If you’re keen on staying safe while browsing the web, you need to understand how cookies work on Android, and what they do. Learning how to clear cookies on an Android phone can prevent or even solve some common issues, as well as protect your privacy. Let’s get started.
What Are Cookies, and Why Should You Delete Them?
Cookies are text files saved by websites that store information about your visit and they work similarly on PC and Android. Cookies track the information you’ve configured on each page, including:
Individual login information User browsing preferences Customized advertising Shopping tendencies
While cookies are generally harmless and provide quite a bit of convenience, companies like Facebook and Twitter, along with advertisers, can use them to track your browsing activity. The decision to clear your cookies depends heavily on the sites you visit.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a website you’re visiting is safe. Typically, you want to avoid accepting third-party cookies or those on unencrypted websites. Third-party cookies are those generated for companies that aren’t the owner of the website you’re visiting. These are usually created via scripts and are typically for advertising purposes.
Unencrypted websites don’t protect information exchanged between you and the page. Here, accepting certain cookies can expose your activity on the site to anyone with access to those cookies.
If you’ve already agreed to cookies in these cases, there’s no need to fret, as you can clear them to be safe. In some cases, clearing cookies can fix bugs you encounter while browsing the web. Luckily, clearing your cookies on Android is a simple process. Let’s take a look at how to clear cookies on some of the best web browsers for Android.
How to Delete Cookies in Chrome on Android
To clear cookies on the Google Chrome app for Android, follow these steps:
In Chrome, tap the three-dot menu icon at the top right. Tap Settings. Select Privacy and Security. Tap Clear browsing data. Check the box next to Cookies and site data. Tap Clear data at the bottom right of the screen.
How to Clear Cookies in Vivaldi on Android
You can clear cookies on Vivaldi for Android with the following steps:
Tap the Vivaldi icon next to the URL bar. Tap Settings. Select Privacy and security. Tap Clear browsing data. Check the box next to Cookies and site data. Tap Clear data.
How to Clear Cookies in Opera on Android
Here’s how to clear cookies on Opera for Android by following these steps:
In Opera, tap the profile icon at the bottom right of the screen. Tap the settings cog in the tab that opens from the bottom. Tap Privacy. Select Clear data. . . then check the box next to Cookies and site data. Tap CLEAR DATA at the bottom right of the screen.
How to Delete Cookies in Firefox for Android
To clear cookies on Firefox for Android, follow these easy steps:
In Firefox, tap the three-dot menu icon at the bottom right of the browser. Tap Settings. Select Delete browsing data. Check the box next to Cookies. Tap Delete browsing data.
Clearing Cookies: A Part of Staying Safe Online
Cookies don’t usually pose a threat to Android devices. But cookies on unencrypted websites or from third parties can slow down your device or expose your personal information. To be safe, you might want to clear cookies every six months.
If you’re really keen on staying safe while browsing the web on your phone, you can use guest mode and incognito mode. These are two methods to reduce your online footprint and make it harder to track you.
