HTTP cookies, also known as web cookies or browser cookies, serve an important role on the internet.

Cookies remember website configurations, login details, search history, products added to your shopping cart, and other browsing data — all with the practical purpose of storing your preferences so you can have a personalized browsing experience.

But cookies can also be used to track and identify you. They’re the reason why some online ads seem eerily specific to you and only you, based on your past web history. These cookies are known as third-party cookies.

Note: Because of privacy concerns, third-party cookies are slowly being phased out in the industry, with Google announcing plans to eliminate them by 2022.

When you clear cookies on a Mac, you erase all that saved information from your browser. There are a few reasons why you should regularly clear your cookies:

• They can slow your browser down: Deleting your cookies frees up space on your device, so it can improve its overall performance, including browsing speed.

• They store your personal information: If privacy is a concern, you should regularly clear your cookies. This is especially important if you share your device with others. 

• They are susceptible to hackers: The fact that cookies store personal information makes them a prime target for hackers to steal your data. 

The good news is that clearing cookies is a straightforward process in Safari on a Mac, and other third-party browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. Below, we’ll show you how to clear cookies on all of them.

How to clear cookies on Mac in Safari

1. Open Safari and in the dropdown menu bar click Preferences.

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2. In the Preferences menu, click on the Privacy
3. To prevent third-party trackers from using cookies to track you, click the Prevent cross-site tracking box.

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4. To clear cookies, click Manage Website Data. In pop-up window, click Remove All. Alternatively, you can choose specific sites and click Remove.
5. To block and clear all cookies, click the Block all cookies box. In the pop-up window that appears, confirm your choice by clicking Block all.

Quick tip: For a speedy way to clear cookies in Safari, click History from the menu bar. From there, select Clear History, where you are able to select the timeframe you want to clear cookies from Safari.  

How to clear cookies on Mac in Chrome

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1. Open Google Chrome and in the menu bar click Chrome.

2. Select Clear Browsing Data.

3. Click Clear data.

For more control of changing your cookie settings, go to Settings and under Privacy and security, click Cookies and other site data.

How to clear cookies on Mac in Firefox

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1. Open Mozilla Firefox and in the menu bar click History.

2. Select Clear Browsing Data.

3. Click Clear data.

For more control of your cookie settings, go to Preferences and click

How to clear cookies on in Microsoft Edge

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1. Open Microsoft Edge and in the menu bar click Microsoft Edge.

2. Select Clear Browsing Data.

3. Click Clear Now.

For more control of your cookie settings, go to Settings and click Privacy, Search, and Services, where you’ll have several options to manage how your data is being used.