Cookies are small text files that websites store on your computer to remember information about you and your preferences. They serve many purposes like saving login information, tracking your browsing habits, remembering items in your shopping cart, and more. While cookies are useful in many cases, some people prefer to disable or delete cookies for privacy reasons. Fortunately, managing cookies is easy – all major web browsers allow you to enable, disable, delete, and block cookies. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to manage cookie settings in the most popular web browsers.
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files, usually consisting of letters and numbers, that are downloaded to your device when you access certain websites. Websites use cookies to ‘remember’ things about you and your visit. For example:
– Session cookies – these only last while your browser is open and are deleted when you close your browser. They help websites remember information from one page to the next, like items in your shopping cart.
– Persistent cookies – these remain on your device after you close your browser. They remember your preferences and settings across multiple site visits. For instance, staying logged into a website.
– First-party cookies – these are set by the website you’re visiting. For example, WordPress.com uses cookies to remember you’re logged in.
– Third-party cookies – these are set by domains other than the one you’re visiting. For instance, websites often use third-party cookies for advertising and analytics purposes.
Some key things cookies are used for:
– Authentication – Keeping you logged into websites
– Tracking – Recording data about your browsing for analytics and personalization
– Storing site preferences – Saving choices you make like themes or font sizes
– Shopping carts – Remebering items added to your cart while browsing
– Targeted advertising – Serving ads based on your interests and browsing habits
Why manage cookies?
There are some key reasons you may want to manage your cookie settings:
– Privacy – To prevent tracking of your online activity and location
– Security – Blocking tracking cookies makes it harder for hackers to steal your data
– Storage space – Deleting cookies frees up space on your device
– Performance – Blocking unnecessary cookies can speed up page load times
– Irrelevant ads – Controlling cookie settings reduces targeted ads that aren’t useful
– GDPR compliance – The EU’s GDPR regulations require sites to get consent for tracking cookies
The main reason most people manage cookie settings is to improve privacy. By blocking certain cookies, you prevent companies from gathering data about your browsing habits and interests.
How to enable cookies in Chrome
Enabling cookies in Chrome is simple:
1. Click the 3 vertical dots in the top right to open Chrome’s menu.
2. Select ‘Settings’ near the bottom.
3. Click ‘Privacy and security’ on the left.
4. Under ‘Cookies and other site data’ click ‘Content settings’.
5. Toggle ‘Allow sites to save and read cookie data’ to the ‘On’ position.
You can also click ‘See all cookies and site data’ to view and delete any existing cookies.
Some key points about Chrome’s cookie settings:
– Cookies are enabled by default in Chrome. Disable them for privacy.
– You can block third-party cookies specifically if you want.
– Settings to clear cookies on exit and cookie expiration times are also available.
– Autoplay, pop-ups, location access, notifications, and more can be managed here too.
So in Chrome, cookies are allowed by default. Simply toggle the main cookie setting off if you want to disable them.
How to enable cookies in Firefox
Here’s how to enable cookies in Firefox:
1. Click the menu button (3 lines) and choose ‘Options’.
2. Select the ‘Privacy & Security’ tab on the left.
3. In the ‘Cookies and Site Data’ section, check ‘Accept cookies from sites’.
4. You can also choose ‘Accept third-party cookies’ if desired.
5. Click ‘OK’ to save changes.
Some other handy cookie settings in Firefox:
– You can clear cookies and site data right from the Privacy section.
– Set exceptions for cookie deletion – choose which ones to keep.
– Cookies for the current website only can also be enabled.
– Manage exactly which sites are allowed to store cookies.
Firefox gives you very granular control over cookie settings. You can fine-tune exactly which sites get access to cookies on your device for improved privacy.
How to enable cookies in Safari
Safari also makes it easy to manage cookie settings:
1. Open Safari preferences by clicking ‘Safari’ in the menu bar and choosing ‘Preferences’.
2. Go to the ‘Privacy’ tab.
3. In the ‘Cookies and website data’ section, toggle ‘Allow privacy-safe cookies only’ to the off position.
4. You can also select ‘Allow all cookies’ if desired.
5. Click ‘Done’ to apply changes.
A few other handy Safari cookie settings:
– Clear all existing cookies with one click from the Privacy screen.
– Exceptions can be added to always allow cookies from certain websites.
– Choose how long cookies are stored before deletion.
– Manage website permissions for access to camera, microphone, location, etc.
Safari gives you control over existing cookies and fine tune options for future cookie behavior. The privacy-safe default blocks cross-site tracking cookies.
How to enable cookies in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge makes it simple to enable cookies:
1. Click the 3-dot menu button and choose ‘Settings’.
2. Click ‘Cookies and site permissions’ on the left side.
3. Toggle ‘Allow sites to save and read cookie data’ to the ‘On’ position.
You can also drill down further into cookie settings here:
– Clear cookies and site data directly from this screen.
– Set exceptions for sites that are always or never allowed to use cookies.
– Change the default cookie expiration period.
– Limit cookie access to sites visited only.
– Block third-party cookies for more privacy.
Edge provides robust cookie management with lots of optional enhanced privacy settings to limit tracking.
How to enable cookies on mobile devices
The process for managing cookies on mobile is similar as on desktop. Here are the basics for iPhone and Android devices:
**iPhone**
1. Open Settings and tap Safari.
2. Choose ‘Block Cookies’ and switch it off.
3. You can also select ‘Allow from websites I visit’ for basic privacy.
4. Clear existing cookies by tapping ‘Clear History and Website Data’
**Android**
1. Open Chrome and tap the 3 dots for menu.
2. Choose ‘Settings’ then ‘Site Settings’.
3. Tap ‘Cookies’ and select ‘Allow sites to save and read cookie data’.
4. Pick ‘Keep local data only until I quit Chrome’ for privacy.
5. You can also clear stored cookies here.
The process varies across devices but generally involves finding cookie settings under privacy or site data options for your browser. Default settings tend to block third-party cookies.
Third-party browser cookie settings
Other lesser known browsers also give you cookie controls:
**Opera**
1. Click the Easy Setup menu in the top left.
2. Choose ‘Privacy and security’ then ‘Cookies’.
3. Toggle ‘Allow cookies’ on. You can also block third-party ones.
**Vivaldi**
1. Click the 3-line menu and select ‘Settings’.
2. Go to ‘Privacy’ and choose ‘Cookies’.
3. Check ‘Allow sites to save information’ to enable cookies.
**Brave**
1. Click the 3-dot settings menu.
2. Select ‘Settings’ then go to ‘Cookies and site data’.
3. Toggle ‘Allow all cookies’ on or enable ‘Cross-site cookies’ for third-parties.
**Tor**
1. Click the green onion menu and choose ‘Privacy and security’.
2. Select ‘Cookie settings’ under Privacy.
3. Check ‘Accept cookies normally’ to allow cookies.
The options vary across third-party browsers but all provide a way to manage cookie behavior. Play around to find the right settings for your needs.
How to manage specific cookie settings
Beyond just enabling and disabling cookies entirely, most browsers provide additional options to fine-tune cookie settings:
– **Delete cookies** – Clear one-time or all saved cookies from your device.
– **Block third-party cookies** – Prevents tracking cookies from advertisers and analytics services.
– **Make exceptions** – Allow cookies from specific sites even when disabled elsewhere.
– **Set cookie expiration** – Choose how long cookies are retained before automatic deletion.
– **See cookie details** – View which cookies are stored and edit cookie permissions for sites.
– **Import cookie settings** – Use predefined cookie configuration files to apply custom settings.
– **Block cookies by default** – Have the browser automatically reject all cookie requests until allowed.
– **Allow cookies in private modes** – Choose whether to allow cookies in incognito/private browsing windows.
– **Limit cookie access** – Cookies can be set to work only on sites you actively visit in the browser.
– **Control referrer data** – Limit when browsers send referer website address information along with requests.
Take advantage of the advanced options in your browser’s cookie preferences menu to tailor settings to your privacy needs.
Popular cookie management browser extensions
In addition to built-in settings, browser extensions provide extra ways to control cookies:
– **Cookie AutoDelete** – Automatically removes cookies after each browsing session for privacy.
– **I don’t care about cookies** – Automatically accepts cookie consent popups to remove annoyances.
– **Cookie Quick Manager** – View, block, and delete individual cookies from sites for granular control.
– **Cookie Editor** – Import and export cookie whitelist and blacklist settings for easy management.
– **Cookie Restrictions Mode** – Limits cookie access to only sites you whitelist for enhanced privacy.
– **Perfect Privacy** – Provides a full featured private browser mode and cookie encryption.
– **Cookie Inspector** – See detailed information and analytics for cookies on websites you visit.
Extensions grant additional user control, automation, and configuration options compared to standard browser settings.
How to delete cookies
Learning how to delete cookies is just as important as managing permission settings. Here are some key ways to delete cookies:
– **Browser settings** – All major browsers have options to clear cookies directly in preferences.
– **Cache cleaners** – Downloading a cache clearing utility quickly wipes browser data including cookies.
– **Manual deletion** – You can directly delete the cookie files from your hard drive if desired. Locations vary by browser and OS.
– **Private modes** – Cookies set during a private browsing session are automatically deleted when you close the windows.
– **Browser extensions** – Install a dedicated cookie deleter extension for one-click clearing in your browser.
– **Storage controls** – Some browsers let you manually delete cookies stored by specific websites from cache settings.
Make sure to also clear out cached images and files as well as browsing history for complete privacy. Cookies are stored in your user profile folder so you can delete them directly.
Common questions about managing cookies
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about controlling browser cookie settings:
**Are cookies bad for privacy?**
Cookies can reduce privacy by tracking your visits and browsing history across multiple sites. But not all cookies are used for tracking, so disabling all of them may break site functionality.
**What’s the difference between session vs persistent cookies?**
Session cookies expire when you close the browser while persistent cookies remain saved across multiple browsing sessions. Persistent ones have more tracking potential.
**How does blocking third-party cookies help privacy?**
Third-party cookies are set by external sites rather than the one you directly visit. They are commonly used for advertising and analytics tracking across websites.
**Will I have to log into sites again if I delete cookies?**
Yes, authentication cookies will be cleared when deleting cookies, so you’ll have to sign in again on sites that use them.
**What cookies are safe to delete?**
You can safely delete third-party cookies as well as cookies from sites you don’t commonly visit or trust. But clearing all cookies can break functionality on sites you want to use.
**What are browser fingerprinting and zombie cookies?**
Browser fingerprinting uses system details to track you when cookies are deleted. Zombie cookies re-spawn deleted tracking cookies with new IDs. Private browsing prevents both.
**How can I automatically delete cookies?**
Browser extensions for auto-deleting cookies are a good option. You can also set cookie expiration times in browser settings to have them automatically clear periodically.
**How will browsing be affected if I block cookies completely?**
Many sites rely on cookies to maintain logins, shopping carts, and settings. Fully blocking cookies will impair functionality on most major websites.
Conclusion
Cookies are a complex topic, but every major browser provides settings to help you take control. The best approach is being selective – don’t fully block cookies but disable third-party ones and clear them periodically. Extensions provide automation to handle more advanced management. Remember to also clear cache, history, and site data for complete privacy. With the right cookie controls in place, you can enjoy a faster, more private browsing experience.