How to delete cookies on an android phone

Deleting the cookies from your Android phone browser will help protect your online privacy and stops malicious third parties from tracking your movements online when using your Android phone. This quick guide will take you through the process and show you just how easy it is.

If you have heard of Cookies but are unsure what they actually relate to in a digital world. They are small snippets of code loaded on to your Android phone when you visit websites and online stores. You don’t see the content of these Cookies, but your mobile operating system holds them within the code of your preferred Internet browser. Cookies can remain on your phone for quite some time unless you have set up a regular cleanup procedure within the settings of your browser. Sometimes a browser will allow you to automatically clean Cookies at the end of each session, although most require you to clean them manually every now and again.

Companies use Cookies to track certain data metrics and not all are bad. Some can track your browsing habits across multiple sites, reporting back to companies the websites you have visited, searches and more. Recently Apple has taken action to help prevent iOS users from being tracked by enabling the ability to block cross-site tracking. Following on from this implementation, Google has also announced that they will soon do the same. As Google release more information or confirms the launch of the feature, we will update this article accordingly. In the meantime, we will show you how to access and clear and delete Cookies from your Android phone.

Delete cookies on Android

Depending on the browser you prefer to surf the Internet, the way to clear cookies will vary slightly. Here we will provide instructions for the most popular Android browsers, allowing you to take control of your online privacy and remove third-party cookies.

Remove Chrome cookies

1. Open the Chrome browser on your Android device

2. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right-hand corner of your screen

3. Select “Settings” towards the bottom of the displayed menu

3. Select the “Privacy and security” option located approximately in the middle of your screen

4. Select the “Clear browsing data” option at the top of the Privacy and security menu

5. Select the areas you would like to clear from Browsing History – Cookies and site data – Cached images and files. If you are just like to clear, Cookies select the middle option and take the others. Or to clean your Internet browsing history completely, make sure all three are ticked and press the blue “Clear data” button in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.

Delete cookies from the Firefox browser

1. Similar to deleting these files on other browsers, select the three vertical dots icon in the top right-hand corner of your screen

2. Select “Settings” at the bottom of the pop-up menu

3. Select “Delete browsing data”

4. Select the areas you would like to clean from your Android phone. Cookies are labeled in the middle of the list. Uncheck any other areas you may not want to clear.

5. Confirm your choice by pressing the Delete browsing data button, and confirm by pressing Delete in the pop-up window that follows.

Samsung Internet browser

1. Select the three horizontal bar icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your phone screen.

2. Tap on the Settings option in the pop-up menu

3. Select the Privacy and Security option

4. Tap Delete Browsing Data under your Personal data

5. Select the areas you would like to clean from your Android phone and press the blue button to Delete Data. Confirm the deletion process in the pop-up window that will appear.

To delete cookies on Android phones using other Internet browsers, the process is like that explained above. Find the main menu and look for Settings, then enter the Privacy and Security area on your phone. Here you are most likely to find an option to clear your browsing data and amongst this your Cookies will be cleaned. If you are still experiencing problems clearing the cookies on your Android phone using a browser not listed here, jump over to the official browser website where you will find instructions to guide you through the process in their support documents.

Cookies aren’t always the delicious answer to a more comfortable online browsing experience. In some cases, they can slow down your device and put your personal information at risk.

If you’re keen on staying safe while browsing the web, you need to understand how cookies work on Android, and what they do. Learning how to clear cookies on an Android phone can prevent or even solve some common issues, as well as protect your privacy. Let's get started.

What Are Cookies, and Why Should You Delete Them?

Cookies are text files saved by websites that store information about your visit and they work similarly on PC and Android. Cookies track the information you’ve configured on each page, including:

• Individual login information
• User browsing preferences
• Customized advertising
• Shopping tendencies

While cookies are generally harmless and provide quite a bit of convenience, companies like Facebook and Twitter, along with advertisers, can use them to track your browsing activity. The decision to clear your cookies depends heavily on the sites you visit.

Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a website you’re visiting is safe. Typically, you want to avoid accepting third-party cookies or those on unencrypted websites. Third-party cookies are those generated for companies that aren't the owner of the website you're visiting. These are usually created via scripts and are typically for advertising purposes.

Unencrypted websites don't protect information exchanged between you and the page. Here, accepting certain cookies can expose your activity on the site to anyone with access to those cookies.

If you’ve already agreed to cookies in these cases, there’s no need to fret, as you can clear them to be safe. In some cases, clearing cookies can fix bugs you encounter while browsing the web. Luckily, clearing your cookies on Android is a simple process. Let's take a look at how to clear cookies on some of the best web browsers for Android.

How to Delete Cookies in Chrome on Android

To clear cookies on the Google Chrome app for Android, follow these steps:

1. In Chrome, tap the three-dot menu icon at the top right.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Select Privacy and Security.
4. Tap Clear browsing data.
5. Check the box next to Cookies and site data.
6. Tap Clear data at the bottom right of the screen.

3 Images

Close

How to Clear Cookies in Vivaldi on Android

You can clear cookies on Vivaldi for Android with the following steps:

1. Tap the Vivaldi icon next to the URL bar.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Select Privacy and security.
4. Tap Clear browsing data.
5. Check the box next to Cookies and site data.
6. Tap Clear data.

3 Images

Close

How to Clear Cookies in Opera on Android

Here's how to clear cookies on Opera for Android by following these steps:

1. In Opera, tap the profile icon at the bottom right of the screen.
2. Tap the settings cog in the tab that opens from the bottom.
3. Tap Privacy.
4. Select Clear data... then check the box next to Cookies and site data.
5. Tap CLEAR DATA at the bottom right of the screen.

3 Images

Close

How to Delete Cookies in Firefox for Android

To clear cookies on Firefox for Android, follow these easy steps:

1. In Firefox, tap the three-dot menu icon at the bottom right of the browser.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Select Delete browsing data.
4. Check the box next to Cookies.
5. Tap Delete browsing data.

3 Images

Close

Clearing Cookies: A Part of Staying Safe Online

Cookies don’t usually pose a threat to Android devices. But cookies on unencrypted websites or from third parties can slow down your device or expose your personal information. To be safe, you might want to clear cookies every six months.

If you’re really keen on staying safe while browsing the web on your phone, you can use guest mode and incognito mode. These are two methods to reduce your online footprint and make it harder to track you.

Should I delete cookies on my Android phone?

Where are cookies stored android?

Is it a good idea to remove all cookies?

What is the easiest way to delete cookies?