How to Clear Cookies

What are Browser Cookies?

A browser cookie is a file containing bits of data that help identify your computer to various websites and improve your experience as you browse the web. The data within these cookies is unique to you and your computer and may store information like a username and password.

When you visit a website that uses cookies for the first time, data about the time you’ve spent on the site is saved. When you revisit that site, the browser cookie helps the web server personalize your experience based on what you’ve done before.

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A simple way to think about browser cookies is to compare it to coat check at a restaurant. You hand off your coat and receive a ticket that identifies you as the owner. When you go to retrieve your coat, you show your ticket and get your coat back. With cookies, when you visit a website, data is created about your unique experience and is stored in your browser. When you revisit that site, your cookie is retrieved and used to manage your internet experience like personalization, tracking, preferences, and login information. The browser cookie is what identifies you to a website, like a ticket identifies you to a coat check clerk.

Why Should You Delete Browser Cookies?

A cookie by itself is not dangerous since it’s just a file containing information. However, there are a few reasons why you might want to consider clearing cookies from your browser:

• Security issues. Criminals can gain access to your browser’s cookies and the personal information stored within them. Personal information like usernames, passwords, and other commonly entered information can be accessed and used to steal your identity or commit fraud.
• Personal information. Cookies store information about the sites you visit, information you enter, and purchases you make. Websites can use this information to track your online activity. If you’re shopping for shoes online, and then go to read the news, you may notice an ad for the shoes you were just looking at on your news site. Cookies allow websites to follow you around the internet and put ads in front of you that are deemed relevant to your interests.
• Browser speed. Every time you visit a new website, a cookie is created and stored onto your hard drive. While this can help your overall internet experience, by allowing pages to load quickly, it can also slow down your system if you’ve accumulated too man. Deleting your cookies can make your system run more efficiently.
• Shared computer. If you’re using a friend’s computer, or a device in a hotel or public library, you may not want to have any of your personal information saved. Deleting cookies off a shared or public computer can keep someone from seeing your web history and accessing your personal information.

How to Clear Cookies from Your Microsoft Edge Browser

The process for deleting cookies in Microsoft Edge is very similar to clearing your cache. If you’re concerned about security or simply looking to clear up space on your hard drive, follow these easy steps to view and delete your cookies and see a full list of sites that have your information:

1. Open your Microsoft Edge browser and open the main menu by clicking on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner.
2. At the bottom of the menu, select “Settings.” Within the settings option, click “ Cookies and Site Permissions.” This will allow you to see all the cookies you’ve accepted from various websites and set your preferences about what information is saved in the future and what permissions will be allowed.
3. Choose “Manage and delete cookies and site data” at the top of the page.
4. Select “See all cookies and site data” to see the individual pages that are using cookies and select the cookies you’d like to delete or choose “Remove all” to wipe the slate clean.
5. To disable all future cookies, in the “Manage and delete cookies and site data” tab, there are three toggle options at the top of the page. Toggle the first and third options (“Allow sites to save and read cookie data” and “Preload pages for faster browsing and searching”) OFF, and the middle option (“Block third-party cookies”) ON.

Choose the options that work best for you and your situation. If you’re concerned about hacking and identity theft, you may choose to disable cookies entirely. Another option is to clear browsing data every time you close your browser window. This option can be accessed within the “Cookies and site data” page in Settings. Scroll down to “Clear on exit.” When you choose the internal link, you’ll be taken to a new page that gives you the option to choose what kind of data is deleted when you close your browser window. Simply toggle “Cookies and other data” to OFF. You will have to re-enter information when you revisit pages, and sites may not load as quickly, but it may give you some peace of mind.