How to Clear Computer Cookies: The Complete Expert Guide

Cookies are a daily part of browsing the web. They can make visiting websites easier by saving settings and login information. But cookies also raise privacy concerns by tracking your activities across sites. Clearing your cookies helps take control of your privacy. This definitive guide from a cybersecurity professional will teach you everything you need to know about deleting cookies from your browsers and computer.

What Are Cookies and How Do They Work?

Cookies are small text files created by websites you visit. They save data about your browsing behavior and preferences. For example, cookies remember items in your shopping cart or keep you logged into a site.

When you revisit a site, the cookies are sent back to the server. This allows sites to track your browsing across multiple sessions. It also enables targeted advertising based on your interests.

There are a few different types of cookies:

• First-party cookies are created by the site you‘re visiting directly. They tend to be more essential for site functionality.
• Third-party cookies come from other sites like ads or analytics tools. They are more often used for advertising tracking.
• Session cookies last only while your browser is open. They delete when you close the browser.
• Persistent cookies survive after you close your browser and can last for days, weeks, or years.

Now that you understand how cookies work, let‘s go over why you may want to clear them.

The Pros and Cons of Cookies

Cookies do have some benefits that can improve your browsing experience:

• They allow sites to remember your username, settings, and other preferences so you don‘t have to re-enter them each visit. This saves time.
• Shopping carts rely on cookies to keep track of your items as you browse a site.
• They enable useful features like auto-fill for forms.
• They allow sites to analyze traffic to improve page performance.

However, cookies also have downsides when it comes to privacy:

• They can track your behaviors, interests, and browsing history across multiple sites.
• Data companies use cookies for targeted advertising, email marketing, and building user profiles.
• They pose security risks if malicious cookies are used to steal data.
• Flash cookies are harder to delete and more persistent than regular browser cookies.

For these reasons, clearing your cookies regularly is wise to protect your privacy.

How to Clear Cookies in Major Browsers

The steps to clear cookies depends on which browser you use. Here are specific instructions for deleting cookies in the top browsers:

Chrome

Chrome makes it easy to delete cookies. Just follow these steps:

1. Click the 3-dot menu button in the top right.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy and Security.
3. Click "Clear browsing data".
4. Select "All time" for the time range.
5. Check the boxes for "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files".
6. Click "Clear data".

Firefox

In Firefox, you‘ll take the following steps:

1. Click the hamburger menu button (3 lines) in the top right.
2. Go to Privacy & Security in the menu.
3. Scroll down and click "Clear Data".
4. Select "Cookies and Site Data" and "Cached Web Content".
5. Click "Clear".

Safari

For Safari on Mac, use these steps:

1. Click the Safari menu and select Preferences.
2. Go to the Privacy tab.
3. Click "Manage Website Data".
4. Click "Remove All" in the pop-up window.
5. Confirm by clicking "Remove Now".

Microsoft Edge

In the new Microsoft Edge browser, follow these instructions:

1. Click the 3-dot menu button in the top right.
2. Go to Settings > Cookies and site permissions.
3. Click "Manage and delete cookies and site data".
4. Click "See all cookies and site data".
5. Click "Remove all".
6. Confirm by clicking "Clear".

Opera

Opera also makes it straightforward to delete cookies:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy and Security.
2. Click "Clear browsing data".
3. Select "All time" for the time range.
4. Check all data types including "Cookies and other site data".
5. Click "Clear browsing data".

Following these steps will clear all the cookies from your chosen browser. But there are a couple more things you can do for the best cookie cleanup…

Deleting Flash Cookies

Flash cookies (also called local shared objects) require additional steps beyond clearing your regular browser cookies. They are stored separately by Adobe Flash Player.

To delete Flash cookies:

1. Go to Adobe‘s Website Storage Settings panel at https://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html
2. Click "Delete all sites" under Global Storage Settings.

You should also uninstall Flash entirely if you don‘t need it. Many browsers now block Flash content by default.

Clearing Cache and Other Browser Data

For best results, make sure to also clear your:

• Cache – Clearing cached images and files removes any tracking data stored in them.
• Browsing history – This deletes cookies logs and records of sites you visited.
• Download history – Clears record of files you‘ve downloaded.
• Form data – Removes any information retained from forms you‘ve filled in.

Doing this provides a clean slate and more complete privacy protection.

Controlling Cookies Going Forward

Simply clearing cookies once in a while isn‘t enough – sites will just recreate them the next time you visit. Here are smart ways to get better long-term cookie control:

• Use your browser‘s cookie settings to block third-party cookies specifically. This prevents tracking while allowing sites to function properly.

• Install browser extensions like Cookie AutoDelete that automatically remove cookies from sites after each session.

• Frequently clear cookies with a private browsing/incognito window which doesn‘t save any history or site data. You get the benefits of cookies without the tracking.

• Try the DuckDuckGo browser which blocks hidden third-party trackers and provides encrypted search.

• Consider using a VPN service which masks your IP address and blocks cookies from being matched to your devices.

• Set expired dates for cookies so they automatically clear after a certain period of time.

Proactively managing cookies this way provides far better privacy than just occasionally deleting them.

What to Expect After Clearing Cookies

Once you‘ve deleted all your cookies, expect some things to change:

• You‘ll need to re-enter any saved passwords to log back into websites. Clearing cookies deletes this saved login data.

• Shopping carts will empty since they rely on cookies to track items. You‘ll have to add products back.

• Site preferences like themes or settings won‘t be saved anymore.

• You may need to re-enter form data you previously filled in.

• Personalized recommendations based on your browsing history will be less accurate until new cookies are created.

• Remember to reset your cookie approval settings so you don‘t accidentally reapprove tracking.

Overall, clearing cookies requires some minor annoyances as things reset. But doing so provides much greater privacy and ensures you only keep cookies you actually want.

In Summary

While cookies make visiting your favorite sites more convenient, they also come with privacy risks. Clearing your browser‘s cookies, cache, history, and other data provides a fresh slate. Make sure to delete both regular browser cookies and Flash cookies.

But for ongoing protection, also control cookie behavior through browser settings. Block third-parties, use privacy extensions, surf anonymously, and limit cookie lifespan.

Taking the time to fully understand and manage cookies gives you safer, more private browsing. By following this complete expert guide, you can clear cookies without losing the convenience they bring.