Cookies, which are small files that track your online activities, can accumulate on your device and cause various issues. That’s why it is widely recognized that regularly clearing cookies from your iPhone is essential.
Clearing cookies serves two crucial purposes: avoiding performance degradation and addressing potential privacy concerns related to online activity tracking. In this comprehensive guide, we will explain how to clear cookies on your iPhone to ensure a smoother browsing experience and safeguard your privacy effectively.
What exactly are cookies?
Cookies, despite sounding ominous, are mostly harmless. They play a pivotal role in displaying ads based on your recent searches or purchases. For instance, if you recently bought a pair of sneakers online, you may encounter advertisements for other running accessories. Cookies contribute to enhancing your internet experience, but allowing them to pile up excessively can be detrimental.
Cookies can store various information like your name, email address, language preferences, and purchase history. They have multiple uses, such as remembering your website preferences, customizing content, and studying user behavior.
While the majority of cookies are safe, some can track your activities without your consent. Moreover, in certain cases, cookies can be exploited for malicious purposes if accessed by unauthorized individuals.
Why is it necessary to clear cookies on your iPhone?
As we use our smartphones to browse the web, a substantial amount of data is collected every single day, which can eventually slow down the device. By clearing cookies, you can free up valuable storage space and protect your privacy effectively. Although retaining cookies can streamline online shopping experiences, it also means that websites store information about you. This aspect raises concerns for many people, prompting them to periodically clear cookies on their iPhones and iPads.
To ensure data privacy and optimal browsing performance, it is crucial to exercise caution and regularly clear cookies on iOS devices that typically feature Safari as the default browser. The respective instructions for clearing cookies are provided below.
Clearing all cookies in Safari
- Open the Settings on your iPhone/iPad and locate Safari
- Scroll down and tap on Advanced
- Select Website Data
- Tap on Remove All Website Data and confirm Remove Now.
Deleting cookies for a specific website
If you experience loading issues on particular websites, you can delete the stored data to resolve the problem. Follow these steps:
- Open the Settings on your iPhone/iPad and navigate to Safari > Advanced > Website Data
- Tap on Show All Sites
- Swipe on the website data you want to erase and tap Delete.
Clearing cookies in Chrome on iPhone
- Open Google Chrome and tap the menu button (⋮) located at the bottom-right corner
- Select History
- Tap Clear Browsing Data
- Choose Cookies, Site Data
- Finally, tap Clear Browsing Data.
Keep in mind that regularly clearing your cookies, regardless of your browser or management method, is a beneficial practice that improves your browsing experience through enhanced performance, freed-up storage space, and increased privacy protection.