How To Delete Cookies on an iPhone

Cookies are small packets of data saved on your device containing information about your website visits. Storing this data can be convenient as sites remember your preferences to enhance your visit. However, deleting cookies will protect your personal information from advertisers and clear space to speed up your device performance.

Read on to learn how to delete the cookies from various web browsers on your iPhone.

Delete Cookies in Chrome on an Iphone

Cookies are created by the web pages you visit. Their purpose is to remember you and your preferences to give you tailored and locally relevant content. However, cookies take up space on your phone and can lead to more unwelcome ads when you visit popular websites. Follow these steps to delete cookies in the Chrome browser on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Chrome.
   
   
   
2. Press the three-dotted “More” menu, then the “Settings” icon.
   
   
   
3. Choose “Privacy and security,” then “Clear browsing data.”
   
   
   
4. Check the “Cookies, site data” option and uncheck the other items.
   
   
   
5. Press the “Clear browsing data” and “Clear browsing data” options.
   
   
   
6. Tap “Done.”
   
   

Delete Cookies in FireFox on an iPhone

Cookies are stored on your device every time you visit a webpage. This information is used to present your preferred content and enhance your visit. However, cookie build-up will eventually take up space on your phone. Here’s how to delete the cookies in Firefox on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Firefox, and tap on the hamburger menu.
   
   
   
2. Choose “Settings.”
   
   
   
3. Select “Data Management.”
   
   
   
4. Ensure the “Cache” toggle is enabled. Select “Clear Private Data,” then tap it again to confirm.
   
   

Delete Cookies in Safari on an iPhone

Cookies are created by the web pages you visit and then stored on your device. This information is used to remember your preferences and understand the products and services you might like. However, eventually, cookies can take up lots of space on your device and affect its performance. If you’re using an iPhone or iPad with Safari, here’s how to delete the cookies:

1. Open “Settings,” then tap “Safari.”
   
   
   
2. Choose “Safari,” “Advanced,” then “Website Data.”
   
   
   
3. Select “Remove All Website Data.”
   
   

Delete Cookies in Opera on an iPhone

Every time you visit a website, the browser saves some device information as a cookie for future use. One of the intentions is to remember your details and preferences to deliver your favored and locally relevant content. However, cookies will eventually take up a good chunk of space on your phone and send you somewhat outdated ads. Follow these steps to remove the cookies from the Opera browser on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Open Opera Touch, and tap on the hamburger menu.
   
   
   
2. Choose “Settings.”
   
   
   
3. Tap on “Clear Browser Data.”
   
   
   
4. Ensure “Cookies and Site Data” is ticked, then to delete the cookies, tap “Clear.”
   
   

What Are the Pros and Cons of Cookies?

Here are some of the positives and negatives of web browser cookies.

Pros

• Convenience. For instance, a cookie can automatically remember information related to forms to complete the address information. Confidential information, such as credit card info, will not be stored as a cookie, but some browsers have separate forms for that.
  
• Configuration options. All browsers come with the opportunity to clear cookie history and block them. Cookies can also be configured to expire once the browser tab closes or for a precise amount of time.
  
• Focused marketing. Cookies will gather information to present you with relevant products and services.
  
• Domain-specific. Each domain has its cookies, and domains do not share cookies with other domains; they are independent.

Cons

• Browser impact. Cookies are accumulated whenever you server the web; unless deleted, they will take up space on your phone. Ultimately, this lags or slows down the browser.
  
• Size limits. Cookies are limited to the amount of information they store; most are allowed to store up to 4kb. Most browsers restrict the number of cookies. Apart from Internet Explorer, all other browsers permit up to 20 cookies per website.
  
• Security risks. Cookies are stored as text files on your device and can pose serious security risks, and cookie file information can be retrieved and viewed easily. In addition, not all sites collecting cookie information are legit, and some use cookies to perform cyber crimes.
  
• Privacy concerns. Other than security, privacy can be another concern. Whenever you visit a cookie-enabled website, your activities on that site will be recorded. Many users are oblivious that this information is stored on their devices. The collected data can be accessed by third parties, including businesses and government agencies.
  
• Difficult to decrypt. Cookies can be encrypted and decrypted. However, it requires extra coding and may affect application performance due to the time required.

FAQ

What happens when you delete cookies on your iPhone?

Once you’ve cleared the cookies, some of your settings information will be deleted. For instance, if you were signed into an account, you’ll need to re-enter your sign-in details to sign in again.

Should I clear my iPhone history?

It is good to occasionally delete your browsing history from your iPhone, as it protects your privacy and improves your phone’s performance.

What are third-party cookies?

Third-party cookies are created by domains that are not the website or domain that you are visiting. These cookies are generally used for online advertising and placed on a website via a script or tag. Third-party cookies are accessible on websites that load the third-party server’s code.

Is allowing third-party cookies safe?

Like first-party cookies, third-party cookies do not have a huge impact. Cookies are not dangerous and will not infect your device with harmful malware or viruses. On the other hand, third-party cookies can be seen as an invasion of privacy.

Can third-party cookies track your location?

Over time, tracking cookies can collect lots of personal information and behavioral data to learn about your location. It gathers your device information, search queries, purchase history, and more.

How to disable cookies in Safari?

Follow these steps to disable cookies via the Safari browser on your iPhone:

1. Navigate to “Settings,” and scroll down to check “Safari.”

2. Scroll down to “Privacy & Security.” and enable the “Block All Cookies” option.

How do I disable cookies on Firefox?

Follow these steps to disable cookies in the Firefox browser on your iPhone:

1. Open the Firefox app.

2. At the bottom right corner of the screen, tap the three horizontal lines menu.

3. Press “Settings,” then “Data Management.”

4. Tap on the “Cookies” toggle switch to disable cookies.

How do I clear cookies automatically in Chrome?

Here’s how to automatically clear your cookies after visiting a website in Chrome:

1. Open Chrome and access the three-dotted towards the bottom right.

2. Choose “Settings,” then “Security and Privacy” from the left menu.

3. Select “Cookie and other site data.”

4. Select the “Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows” to enable it.

Removing Cookies From Your Device’s “Jar”

Cookies help websites to remember you each time you visit, so you can do things like sign in straight away and receive a personalized experience where applicable. Clearing them can fix website problems like formatting or page loading issues. Every browser has the option to remove them, and it’s good practice to empty them regularly.

Were you able to successfully clear the cookies from your browser? Did you notice any differences in your browsing experience? Tell us about it in the comments section below.