How to clear cookies, cache and history in Chrome

How do I clear cookies, cache and history in Chrome?

Updated 4 November 2026

Open Delete browsing data in Chrome's settings, pick a time range, tick what to remove and press Delete from this device. Takes under a minute.

Chrome keeps three kinds of data from the websites you visit: your browsing history, cookies and the cache. You can delete all of it, or only one kind, from a single window in Chrome’s settings. These steps are for Chrome on a computer. On a phone, the menu is in a different place: see Google’s help page.

Clearing this data is a common fix when a website won’t load properly or keeps showing old information, and a way to remove traces of what you looked at on a shared computer.

Chrome's Delete browsing data window on the left. On the right, the Clickable panel says No website open and asks you to open the website you need help with. — Chrome doesn't let extensions read its own settings, so on this page the Clickable panel says "No website open". The numbered pictures below show each step instead.

Steps

Open Delete browsing data

In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (on a Mac, Cmd+Shift+Delete). Or click the three dots at the top right, choose Settings, then Privacy and security, then Delete browsing data.

Chrome's Privacy and security settings, with the Delete browsing data row (Delete history, cookies, cache, and more) marked as step 1.

Choose how far back to delete

At the top of the window, pick a time range. For everything, click More, then All time. If one website stopped working today, Last hour or Last 24 hours is often enough.

Chrome's Delete browsing data window with the More button and the All time option in its menu both marked 2.

Tick what you want to remove

Browsing history is the list of pages you visited. Cookies and other site data keep you signed in and remember your choices on websites. Cached images and files are copies of pages that make them load faster. Untick anything you want to keep. Show more adds Autofill form data, Site settings and Hosted app data, which are not ticked by default.

The Delete browsing data window set to All time, with the four boxes (Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, Cached images and files, Download history) marked 3 and the Delete from this device button marked 4.

Press Delete from this device

Chrome deletes the data straight away and closes the window. Websites will ask you to sign in again and may show their cookie banner again.

Questions

Will clearing cookies delete my passwords?

No. Saved passwords aren't in this window at all: Chrome deletes them only from its password settings. Clearing cookies does sign you out of websites, so you'll need those passwords to sign back in.

What's the difference between cookies and cache?

Cookies are small files websites use to remember you: that you're signed in, your language, what's in your basket. The cache holds copies of images and files so pages load faster. Clearing the cache only makes the next visit a little slower.

Does this delete my Google search history?

No. It deletes what Chrome keeps on this computer. If you're signed in to Google, your searches are also saved in your Google Account, and you delete those on the My Activity page. See our guide on deleting your Google search history.

How do I clear only the cache and keep my sign-ins?

In step 3, untick Browsing history and Cookies and other site data, and leave only Cached images and files ticked.

Can Clickable clear my browsing data for me?

No. Clickable never clicks or deletes anything for you, and Chrome doesn't let extensions read its settings pages. When you open Chrome's settings, the Clickable panel says no website is open.