Clear cookies from Safari on your Mac in three steps
Open Safari and go to the menu bar at the top of your screen. Click Safari, then select Settings (or Preferences on older versions). A window will open with several tabs across the top — click the Privacy tab.
In the Privacy tab, you'll see a section called Cookies and website data. Click the button that says Manage Website Data. A list will appear showing every website that has stored cookies on your computer. To remove all of them at once, click Remove All at the bottom right. To remove cookies from specific websites only — for example, a data broker site you visited — find that site in the list, click it, and then click Remove.
Close the Settings window. The cookies are now deleted. The next time you visit a website, Safari will not send those old cookies along with your request, which means the site cannot use stored information to track your activity across other websites.
Key Takeaways
- Cookies are small files websites store on your computer to remember information about you, and clearing them removes that stored data.
- On Mac, go to Safari menu > Settings > Privacy tab > Manage Website Data, then click Remove All or select specific sites to delete.
- On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings app > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, then choose the time range and confirm.
- Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites, so you may need to sign back in after you clear them.
- Cookies return over time as you browse, so clearing them is most useful as part of a regular privacy routine rather than a one-time fix.
Clear cookies from Safari on your iPhone or iPad
The process on iPhone and iPad is different because Safari settings live in the main Settings app, not in Safari itself. Open the Settings app on your home screen, then scroll down and tap Safari.
Scroll down to the bottom of the Safari settings page. You'll see a red button labeled Clear History and Website Data. Tap it. A menu will appear asking you to choose a time range — the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time. Select all time if you want to remove all cookies stored on your device. If you only want to clear recent cookies, choose a shorter time period.
Tap Clear History and Website Data again to confirm. Safari will delete the cookies from that time period. Unlike the Mac version, the iPhone method does not let you pick individual websites — it clears all cookies within the time range you selected.
What happens when you clear cookies
When you clear cookies, websites lose the ability to remember information they stored about you on that device. This means you will be logged out of most sites — Gmail, Facebook, banking apps accessed through Safari, and any other service that uses cookies to keep you signed in. The next time you visit those sites, you'll need to enter your username and password again.
Clearing cookies also removes tracking data. Many websites and advertising networks use cookies to follow your activity across the internet. When you clear them, those sites can no longer use old cookies to recognize you on other websites. However, this effect is temporary — as soon as you visit a website again, it will place new cookies on your device.
Clearing cookies does not delete your browsing history, saved passwords, or autofill information unless you specifically choose to clear those as well. If you want to remove your browsing history at the same time, use the same Clear History and Website Data button and select what you want deleted.
When to clear cookies as part of data broker cleanup
If you've been visiting data broker websites to request removal of your personal information, clearing cookies afterward prevents those sites from tracking your future activity. Data brokers use cookies to build profiles about your browsing habits, so removing them is one step in limiting what they can collect about you.
You don't need to clear cookies when ready after every visit to a data broker site. Instead, consider clearing them once a week or once a month as part of a regular privacy routine. This is more practical than clearing them constantly, and it still prevents long-term tracking.
If you want to prevent cookies from being stored in the first place, Safari also offers a Private Browsing mode. When you use Private Browsing, Safari does not save cookies, browsing history, or autofill information. You can enable it by opening a new Private window in Safari (Command-Shift-N on Mac, or the Private button on iPhone).
Cookies versus other tracking methods
Clearing cookies removes one type of tracking, but websites and advertisers use other methods too. Some sites use fingerprinting, which identifies you based on your device settings, browser version, and installed fonts rather than stored files. Others use pixel tags — invisible images embedded in emails and websites that report back when you view them. Clearing cookies will not stop these methods.
Safari includes a feature called Intelligent Tracking Prevention that limits some of these other tracking methods automatically. It restricts cookies from third-party websites (sites you didn't visit directly) and limits how long cookies can be used to track you. You don't need to turn this on — it's enabled by default in Safari.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No. Cookies and saved passwords are stored separately. Clearing cookies will not affect your saved passwords, credit card information, or autofill data. If you want to delete those as well, you need to go to Settings > Passwords (on iPhone) or Safari > Settings > Autofill (on Mac) and remove them separately.
Do I need to clear cookies every time I visit a data broker website?
No. Clearing cookies once a week or once a month is sufficient for privacy purposes. If you want to be more cautious, use Safari's Private Browsing mode when visiting data broker sites — this prevents cookies from being saved in the first place, so you don't need to clear them afterward.
Why does Safari ask me to sign in again after I clear cookies?
Websites use cookies to remember that you're signed in. When you clear cookies, that memory is deleted, so the website no longer knows who you are. You'll need to sign in again, and the website will create a new cookie to remember you. This is normal and expected behavior.
Can I clear cookies from just one website without clearing all of them?
On Mac, yes — use the Manage Website Data button in Safari Settings to find the specific site and click Remove. On iPhone, you cannot select individual websites; the Clear History and Website Data button removes all cookies within the time range you choose.
If I clear cookies, will websites still be able to track me?
Cookies are one tracking method, but not the only one. Websites may use fingerprinting, pixel tags, or login-based tracking instead. Clearing cookies removes one layer of tracking but not all of it. Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention helps limit other tracking methods automatically.