<p><strong><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/60b1305702ac410018f9374e-2400/macbook air 00061.jpg" border="0" alt="MacBook Air 00061.JPG" data-mce-source="Kif Leswing"> </strong></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-are-cookies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HTTP cookies</a>, also known as web cookies or browser cookies, serve an important role on the internet.</p><p>Cookies remember website configurations, login details, search history, products added to your shopping cart, and other browsing dataall with the practical purpose of storing your preferences so you can have a personalized browsing experience.</p><p>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.</p><aside class="quick-tip headline-regular"><p><strong>Note: </strong>Because of privacy concerns, third-party cookies are slowly being phased out in the industry, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-to-stop-tracking-individuals-web-browsing-precision-ad-targeting-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with Google announcing plans to eliminate them by 2022</a>.</p></aside><p>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:</p><ul><li aria-level="1"><strong>They can slow your browser down: </strong>Deleting your cookies frees up space on your device, so it can improve its overall performance, including browsing speed.</li></ul><ul><li aria-level="1"><strong>They store your personal information: </strong>If privacy is a concern, you should regularly clear your cookies. This is especially important if you share your device with others. </li></ul><ul><li aria-level="1"><strong>They are susceptible to hackers: </strong>The fact that cookies store personal information makes them a prime target for hackers to steal your data. </li></ul><p>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.</p><aside class="breakout-box headline-regular"><h2><strong>How to clear cookies on Mac in Safari</strong></h2><ol><li>Open Safari and in the dropdown menu bar click <strong>Preferences.<br><br><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/60b12bd902ac410018f93733-424/safari-block-cookies.jpg" border="0" alt="safari block cookies" data-mce-source="Insider"></strong></li><li>In the <strong>Preferences </strong>menu, click on the <strong>Privacy</strong> tab. </li><li>To prevent third-party trackers from using cookies to track you, click the <strong>Prevent cross-site tracking</strong> box.<br><br><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/60b12c4302ac410018f93739-802/safari-block-cookies-privacy.jpg" border="0" alt="safari block cookies privacy" data-mce-source="Insider"></li><li>To clear cookies, click <strong>Manage Website Data.</strong> In pop-up window, click <strong>Remove All</strong>. Alternatively, you can choose specific sites and click <strong>Remove.</strong></li><li>To block and clear all cookies, click the <strong>Block all cookies </strong>box. In the pop-up window that appears, confirm your choice by clicking <strong>Block all</strong>. </li></ol></aside><aside class="quick-tip headline-regular"><p><strong>Quick tip:</strong> For a speedy way to clear cookies in Safari, click <strong>History</strong> from the menu bar. From there, select <strong>Clear History</strong>, where you are able to select the timeframe you want to clear cookies from Safari. </p></aside><aside class="breakout-box headline-regular"><h2><strong>How to clear cookies on Mac in Chrome</strong><br><br><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/60b12e8002ac410018f93743-839/chrome-cookies.jpg" border="0" alt="chrome cookies" data-mce-source="Insider"></h2><ol><li><p>Open Google Chrome and in the menu bar click <strong>Chrome</strong>.</p></li><li><p>Select <strong>Clear Browsing Data</strong>.</p></li><li><p>Select a time range and choose what data to clear.</p></li><li><p>Click <strong>Clear data</strong>. <br><br></p></li></ol><p>For more control of changing your cookie settings, go to <strong>Settings </strong>and under <strong>Privacy and security</strong>, click <strong>Cookies and other site data</strong>.</p></aside><aside class="breakout-box headline-regular"><h2><strong>How to clear cookies on Mac in Firefox</strong><br><br><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/60b12ec802ac410018f93746-944/firefox-cookies.jpg" border="0" alt="firefox cookies" data-mce-source="Insider"></h2><ol><li><p>Open Mozilla Firefox and in the menu bar click <strong>History</strong>.</p></li><li><p>Select <strong>Clear Browsing Data</strong>.</p></li><li><p>Select a time range and choose what data to clear.</p></li><li><p>Click <strong>Clear data</strong>. <br><br></p></li></ol><p>For more control of your cookie settings, go to <strong>Preferences </strong>and click <strong>Privacy & Security</strong>. You'll be able to manage your cookie data under <strong>Cookies and Site Data</strong>.</p></aside><aside class="breakout-box headline-regular"><h2><strong>How to clear cookies on in Microsoft Edge</strong></h2><p><strong><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/60b12f8b02ac410018f9374a-1208/cookies-edge.jpg" border="0" alt="cookies edge" data-mce-source="Insider"></strong></p><ol><li><p>Open Microsoft Edge and in the menu bar click <strong>Microsoft Edge</strong>.</p></li><li><p>Select <strong>Clear Browsing Data.</strong></p></li><li><p>Select a time range and choose what data to clear.</p></li><li><p>Click <strong>Clear Now.<br><br></strong></p></li></ol><p>For more control of your cookie settings, go to <strong>Settings </strong>and click <strong>Privacy, Search, and Services, </strong>where you'll have several options to manage how your data is being used.</p></aside><h2><strong>What happens when you clear cookies'</strong></h2><p>After you clear cookies, sites will take longer to load the next time you visit them, because content needs to load again. For some sites, you may also need to sign in again or re-enter your login information. If you were about to purchase an item, your shopping cart may be empty. 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