The web browser application of your Android phone may be filled with data accumulated every day while you are browsing the internet. This data performs several different functions, typically the cache and cookie storage of your web browser. It can help improve your browser’s loading speed by saving the resources of websites you visit frequently as well as saving preferences, such as letting you stay signed in to websites.

However, cookies can also be used by websites to track your browsing history, often for the purpose of serving personalized ads almost anywhere you go. (More recently for myself, I received advertising for glasses after visiting a few online stores to compare prices and styles.)

Additionally, the larger your browser cache, the more your browser app is bloated with data from websites you might not even visit – and yet some of their assets and maybe a few tracking cookies. could be there.

Therefore, it can’t hurt to erase this data occasionally in order to keep your web browser light, running efficiently, and ideally, storing as few tracking cookies as possible.

On Android, the steps differ slightly depending on the type of phone and web browser app you’re using, and as such below we’ll see how to clear this data on Google Chrome (often the default for many. Android phones like the Google Pixel), Samsung’s Internet browser (often the default browser on the Galaxy series of phones), and Mozilla’s Firefox browser. You can also check out our separate guide on how to clear your cache from an iPhone web browser in case you have a few Apple devices to clear as well.

Google chrome

You can delete your cookies and your cache from the Android version of Google Chrome by first pressing the More button in the upper right corner of the browser, symbolized by three vertical dots, then pressing Story, then Clear browsing data. You can also access it from Chrome Settings menu, by pressing Privacy and Security then Clear browsing data.

Chrome then offers Basic and Advanced settings to clear your Navigation history, Cookies and site data and Cached images and files. You can also use the Time interval drop-down list to choose whether you want to delete all history, or anywhere from the last 24 hours up to the last four weeks. Tapping Advanced will also give you access to deletion Saved passwords, Automatically fill in the form data and Site settings if you want. After selecting what you want to delete, press the blue button Erase data , and it will then be deleted without any further prompts, so just be sure to zap exactly what you want to zap.

Samsung Internet

Unlike Google Chrome, the process of clearing your cache and cookies by Samsung involves visiting your phone’s settings app, as opposed to opening the Samsung internet browser app.

After opening Settings, Press on applications, then scroll to and press Samsung Internet. Then press Storage.

At the bottom of the storage you get separate options for Empty the cache and Erase data. Tapping Empty the cache will immediately delete the cache, but Erase data brings you a prompt that notifies you that all app data will be deleted permanently, including files, settings, accounts, databases, among others. Although it does not specify cookies, this more nuclear approach should remove any remaining data, allowing you to start the Samsung Internet browser as if it were brand new.

Mozilla Firefox

Just like Google Chrome, you can clear cookies and cache from the Mozilla Firefox Android application. To access it, press the Following button to the right of the address bar, again symbolized by three vertical dots. Then press Settings and scroll to Delete browsing data.

Of the three browsers we’re looking at, Firefox gives you the most options under the Delete browsing data menu, also allowing you to delete all Open tabs, your Navigation history and site data, Site permissions and even your Downloads folder next to it Biscuits and Cached images and files.

While you can’t choose a time range like you can in Chrome, you can be more specific about what kind of data you want to delete, unlike Samsung which deletes everything when you maybe just want to delete it. Cookies.

And Firefox has an additional option for those who never want to keep their browsing data after using the app. Inside the settings is a Delete browsing data when exiting option, which tells Firefox to clear any combination of these same settings every time you exit the application. This is a useful feature for those who want to keep the browser tidy and avoid accidentally passing your browser history on to someone who may have stolen or gained access to your phone.

How often do you clear your browser’s cache and cookies? And do you have a favorite Android browser that should be added to this tech tip? Tell us in the comments.

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