How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (2024)

  • Categories
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Internet
  • Internet Security

Download Article

Quickly find and manage the cookies and site data for your desktop browsers

Written byRain Kengly

Last Updated: January 15, 2023Fact Checked

Download Article

  • Using Google Chrome
  • |
  • Using Safari
  • |
  • Using Mozilla Firefox
  • |
  • Using Microsoft Edge
  • |
  • Video
  • |
  • |
  • Tips
  • |
  • Warnings

Do you want to look up your cookies on your computer's web browser? Cookies are pieces of information that help your browser remember a website's past visit. This makes the website easier and quicker to access. Cookies can usually be found in your browser's Settings, and you can view, delete, or manage them for individual websites. This wikiHow will show you how to view and access your browser's cookies on the desktop versions of Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

Things You Should Know

  • In Google Chrome, click ⋮ → "Settings" → "Privacy and security" → "Cookies and other site data" → "See all site data and permissions".
  • On Safari, click "Safari" → "Settings" → "Privacy" → "Manage Website Data…".
  • On Firefox, click ☰ → "Settings" → "Privacy & Security" → "Manage data…".

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Google Chrome

Download Article

  1. 1

    Open Google Chrome. This looks like a green, red, blue, and yellow sphere icon.

    • If needed, you can download Google Chrome.
  2. 2

    Click . This icon is in the top-right corner of the Chrome window.

    • A drop-down menu will open.

    Advertisem*nt

  3. 3

    Click Settings. It's toward the bottom of the drop-down menu.

    • A new window will open.
  4. 4

    Click Privacy and security. This will be on the left panel, underneath Autofill.

  5. 5

    Click Cookies and other site data. You can find this between Privacy Guide and Security.

  6. 6

    Click See all site data and permissions. You may need to scroll down to find this option.

    • The All sites page will open.
  7. 7

    View your cookies. You'll see a list of visited websites.[1]

    • Click the drop-down menu for Sort by and select: Most visited, Data stored, or Name. You can also use the search bar in the top-right corner to search for specific websites.
    • Click the arrow next to each website to expand its details. You can adjust permission for each cookie here.
    • To delete a cookie, select a website and click the trashcan.
    • You can also delete Google Chrome history.
  8. Advertisem*nt

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Safari

Download Article

  1. 1

    Open Safari. This resembles a blue compass.[2]

    • Make sure to update Safari. To do this, you'll need to update your Mac.
  2. 2

    Click Safari. This will be in the top toolbar, next to the Apple logo.

  3. 3

    Click Settings. A new window will open.

  4. 4

    Click Privacy. This is the top tab between Security and Websites.

  5. 5

    Click Manage Website Data…. You can find this below Cookies and website data.

  6. 6

    View your cookies. You'll see a list of visited websites. Use the search bar in the top-right to find specific websites, or scroll up and down.

    • To delete a cookie, select the website and click Remove. You can also click Remove All to clear all cookies.
    • When you're finished, click Done.
  7. Advertisem*nt

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Mozilla Firefox

Download Article

  1. 1

    Open Mozilla Firefox. This looks like a globe with an orange fox encircling it.

    • Make sure to update FireFox.
  2. 2

    Click . This icon is in the top-right corner of the browser window.

  3. 3

    Click Settings. You can find this at the bottom, above More tools.

    • A new window will open.
  4. 4

    Click Privacy & Security. This will be on the left panel, underneath Search.

  5. 5

    Click Manage Data…. This is underneath the Cookies and Site Data header. You may need to scroll down.

    • A pop-up window will open.
  6. 6

    View your cookies. Click each title to sort by: Site, Cookies, Storage, and Last used.

    • Type into the search bar to find specific websites.
    • To remove a cookie, select the website and click Remove Selected. To remove all cookies, click Remove All.
    • When you're finished, click Save Changes in the bottom-right corner.
  7. Advertisem*nt

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Microsoft Edge

Download Article

  1. 1

    Open Microsoft Edge. This looks like a blue and green stylized e.

  2. 2

    Click ••• . This will be in the top-right corner.

    • A pop-up menu will open.
  3. 3

    Click Settings. You can find this towards the bottom of the menu.

    • A new window will open.
  4. 4

    Click Cookies and site permissions. This will be on the left panel, underneath Share, copy and paste.

  5. 5

    Click Manage and delete cookies and site data. You can find this at the very top of the page. You'll be redirected to a new page.

  6. 6

    Click See all cookies and site data. This will be at the bottom of the first section.

  7. 7

    View your cookies. You'll see a list of visited websites.

    • Click Sort by and select: Name, Most cookies, Most data, or Last modified. You can also click Filter by and select: All, First party, or Third party.
    • To delete individual cookies, select the website, then click the trashcan icon. You can also click Remove all or Remove third-party cookies at the top-right.
  8. Advertisem*nt

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

  • Question

    How do I know which cookies to keep? I have a ton of them.

    How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (33)

    Community Answer

    Only keep cookies of your favorite sites with which you have an account so you won't have to enter your account name and password to log in every time you visit. Other cookies are not necessary and some of them are used to track you across the web, which is an invasion of your privacy.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 5Helpful 18

  • Question

    How do I check cookies in Bing?

    How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (34)

    Community Answer

    Bing is not a web browser, like Internet Explorer or Firefox. It is a search engine, like Yahoo and Google. Bing cannot store cookies.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 9Helpful 18

  • Question

    Is Opera a web browser?

    How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (35)

    Community Answer

    Yes, it is.

    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission.Support wikiHow

    YesNo

    Not Helpful 6Helpful 8

See more answers

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

      Advertisem*nt

      Video

      Tips

      • Deleting your browser's cookies every couple of weeks will help your computer maintain its performance.

        Thanks

        Helpful1Not Helpful0

      Submit a Tip

      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

      Submit

      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      Advertisem*nt

      Warnings

      • Cookies help your computer load frequently visited sites faster, so if you delete a site's cookies, it will likely load slower than usual the next time you open it.

        Thanks

        Helpful0Not Helpful0

      Advertisem*nt

      You Might Also Like

      How toClear Your Browser's CookiesHow toDelete Your Usage History Tracks in Windows
      How toClean Your Computer System2 Easy Ways to Delete Cookies Using the Safari Web BrowserHow toAccess Blocked Websites4 Ways to Block p*rn on Android from Websites and AppsHow to Install an SSL Certificate on a ServerHow toOpen Incognito Mode by Default in Google Chrome (Windows)How toBlock a Program with Windows FirewallHow toHack a ComputerHow toVerify a PGP SignatureHow toPassword Protect a Web PageHow toDelete Tracking Cookies

      Advertisem*nt

      About This Article

      How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (51)

      Written by:

      Rain Kengly

      wikiHow Technology Writer

      This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Rain Kengly is a wikiHow Technology Writer. As a storytelling enthusiast with a penchant for technology, they hope to create long-lasting connections with readers from all around the globe. Rain graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema. This article has been viewed 1,610,175 times.

      How helpful is this?

      Co-authors: 24

      Updated: January 15, 2023

      Views:1,610,175

      Categories: Internet Security

      Article SummaryX

      1. Open Chrome.
      2. Click the menu.
      3. Click Settings.
      4. Click Advanced.
      5. Click Content settings.
      6. Click Cookies.
      7. Click See all cookies and site data.

      Did this summary help you?

      In other languages

      Spanish

      German

      Portuguese

      Russian

      French

      Indonesian

      Dutch

      Chinese

      Thai

      Arabic

      Korean

      Hindi

      Turkish

      • Print
      • Send fan mail to authors

      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,610,175 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisem*nt

      How to Manually Check Cookies in a Web Browser: 4 Easy Ways (2024)
      Top Articles
      Latest Posts
      Article information

      Author: Fredrick Kertzmann

      Last Updated:

      Views: 6395

      Rating: 4.6 / 5 (46 voted)

      Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

      Author information

      Name: Fredrick Kertzmann

      Birthday: 2000-04-29

      Address: Apt. 203 613 Huels Gateway, Ralphtown, LA 40204

      Phone: +2135150832870

      Job: Regional Design Producer

      Hobby: Nordic skating, Lacemaking, Mountain biking, Rowing, Gardening, Water sports, role-playing games

      Introduction: My name is Fredrick Kertzmann, I am a gleaming, encouraging, inexpensive, thankful, tender, quaint, precious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.