Deleting the cache and cookies data regularly helps to troubleshoot, helps to increase the loading time of web pages, loads new versions of web pages and increases the performance of your computer.

Is it a good idea to remove all cookies? ›

Deleting the cache and cookies data regularly helps to troubleshoot, helps to increase the loading time of web pages, loads new versions of web pages and increases the performance of your computer.

What happens if I remove all cookies from Chrome? ›

When you delete cookies and cache in your browser, you are deleting the local copies of these files that are stored on your computer or device. Google and other websites may still store cookies and cache on their servers, but they will not be able to access them on your device without your consent.

How do I clear cookies on my computer Chrome? ›

To clear cookies in Chrome, click on the three-dot icon at the top right and go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data. Then select a time range, check the boxes next to Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files, and click Clear data. Open Google Chrome.

What problems could you encounter if you delete the cookies from your computer? ›

Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites and might erase preferences saved on those sites, like location settings or personalized themes. It's a small price for reclaiming a bit of privacy. Clearing cookies means losing certain conveniences: Saved logins: You'll need to log back into websites again.

What is the risk of deleting cookies? ›

What happens when you remove all cookies? Deleting cookies wipes all your personal information from your browser, including usernames, passwords, search history, and website settings and preferences.

Is it recommended to allow all cookies? ›

Accepting cookies can be risky even on a website that your browser or security solution deems safe. But that doesn't mean you should accept all cookies blindly, as some of the responsibility of protecting your privacy and security ultimately falls onto you, the user.

How often should you clear cookies on Chrome? ›

If it's your personal device, it's a good idea to remove all cookies at least once a month to keep your device neat. Also, you should do this if you see a drop in browser performance or after visiting a shady website.

Does deleting cookies delete passwords Chrome? ›

If they are or you're using a third-party password management program, clearing your cookies won't clear your passwords, but it may cause you to have to log in using the saved credentials.

What will I lose if I clear cookies? ›

By clearing the cache and cookies you are telling your computer to forget all previous activity, settings, and information. It is the internet equivalent of “turning it off and back on again”.

Is deleting cookies the same as clearing the cache? ›

No, deleting cookies will not delete the cache. They are two different things, unrelated in function and stored separately.

Do cookies take up space on your computer? ›

They can also enhance your user experience, because they remember your preferences and settings. On the other hand, cache and cookies can also slow down your browser, take up storage space, and compromise your privacy.

Will clearing the cache delete saved passwords? ›

NOTE: Clearing cache and cookie history can also eliminate saved passwords. Not all browsers have options to prevent this from happening, although Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer do have that option available.

Is it better to delete or clear history? ›

If you want to keep your device more private and keep your browser running smoothly, quickly clearing your device's browser history can help. There's no fixed or recommended time for deleting your browsing history, cache, and cookies. It's all relative to your system's storage space and personal preferences.

Is there a downside to clearing the cache? ›

But even if you deleted more Browsing data than you intended to, for any normal sort of website the probable worst that would happen is you would be logged out of some websites, you would lose your browsing history, and websites might take a fraction longer to download than normal the first time you load them.

What cookies are bad in your computer? ›

First-Party vs.

First-party cookies are directly created by the website you are using. These are generally safer, as long as you are browsing reputable websites or ones that have not been compromised by a recent data breach or cyberattack. Third-party cookies are more troubling.

What happens if you disable all cookies? ›

Here are some examples of what happens if you block all cookies: You may not be able to automatically sign in to a site because your saved username and password is deleted. Some web pages or features won't function. You may see a message on websites asking you to enable cookies for it to load.

What does clearing all my cookies do? ›

However, when a site changes or you wish to enter new information (such as a new username for your email) they can cause problems. By clearing the cache and cookies you are telling your computer to forget all previous activity, settings, and information.

Should you decline all cookies? ›

Antivirus software may flag suspicious cookies, in which case you should not accept them (or you should delete them if you already have). Use of private information. If you're sharing private data like your Social Security number (SSN) or banking information, you should decline the use of cookies to keep it safe.

How often should you clear all cookies? ›

As a general rule, you should clear your browser cache and cookies at least once a month, or more often if you experience any of the following: slow running or crashing browsers, difficulty loading websites or features, outdated or incorrect information or images on some websites, the need to free up storage space on ...

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