Mac Tutorials
How to Clear Cookies and Cache on Safari: A Comprehensive Guide
Welcome to a comprehensive tutorial where we dive into the simple yet crucial task related to your Safari browser 🌐 on your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro 💻, irrespective of the version.
Wondering what we’re talking about? Well, here’s a hint: It’s something that greatly boosts your online security and privacy. 🕵️♀️💼 We’re talking about how to clear your cookies and cache on Safari. Let’s get into the details. 🚀
Moving to Safari
Locate Safari, usually pinned 👇at the launch area and launch it. You should see a menu full of options specific to Safari up here. 👆
Accessing the Preferences
Click on ‘Safari’ 👆 at the top of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select ‘Preferences’.
Finding the Privacy Tab
In the Preferences window, there’s a range of tabs. Shift focus to the ‘Privacy’ tab. This symbol 🔒 indicates that you are in the correct place.
Managing Your Website Data
Notice an option called ‘Manage Website Data’. It might take some time to load your data, 💽 so be patient.
Understand Your Cookies
Once your data is loaded, these are your cookies 🍪. You can search for a specific website and decide whether to delete or keep the related cookies.
Cleaning Your Cache
Choose to ‘Remove’ specific cookies or if you are feeling adventurous, go ahead and click on ‘Remove All’ to clear your entire browser cache. 🧹🌪️ However, be careful, as this action can’t be undone. ⚠️
Sealing the Deal
Once you’re satisfied, hit ‘Done’, and voila, you have mastered the process of clearing your cache and cookies on Safari! 🎉💻🌐
Conclusion: 🏁
In conclusion, learning how to clear cache and cookies on Safari can greatly enhance your security and privacy online. However, remember that clearing cookies and cache will log you out from all the websites you are currently logged in, so ensure you are prepared for this. That being said, always prioritize your online privacy and don’t hesitate to clear out your cache and cookies when you feel the need! 💻🔒🌐
FAQ
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that are stored by your web browser. They are primarily used to remember information about your activities on a website, such as login information or shopping cart contents.
What is cache?
The cache is a type of storage where your web browser keeps copies of web pages you’ve visited. This speeds up loading times when you visit those pages again.
Why should I clear cookies and cache?
Clearing cookies and cache can help resolve some internet browsing issues like slow page loading speeds or problems logging into a website. It can also improve your privacy as it removes your browsing history.
How do I clear cookies on Safari?
In Safari, go to Safari menu > Preferences, and click on ‘Privacy’. Click on ‘Manage Website Data’, then ‘Remove all’ and finally click ‘Done’.
How do I clear cache on Safari?
In Safari, click on ‘Safari’ in the menu bar, then choose ‘Clear History’. In the pop up dialog, select the time range you want to clear, then click ‘Clear History’.
Can I clear cookies and cache for only certain websites?
Yes, in the ‘Manage Website Data’ screen in Safari, you can select individual websites and click ‘Remove’ to delete the cookies and cache for just those sites.
How often should I clear my cookies and cache?
The frequency at which you clear cookies and cache depends on your web browsing habits. If you frequently visit many different websites, it might be beneficial to clear them regularly, for instance, once a month.
Does clearing cookies and cache delete saved passwords?
Clearing your browser’s cache shouldn’t remove any passwords, but clearing cookies may sign you out of websites where you’ve chosen ‘remember me’ at login.
Will clearing cookies and cache speed up my browser?
Clearing your cookies and cache can help your browser load pages faster if the cache was very full or if any cookies were causing issues. However, it won’t make your overall device run faster.
What’s the difference between cookies and cache?
While both are used by your browser to improve your online experience, they serve different purposes. Cookies store information from websites, like logins or shopping carts, while cache stores copies of webpages for quicker loading.
Can anyone else see my cookies and cache?
Only someone who has access to your computer and your browser can see your cache and cookies. Websites can’t see the cache, and cookies are usually encrypted.
How do I check what cookies are stored in Safari?
In Safari, click on Safari menu > Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data. Here, you can see which websites have stored cookies.
Can I clear cookies and cache on Safari Mobile?
Yes, to clear cookies and cache on Safari Mobile, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
Can I control what cookies are stored?
Yes, you can control what cookies are stored by going to Safari menu > Preferences > Privacy. Here you can choose to block all cookies or only cookies from certain websites.
Can I stop Safari from storing cache?
No, you cannot stop Safari from storing cache. The cache is an important part for making web pages load faster.
Will clearing cookies and cache affect my bookmarks?
No, clearing your cookies and cache will not affect your bookmarks.
Can I clear cookies and cache from a specific time period?
Yes, you can clear the browser history, and consequently the cache, from a specific time period by selecting a time range in the ‘Clear History’ dialog in Safari.
Can I restore cookies and cache after clearing them?
No, once you clear your cookies and cache, they cannot be restored. Any data or settings they stored will need to be input again.
Can all websites store cookies in Safari?
By default, Safari allows all websites to store cookies. However, you can change this in the browser’s Preferences.
How long does Safari keep cookies and cache?
Safari will keep cookies and cache until you choose to clear them or they expire, which is determined by the website that set the cookie.
Does Safari clear cookies and cache automatically?
Safari doesn’t automatically clear cookies or cache, but you can set it to block new cookies or clear the cache when you close the browser.
Can I choose to keep certain cookies when clearing them in Safari?
No, when you choose to clear cookies in Safari, it will clear all of them. You can’t pick and choose individual cookies to keep.
What information do cookies store?
Cookies can store a variety of information, including login information, page settings, shopping cart contents, and tracking information for ads.
Can I block all cookies in Safari?
Yes, in the browser’s Preferences, you can choose to block all cookies. However, keep in mind that this might prevent some websites from working properly.
Does clearing cookies and cache remove malware?
Clearing cookies and cache will not remove malware from your computer. If you suspect your computer is infected with malware, you should use a trusted antivirus or antimalware program to scan and remove it.
What does ‘Clear History and Website Data’ do on Safari?
The ‘Clear History and Website Data’ option in Safari clears your browsing history, cookies, and cache, removing all record of the web pages you’ve visited in the specified time range.
Do all browsers use cookies and cache?
Yes, all major web browsers use cookies and cache to improve user experience by remembering user preferences and speeding up web page loading times.
Can any website access my cookies?
Typically, only the website that set the cookie can access its information. However, third-party cookies are set by another website, often advertisers, and can track browsing activity across multiple sites.
Should I always accept cookies?
Whether or not to accept cookies depends on your personal preference and the trustworthiness of the website. While cookies can enhance browsing experience, some might be used to track user behavior across websites.
Can I clear Safari cache with a keyboard shortcut?
Yes, you can press Command + Option + E to clear the cache in Safari.