How to Clear Cookies & Cache on Microsoft Edge

Over time, Microsoft Edge stores cookies and cache files to improve your browsing experience by loading pages faster and remembering site preferences. However, too much-stored data can slow down your browser, cause website errors, and compromise privacy. This guide will show you how to clear cookies and cache in Microsoft Edge, ensuring a smooth and secure browsing experience.

Why You Should Clear Cookies and Cache Regularly

Clearing cookies and cache periodically helps maintain a smooth and secure browsing experience. Here’s why it’s important:

Improves Speed – Removes outdated files that slow down Edge.
Fixes Website Issues – Resolves login errors, broken pages, and loading problems.
Enhances Privacy – Deletes tracking data stored by websites.
Frees Up Space – Reduces unnecessary storage usage.
Prevents Security Risks – Lowers the chances of data leaks and session hijacking.

Key Takeaway: Regularly clearing cookies and cache ensures a faster, safer, and more reliable browsing experience.

Quick Steps to Clear Cookies and Cache on Microsoft Edge

It just takes a few easy steps. Follow this guide to remove stored browsing data and improve performance.

Step-by-Step Guide to Clear Cookies and Cache

Open Microsoft Edge: Start your laptop or PC’s browser.
Access Settings – Choose Settings by clicking the three-dot menu (…) in the upper-right corner.
Navigate to Privacy Settings – Go to Privacy, search, and services from the left sidebar.
Choose What to Clear – Scroll down to the Clear browsing data section and click Choose What to Clear.
Select Data to Delete – Check the boxes for cached files
and pictures, cookies, and other site data.
Clear Data – Click Clear now, and Edge will remove the selected data instantly.

Additional Options for a More Custom Cleanup

Clear Other Data – You can also delete browsing history, download history, and autofill data if needed.
Use Keyboard Shortcut – Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the Clear browsing data menu instantly.
Sign Out of Sync – If Edge syncs your data across devices, consider signing out before clearing cookies to avoid removing them everywhere.

Key Takeaway: Clearing cookies and cache in Microsoft Edge is a quick way to boost performance, fix site errors, and improve privacy with just a few clicks.

How to Automatically Clear Cookies and Cache on Exit

If you want Microsoft Edge to delete cookies and cache every time you close the browser, you can enable automatic clearing. This is a great option for users who prioritize privacy and don’t want to clear their data each time manually.

Step-by-Step Guide to Enable Automatic Clearing

Open Microsoft Edge – Open your computer’s browser.
Go to Settings – Choose Settings by clicking the three-dot menu (…) in the upper-right corner.
Access Privacy Settings – Click on Privacy, search, and Services from the left sidebar.
Find the “Clear browsing data on close” Section – Scroll down until you see the option Clear browsing data on close.
Customize What to Clear – Click Choose what to clear every time you close the browser and enable the toggles for:
1. Cookies and additional site information – This will log you out of websites when Edge closes.
2. Cached images and files – This helps prevent performance issues by deleting temporary files.
3. (Optional) You can also enable other options, such as browsing history, passwords, and autofill form data if needed.
Restart Edge – Close and reopen your browser to apply the changes.

Benefits of Enabling Auto-Clearing

Enhanced Privacy – Ensures no tracking data or login sessions are stored.
Consistent Performance – Prevents Edge from slowing down due to accumulated cache.
No Manual Cleanup Needed – Eliminates the hassle of manually clearing browsing data.

Key Takeaway: Setting Edge to automatically delete cookies and cache when you close it is a great method to protect your privacy and keep your browser operating efficiently without having to do any extra work.

Managing Site-Specific Cookies and Cache Without Clearing Everything

Sometimes, you may need to clear cookies and cache for a specific website without affecting all your browsing data. This is useful when a particular site is not loading correctly, keeps logging you out, or displays outdated content. Instead of wiping everything, Microsoft Edge allows you to remove cookies and cache for individual sites.

How to Clear Cookies and Cache for a Specific Website

Open Microsoft Edge – Launch your browser.
Access Settings – Choose Settings by clicking the three-dot menu (…) in the upper-right corner.
Go to Cookies and Site Permissions – In the left menu, click Cookies and Site Permissions.
Manage Stored Cookies and Data – To manage and remove cookies and site data, scroll down and choose Manage.
View All Stored Data – To view a list of all websites that have cookies saved on your browser, click See every cookie and site data.
Find the Website – Use the search bar to locate the specific website.
Delete Site-Specific Data – Click the trash icon next to the website to remove its cookies and cache.

Alternative Method: Clear Site Data via the Lock Icon

Open Microsoft Edge and visit the website where you want to clear data.
In the address bar, next to the URL
, click the lock icon.
Click Manage cookies and site data.
Remove the stored cookies by selecting them and clicking Remove.

Why Use This Instead of Clearing All Data?

Preserve Login Sessions – You won’t be logged out of other websites.
Retains Cache for Faster Loading – Other frequently visited sites will still load quickly.
Fixes Individual Website Issues – Helps troubleshoot specific website problems without affecting the rest of your browsing experience.

Key Takeaway: Managing cookies and cache for specific sites in Microsoft Edge allows you to troubleshoot website issues while keeping other browsing data intact.

How Clearing Cookies and Cache Affects Your Browsing Experience

There are advantages and disadvantages to clearing your browser’s cache and cookies in Microsoft Edge. While it helps improve performance and privacy, it may also cause some temporary inconveniences. Here’s what to expect after clearing your browsing data.

Positive Effects of Clearing Cookies and Cache

Faster and Smoother Performance – Removing cached files frees up storage and prevents slowdowns caused by outdated or corrupted data.
Fixes Website Issues – Resolves problems like incorrect page loading, broken site elements, and login errors.
Improved Privacy and Security—It deletes stored tracking data, reducing the risk of third-party tracking and session hijacking.
Frees Up Storage Space – Large cache files can take up unnecessary space, and clearing them helps optimize browser storage.

Potential Downsides of Clearing Cookies and Cache

You’ll Be Logged Out of Most Websites – Since cookies store login sessions, clearing them will require you to sign in again on frequently visited sites.
Websites May Load More Slowly Initially – Without cached files, web pages may take longer to load the first time after clearing. However, Edge will rebuild the cache over time.
Loss of Personalized Preferences – Some websites may no longer remember your settings, such as language preferences, shopping cart items, or dark mode settings.
Reauthentication May Be Required – If you use multi-factor authentication (MFA), some sites may prompt you to verify your identity again.

Tips to Minimize Disruptions

Use Site-Specific Clearing – If only one website is causing issues, clear its cookies and cache instead of wiping everything.
Sync Your Data – If you use Microsoft Edge across multiple devices, ensure your data is synced so you don’t lose important settings.
Save Important Logins – Use a password manager or Edge’s built-in password-saving feature to avoid login hassles.
Clear Data Selectively – Instead of clearing all cookies, consider keeping frequently used ones by selecting a time range or unchecking certain options.

Key Takeaway: Clearing cookies and cache can enhance performance and privacy, but it may also log you out of websites and reset certain preferences. Understanding these effects helps you manage your browsing data more effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How often should I clear cookies and cache?

It depends on your browsing habits, but once a month is a good practice for most users.

Will clearing cookies and cache delete my saved passwords?

No, unless you also select Passwords when clearing browsing data.

Does clearing the cache improve browser speed?

Yes, it removes old and unnecessary files, making Edge run more efficiently.

Can I recover deleted cookies and cache?

No, once deleted, they cannot be restored.

Will clearing the cache remove my bookmarks?

No, your bookmarks and saved favorites remain unaffected.

Additional Resources:

For more tips on Microsoft Edge, check these resources:

Conclusion

One simple method to increase privacy, address surfing problems, and boost efficiency in Microsoft Edge is to clear the cookies and cache. Whether you do it manually or set it to clear on exit, regular maintenance ensures a smoother and more secure browsing experience.