Cookies are the internet’s tiny memory crumbs. They help websites remember youyour login, your cart, your language,
your “please don’t show me that pop-up again” preferences. But cookies can also help companies track you across sites
(especially third-party cookies), which is why a lot of people eventually decide to shut the cookie jar.
This guide shows you exactly how to disable cookies (or just block third-party cookies) on the most common
browserson Windows, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android. You’ll also get practical tips for when cookie blocking
breaks a site (because yes, some websites will throw a dramatic tantrum).
Before You Flip the Switch: What “Disabling Cookies” Actually Means
Option A: Block all cookies
This is the nuclear option. Many sites won’t let you sign in, stay signed in, or check out. Great for privacy, rough for convenience.
Option B: Block third-party cookies
This is usually the sweet spot. You can still log into most sites, but cross-site tracking gets a lot harder. Many browsers
focus on cross-site/third-party cookie controls because they’re strongly connected to tracking.
Option C: Allow cookies, but delete them often (or on exit)
If you want websites to work normally but don’t want long-term buildup, clearing cookies (or setting them to clear on exit)
is a solid compromise.
Quick Reality Check: Cookie Blocking Isn’t the Whole Privacy Story
Disabling cookies reduces tracking, but it doesn’t make you invisible. Some tracking can happen through other techniques
(like device fingerprinting) and through account-based tracking when you’re logged into a service. Consumer advocates and regulators
have repeatedly warned that “saying no to cookies” doesn’t always stop tracking the way people expect.
How to Disable Cookies in Google Chrome
Chrome on Desktop (Windows/Mac)
- Open Chrome.
- Click the three dots (top-right) → Settings.
- Go to Privacy and security → Third-party cookies.
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Choose one:
- Block third-party cookies (recommended for most people)
- Allow third-party cookies
- Optional: Add exceptions under “Sites allowed” if one specific site breaks.
Pro tip: You can jump directly to cookie settings by typing
chrome://settings/cookies in the address bar (Chrome desktop).
Chrome on Android
- Open the Chrome app.
- Tap three dots → Settings.
- Tap Site settings → Third-party cookies.
-
Pick your level:
- Block third-party cookies
- Block third-party cookies in Incognito
- Allow third-party cookies
Chrome on iPhone/iPad
On iOS, many privacy controls are split between iOS system settings and each browser app’s own options. In Chrome for iPhone/iPad,
you can reliably delete cookies (and limit tracking), but “block all cookies” is not always offered as a simple toggle
inside Chrome like it is on desktop/Android.
- Open Chrome.
- Tap Menu (three dots) → Delete Browsing Data.
- Select Cookies, Site Data (and anything else you want removed).
- Choose a time range → confirm.
How to Disable Cookies in Safari (iPhone/iPad and Mac)
Safari on iPhone (iOS) and iPad (iPadOS): Block All Cookies
If you want to fully disable cookies in Safari on iPhone/iPad, Apple makes it a system Settings switch:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps → Safari.
- Tap Advanced.
- Turn on Block All Cookies and confirm.
Heads-up: Apple warns that blocking cookies can prevent signing ineven with the correct username and password.
Translation: some websites will act like you’re trying to enter a nightclub wearing Crocs.
Safari on Mac: Block All Cookies (or manage site data)
- Open Safari.
- Click Safari (menu bar) → Settings (or Preferences on older versions).
- Go to the Privacy tab.
- Check Block all cookies to disable cookies completely.
- Optional: Click Manage Website Data to remove cookies for specific sites without torching everything.
How to Disable Cookies in Microsoft Edge
Edge on Desktop (Windows/Mac)
- Open Edge.
- Click three dots → Settings.
- Go to Privacy, search, and services.
-
From here you can:
- Block third-party cookies (common option)
- Block cookies for a specific site
- Clear cookies via Clear browsing data
Shortcut: You can also search “cookies” inside Edge Settings to jump to cookie-specific pages quickly.
How to Disable Cookies in Mozilla Firefox
Firefox on Desktop
Firefox is privacy-forward, and cross-site tracking cookies are widely restricted by default for many users.
If you want stricter control (including blocking all cross-site cookies), use Enhanced Tracking Protection settings.
- Open Firefox.
- Click the menu button → Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security.
-
Under Enhanced Tracking Protection, choose:
- Strict (strong privacy, may break some sites)
- Custom → set Cookies to block cross-site cookies (or all cross-site cookies)
Firefox on Android
- Open Firefox.
- Tap the menu → Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection.
- Select Strict or Custom and adjust cookie protections.
Firefox on iPhone/iPad
Cookie controls can look different on iOS. A practical approach is to use Firefox’s tracking protection settings and regularly
clear cookies/site data from within the app.
- Open Firefox → menu → find tracking protection controls.
- Use the option to clear cookies and site data when needed (especially if a site is acting weird).
How to Disable Cookies in Brave
Brave blocks many trackers by default and gives you strong cookie controls. You can manage cookies broadly, per site, and you can also clear them
on exit if you want a “clean slate” browsing style.
Brave on Desktop
- Open Brave.
- Menu → Settings.
- Go to Privacy and security (or Site and shields settings).
- Open Cookies and site data.
- Choose your preference (block third-party cookies, or stronger options depending on version).
Brave on Android
- Open Brave → menu → Settings.
- Tap Site settings to review site permissions and stored data.
- Use Brave Shields and Privacy to clear browsing data or enable clearing on exit.
How to Disable Cookies in Opera (and Other Chromium Browsers)
Opera is Chromium-based, so cookie controls are often in familiar places. If you’re using another Chromium-based browser
(like Vivaldi), the labels may differ slightly, but the paths usually rhyme.
Opera on Desktop
- Open Opera.
- Go to Settings.
- Click Advanced → Privacy & security.
- Open Cookies and other site data or Site settings.
- Select your cookie preference (block third-party cookies, or stricter controls where available).
How to Disable Cookies in Samsung Internet (Android)
If you’re on a Samsung Galaxy and you use Samsung Internet, you can control cookies in one placeno scavenger hunt required.
- Open Settings on your phone.
- Tap Apps → Samsung Internet.
- Open Samsung Internet settings.
- Tap Sites and downloads → Site permissions → Cookies.
-
Choose:
- Allow all cookies
- Block third-party cookies
- Block all cookies
Don’t Want to Block Cookies Everywhere? Try These Smarter Moves
1) Block third-party cookies, then allow-list only what you need
Example: Your bank login works with first-party cookies, but an embedded customer support widget might require third-party cookies.
Add an exception for that one site instead of allowing cross-site cookies globally.
2) Delete cookies for a single problem website
If one site is glitching (endless logouts, broken checkout, “please accept cookies” loops), clearing cookies for that site often fixes it
without wiping everything. Most browsers let you search site data and remove it per domain.
3) Use private browsing for “one-off” sessions
Incognito/Private windows usually delete session cookies when you close them. This doesn’t stop all tracking, but it limits
long-term cookie accumulation.
4) Turn on “clear cookies on exit” (where available)
This is the “I want privacy but I also want my life to feel simple” option. You’ll log in more often, but you won’t carry cookie baggage forever.
What Will Break When You Disable Cookies?
- Logins: Many sites can’t keep you signed in without cookies.
- Shopping carts: Some carts rely on cookies to remember what you added.
- Preferences: Language, theme, region, and “don’t show again” settings may reset.
- Embedded tools: Payment widgets, chat boxes, and video players sometimes rely on cross-site cookies.
Troubleshooting: When a Website Won’t Work After You Disable Cookies
Step 1: Try allowing cookies for just that site
Most browsers support site exceptions. If everything else works fine, don’t undo your privacy settings for the entire internet just because one site is picky.
Step 2: Clear that site’s cookies and reload
A corrupted cookie can cause endless loops. Delete the site data, restart the browser, and try again.
Step 3: Check for “cross-site” needs
If the site relies on a third-party identity provider (SSO) or embedded services, it may need third-party cookies.
Consider a temporary exceptionthen remove it later.
Step 4: Consider a “two-browser strategy”
Use a privacy-tuned browser for everyday browsing and a “work/finance” browser for sites that need a more traditional setup.
It’s not overkill; it’s compartmentalization. (Also: your ad profile will cry softly in the corner.)
Real-World Cookie-Blocking Experiences (500+ Words)
People rarely disable cookies because they woke up and chose chaos. Usually, it happens after a string of small moments that add up:
a creepy ad that follows you for weeks, a site that seems to “remember” a search you made on a totally different site, or a sudden
realization that your browser is basically a rolling scrapbook of everywhere you’ve been online.
One common experience looks like this: someone blocks all cookies, feels instantly powerful, and then five minutes later can’t log into
their email. Panic sets in. The key lesson is that “disable cookies” isn’t one single lifestyleit’s a spectrum. Many people end up happiest
blocking third-party cookies instead of all cookies. That way, everyday logins keep working, but the “follow-you-everywhere” tracking
takes a hit. It’s the difference between “locking your front door” and “boarding up your windows with plywood.”
Another classic scenario is the “broken checkout spiral.” You’re trying to buy somethingmaybe a gift, maybe groceries, maybe a late-night impulse
purchase you’ll pretend was totally plannedand the checkout page keeps refreshing, logging you out, or insisting your cart is empty. In a lot of cases,
it’s not that cookie blocking is “bad,” it’s that the site expects a specific cookie flow. The fix many people discover: allow cookies for that single store
(or clear the store’s cookies and try again). It’s surprisingly satisfying to keep strong privacy defaults while granting exceptions only when you truly need them.
Some people notice a different “aha”: even after rejecting cookies on banners, they still feel tracked. That’s when they learn the internet uses more than cookies
things like pixels, account-based tracking, and device fingerprinting. The practical takeaway isn’t “give up,” it’s “use layers.” Cookie controls are one layer.
Tracking protection, browser privacy features, and thoughtful sign-in habits are other layers. This is why a lot of privacy-focused folks also use private browsing for
quick searches, separate browsers for shopping vs. work, and periodic cookie cleanups.
Mobile experiences can be especially eye-opening. On iPhone/iPad, Safari cookie controls live in the system Settings app, which feels strange at first:
you’re not “in the browser,” yet you’re changing browser behavior. Android users often have the opposite experience: Chrome makes cookie choices easy inside the app,
but every other app on the phone might still have its own tracking settings. People who stick with it learn a useful habitwhenever you install a new browser or update
an old one, take two minutes to re-check privacy and cookie settings. Features move. Labels change. The cookie jar gets a new lid.
Finally, there’s the long-term experience: once you’ve used tighter cookie settings for a few weeks, you start noticing what truly matters. Many people report fewer
“uncanny” ads, less feeling of being followed, and fewer random website data buildup issues. The trade-off is more frequent loginsand honestly, that can be a feature,
not a bug. If your browser forgets everything when you close it, it’s harder for anyone else using your device to pick up where you left off. In the end, disabling cookies
is less about being paranoid and more about being intentional: letting the helpful crumbs stay, while sweeping up the ones that exist only to trail you.
Conclusion
Disabling cookies is one of the quickest ways to level up your privacyespecially if you start by blocking third-party cookies and only escalate to “block all cookies”
when you truly want maximum lockdown. Use site exceptions for the handful of services that genuinely need cookies, and remember: if a site breaks, it’s usually fixable
with a targeted allow-list or by clearing that site’s stored data.
The best setup is the one you’ll actually keep. Privacy isn’t a one-time switchit’s a few good defaults, a little maintenance, and the confidence to say:
“No thanks, internet. I’m not taking cookies from strangers.”
