Have you noticed that the websites you access from your Android device no longer work as they should? They no longer remember your identity or preferences? The culprit is probably the cookies saved in the browser you usually use to visit them.
In case you have never heard of it, a cookie is nothing more than a small file stored in the memory of the device used to browse online, in your case on the Android smartphone or tablet, which contains some information about the identity and browsing habits of users. In short, cookies are those that allow sites to remember who we are after we have interrupted our browsing session or to store the objects we have added to our virtual carts in online stores or our login information.
Given the circumstances and taking into account what has just been stated, I therefore suggest you read this tutorial of mine focused on how to delete cookies from Android . In the following lines, in fact, I will explain to you, in a simple and at the same time detailed way, how to carry out the procedure in question, going to intervene on those that are the most popular browsers for the mobile platform of the “little green robot”. In the end, you will see, you will be able to solve your problem. Shall we bet?
Index
- Preliminary information
- How to delete cookies on Android
- Google Chrome
- Microsoft Edge
- Mozilla Firefox
- Samsung Internet
Preliminary information
Before getting into the heart of the tutorial, going to discover how to delete cookies from Android , I think it is right to provide you with some preliminary information on the subject that you need to know.
Let’s start with the basics. As I mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial, cookies are nothing more than information stored on the device used to navigate the Web Android smartphones and tablets , in the form of a database or individual files that allow websites to track both the identity and preferences of each Internet user. Cookies are therefore very useful, if not indispensable, in an online browsing session.
They are divided into two categories: first-party cookies , which are generated on the device directly by the websites visited, and third-party cookies , which concern services external to the portals visited and are generally of a purely advertising nature.
In some circumstances, the accumulation of cookies can cause one or more websites to malfunction , for example, they may no longer take into account the user’s preferences. In other cases, cookies can be used maliciously , to spy on the browsing habits of users without permission. It is precisely when these situations occur that it is useful to get rid of them.
To perform the operation in question, you need to intervene on the settings of the browser used to navigate online, through a simple and fast procedure, without any contraindications (other than having to log in again on the site for which you have deleted the cookies).
How to delete cookies on Android
Having made the necessary clarifications above, let’s get to the heart of the matter and find out how to delete cookies on Android . Below you will find instructions on how to do this with all the most popular browsers for smartphones and tablets based on Google’s mobile platform: Chrome , Firefox , Edge and the Samsung browser .
Google Chrome
Do you use Chrome , Google’s browser, to surf the Internet from your Android device and would therefore like to understand how to delete cookies from your Android phone or tablet? Then, to begin with, launch the Chrome app by selecting its icon on the home screen and/or in the system drawer.
Once the main navigator screen is visible, tap on the (⁝) icon located at the top right and select the Settings item from the menu that appears.
In the new section that you see, tap on the Privacy and security item , select the Delete browsing data wording and the box next to the Cookies and site data wording .
Now, using the Time Range drop-down menu at the top , set a time range for which you want to delete data, choosing between: Last 15 minutes , Last hour , Last 24 hours , Last week , Last 4 weeks or Since the beginning .
Once you have done this, choose whether you also want to enable other options related to data stored on the browser (e.g. Browsing history , Cached images and files , etc.). When you have finished, to delete cookies from your phone or tablet, simply press the Delete data button located at the bottom right.
In addition to the operation indicated above, on Chrome you can enable the possibility of always blocking third-party cookies, therefore only this category, in order to limit the type of cookies that can be stored on your device. To do this, go back to the Settings screen mentioned above, select the Privacy and security and Third-party cookies items and activate the Block third-party cookies option .
If you want to exclude a specific website from this operation, add it by tapping on the Add exception for a site that appears at the bottom, typing the URL of the site in the appropriate field, and then tapping on the Add item .
Microsoft Edge
Is the browser you usually use to surf online Microsoft Edge ? In this case, to delete cookies from Android the first step you need to take is to launch the Edge app via its icon on the home screen and/or in the system drawer.
Once you see the main navigator screen, tap on the icon (☰) located in the lower right part and select the Settings item from the menu that appears.
At this point, choose the Privacy, security and services item , then the Delete browsing data item and select the box next to the Cookies and site data item .
Using the Time range drop- down menu at the top , you can now define the time range within which you want to delete the history, choosing between: Last 15 minutes , Last hour , Last 24 hours , Last 7 days , Last 4 weeks or All .
Next, decide whether you want to enable other options related to data stored on the browser (e.g. Browsing history , Cached images and files, etc.). When you’re done, hit the Clear data button and you’re done.
If you deem it appropriate, in the Delete browsing data section above you can also turn ON the switch next to the Delete browsing data on closing item . In this way, by pressing the icon (☰) at the bottom right of the Edge main screen and tapping the Close browser button attached to the menu that appears (if it is not visible, simply swipe right or left on the screen) the data saved by the browser will be automatically removed based on the settings you previously defined.
You can also prevent only third-party cookies from being stored on your device while browsing with Edge. To do this, tap on the (☰) icon at the bottom right of the browser’s main screen and select the Settings tab from the proposed menu. Now, select the items Privacy, security and services and Site settings , then tap on the Third-party cookies wording and choose the Block third-party cookies option .
If you want to exclude a specific website from this operation, you can do so by selecting the Add exception for a site item that appears at the bottom, entering the URL in the appropriate field and then tapping the Save button .
Mozilla Firefox
Even through Firefox , the Mozilla home browser, you can delete cookies from your Android smartphone or tablet that have been stored while browsing the Internet. To proceed, start the Firefox app via its icon on the home screen and/or in the system drawer.
Once the browser’s main screen is visible, tap on the (⁝) icon at the top right and press on the Settings item in the box that appears.
Now, tap on the Clear browsing data wording and select the box next to Cookies and website data .
Next, decide whether you want to enable other options related to data stored on the browser (e.g. Browsing history , Cached images and files , etc.). Finally, press the Delete browsing data button located at the bottom and confirm your intentions by tapping the Delete button in the box that appears.
If, instead, your goal is to delete cookies every time you no longer use Firefox, I inform you that you can do so by going back to the Settings section above, tapping on the item Delete browsing data on exit , moving the switch found in the following screen to ON and selecting the box next to the wording Cookies and website data . Then decide whether to enable the other options relating to the data stored on the browser. In this way, cookies will then be automatically deleted when you exit Firefox, first pressing on the icon (⁝) found at the top right and on the Exit item in the proposed menu.
If you want to prevent only some cookies from being stored on Android while browsing, you can do so by tapping the (⁝) icon at the top right of the Edge home screen and pressing the Settings item in the proposed menu, tapping the Enhanced Tracking Protection wording , moving the appropriate switch to ON and selecting the Custom option . Then, select the box next to the Cookies item and set the option you prefer from the menu that appears (e.g. Cookies from websites not visited , All third-party cookies (some sites may not work correctly) ).
If you feel like you need to add exceptions for a specific website, you can do so by visiting that website in Firefox, tapping the lock icon in the address bar at the top, and toggling the switch next to Enhanced Tracking Protection to OFF in the menu that opens
Samsung Internet
If you have a Samsung -branded Android smartphone or tablet and you usually use the device’s “standard” browser, that is, the one identified with the name Internet , to delete cookies in the latter you must perform a very simple operation. Therefore, to delete cookies from your Samsung mobile phone or tablet, the first step you must take is to start the Internet app via its icon on the home screen and/or in the Android drawer.
When you see the navigator screen, tap on the icon (☰) located in the lower right part of the display and select the Settings item from the menu that appears.
Next, tap on the Personal browsing data item and on the Clear browsing data item . Then, select the box next to Cookies and site data .
Then decide whether to enable other options related to the data stored on the browser (e.g. Browsing history , Form and search history , etc.). When you have finished, press the Delete data button and confirm the operation to delete Android Samsung cookies via the Delete button in the bottom box.
Even on the browser integrated on Samsung smartphones and tablets, it is possible to block third-party cookies or any cookies, so that they are not stored on the device. To proceed, tap on the icon (☰) located at the bottom right of the main browser screen and select the Settings item from the menu that appears, then select the Sites and downloads and Site permissions items , tap on the Cookies wording and select the Block third-party cookies option or the Block all cookies option .
Please note that depending on the version of Android installed on your Samsung device, the exact model of smartphone or tablet you own, and the version of your Internet browser, the items to look for in the browser settings I just indicated may be slightly different from what you see on your display.
