When you delete cookies from Safari on your iPhone or iPad, you free up storage space and improve your device's performance speeds. Clearing the cache and deleting cookies can also help safeguard your online privacy! We'll show you how to clear your cache and cookies, plus how to disable cookies for future browsing if you choose to do so.

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What Are Cookies on the iPhone or iPad?
How to Delete Cookies from Safari on iPhone or iPad
How to Clear Cookies & History on iPhone or iPad
How to Disable Cookies on iPhone or iPad

What Are Cookies on the iPhone or iPad?

Cookies are pieces of data placed on your iPhone or iPad (or any other device on which you browse the internet) by the websites you visit in order to enhance your browsing experience and collect your data. From helping you retain login information to tracking what sites you typically visit or what items you are interested in on Amazon, cookies and their associated data can make your web experience quicker, smoother, and more intuitive. They can also be used to track you in ways you don't want, though, and after a while, cookies and their saved data can take up valuable storage space on your iPhone or iPad and diminish overall performance. To learn other ways to improve your Apple devices' performance, sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter.

Keep in mind, though, that clearing cookies on your iPhone will delete saved logins and other website information.

How to Delete Cookies from Safari on iPhone or iPad

If you're ready to clear cookies from Safari, here's what to do:

Open Settings.
Tap Safari.
Scroll down and tap Advanced.
Tap Website Data.
If you want to delete cookies for particular sites, tap Edit.
Then, tap the minus sign to the left of a website's name.
Tap Delete.
Tap Done.
If you want to delete all cookies, tap Remove All Website Data.
Then, tap Remove Now.

How to Clear Cookies & History on iPhone or iPad

When you clear cookies along with your Safari browsing history, you'll be able to save additional storage space. Also, if you ever have issues with Safari, clearing the cookies and history is beneficial in helping you troubleshoot. If you're ready to free up storage space on your iPhone by deleting cookies and clearing your Safari browsing history, here's how to go about it:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap Safari.
Tap Clear History and Website Data.
A confirmation window will pop up. Tap Clear History and Data.

And that's it! Remember that after you delete cookies on your iPhone or iPad, you will be logged out of any accounts you were signed into.

How to Disable Cookies on iPhone or iPad

You can also permanently disable cookies on iPhone or iPad if you wish. Keep in mind that permanently disabling cookies may prevent websites from working properly. For example, you will likely be unable to log in to a website when entering your correct username and password. You might receive messages that will tell you to enable cookies or that cookies are turned off. Plus, some features may not work on a website. A good alternative to permanently disabling cookies on iPhone or iPad, if you want to prevent cookies from accumulating, is to turn on Private Browsing from within your Safari browser. But if you'd like to try disabling all cookie collection, here's how:

Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap on Safari.
Tap the Block All Cookies toggle to enable this feature. The toggle will be green when the feature is enabled.

Now that you know why cookies matter and how to clear storage space by deleting saved cookies and your Safari browsing history, you might also like to learn how to hide apps on your iPhone.