Web browsers store cookies and cache to improve your browsing experience by remembering site preferences and loading pages faster. However, over time, accumulated data can slow down your browser or cause privacy concerns. This guide will walk you through how to clear cookies and cache in Safari and Chrome on both desktop and mobile devices.
Clearing Cookies vs. Clearing Cache: What’s the Difference?
- Cookies: Small files stored by websites to remember login details, preferences, and tracking data.
- Cache: Temporarily stored website data (like images and scripts) to speed up page loading.
Clearing cookies will log you out of websites while clearing the cache will remove stored site data but keep login sessions intact in most cases.
How to Clear Cookies in Safari (Mac & iPhone/iPad)
On Mac (Safari Desktop)
- Open Safari.
- Click on Safari in the top menu and select Settings (or Preferences on older versions).
- Go to the Privacy tab.
- Click Manage Website Data.
- Select the websites whose cookies you want to remove or click Remove All to delete everything.
- Confirm by clicking Remove Now.
On iPhone & iPad (Safari Mobile)
- Open Settings on your device.
- Scroll down and select Safari.
- Tap Advanced > Website Data.
- Tap Remove All Website Data to delete all cookies or select individual sites.
How to Clear Cache in Safari (Mac & iPhone/iPad)
On Mac (Safari Desktop)
- Open Safari.
- Click on Safari in the menu bar and select Settings (or Preferences).
- Go to the Advanced tab.
- Check the box Show Develop menu in menu bar.
- Close settings and click on Develop in the top menu.
- Select Empty Caches to clear the cache without removing cookies.
On iPhone & iPad (Safari Mobile)
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Safari.
- Tap Clear History and Website Data (this clears both cache and cookies).
- Confirm by tapping Clear History and Data.
How to Clear Cookies in Chrome (Mac, Windows, & Mobile)
On Mac & Windows (Chrome Desktop)
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click on the three-dot menu (top-right corner).
- Select Settings.
- Click Privacy and security in the left panel.
- Click Cookies and other site data.
- Click See all site data and permissions.
- Click Clear all data or remove specific site cookies manually.
On iPhone & Android (Chrome Mobile)
- Open Chrome.
- Tap the three-dot menu (bottom-right on iPhone, top-right on Android).
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Privacy and security > Clear browsing data.
- Select Cookies, site data and tap Clear data.
How to Clear Cache in Chrome (Mac, Windows, & Mobile)
On Mac & Windows (Chrome Desktop)
- Open Google Chrome.
- Click on the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
- Select Settings.
- Click Privacy and security.
- Select Clear browsing data.
- Check the box for Cached images and files.
- Click Clear data.
On iPhone & Android (Chrome Mobile)
- Open Chrome.
- Tap the three-dot menu.
- Tap Settings > Privacy and security.
- Tap Clear browsing data.
- Select Cached images and files.
- Tap Clear data.
When Should You Clear Cookies and Cache?
- Slow browser performance – Clearing cache helps free up space.
- Website errors or glitches – Some sites may not load properly if cached data is outdated.
- Privacy concerns – Regularly deleting cookies can prevent tracking.
- Login issues – If a website does not recognize your login session, clearing cookies might help.
Clearing cookies and cache periodically can help maintain your browser’s speed and security. If you are experiencing issues with a website, try clearing cache first before deleting cookies to avoid losing saved login details.
Mar 4, 2025