Clear Cookies Automatically in Microsoft Edge

This guide shows you how to set Microsoft Edge to automatically clear browser cookies every time you close the browser. This helps protect your privacy, reduce tracking, and prevent sites from remembering your activity without you having to manually clear data each session.

What You’ll Need

• A Windows PC or Mac with Microsoft Edge installed (current version recommended).
• Administrator access to your user account (to change browser settings).
• Your Microsoft Edge profile (the one you use regularly) — settings apply per profile.

Step-by-Step

1. Open Microsoft Edge. Launch the browser from your taskbar, Start menu, or Applications folder.
2. Access Settings. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner of the browser window, then select Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. Go to Privacy, search, and services. In the left sidebar, click Privacy, search, and services. If the sidebar is collapsed, click the hamburger icon (☰) to expand it.
4. Find the “Clear browsing data” section. Scroll down until you see the Clear browsing data heading. Under it, click Choose what to clear every time you close the browser.
5. Enable the Cookies toggle. You’ll see a list of data types. Find Cookies and other site data and toggle the switch to the On position. You can also enable other items like Browsing history or Cached images and files if you want a more thorough cleanup.
6. Close the Settings tab. The change is saved automatically. You don’t need to click a “Save” button. Just close the tab or navigate away.
7. Test it. To verify, visit a site that sets a cookie (like any shopping site), then close Edge completely (all windows). Reopen Edge and check the site — you should be logged out or see a fresh session, confirming the cookie was cleared.

Common Mistakes

• Not closing all Edge windows: The clearing happens only when the entire browser closes. If you have multiple windows open, you must close all of them. On some systems, Edge may continue running in the background — check the system tray (Windows) or Dock (Mac) for the Edge icon and quit it completely.
• Enabling “Clear on close” but still seeing cookies: This can happen if you have “Startup boost” enabled, which keeps Edge running in the background. Disable Startup boost in Settings → System and performance to ensure the browser fully closes.
• Confusing “clear on close” with “clear now”: The setting you need is under “Choose what to clear every time you close the browser,” not the “Clear browsing data now” button. The latter only clears once.
• Forgetting that this applies per profile: If you have multiple profiles (e.g., Work and Personal), you must set this in each profile separately.

Tips

• Use exceptions for sites you want to stay logged in: If you want to keep cookies for certain sites (like your email), you can add them to the “Always keep cookies on these sites” list. In the same “Choose what to clear” page, click Add next to that option and enter the site URL.
• Combine with “Block third-party cookies”: For even more privacy, go to Privacy, search, and services → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data and enable Block third-party cookies. This prevents tracking cookies from being set in the first place.
• Use InPrivate mode for one-off sessions: If you only need a clean session occasionally, open an InPrivate window (Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows, Cmd+Shift+N on Mac). Cookies are never saved in InPrivate mode.
• Check your extensions: Some extensions may store data locally or use their own cookies. The “clear on close” setting only affects cookies stored by the browser, not extension-specific storage.

Troubleshooting

Cookies are still present after closing Edge.

• Make sure you have completely exited Edge. Look for the Edge icon in the system tray (bottom-right on Windows) or the Dock (Mac) and right-click → Exit or Quit.
• Disable “Startup boost” and “Continue running background extensions when Microsoft Edge is closed” in Settings → System and performance. These features keep Edge processes alive, preventing the clear-on-close trigger.
• Restart your computer after changing the setting — sometimes a full restart ensures the setting takes effect.

The setting resets or doesn’t stick.

• If you’re using a managed device (school or work), your administrator may have disabled this setting via policy. Check with your IT department.
• Try creating a new browser profile and setting it there. If it works, your original profile may be corrupted — you can reset it via Settings → Reset settings.

Some sites break after clearing cookies.

• This is expected — clearing cookies logs you out of most sites. Use the “Always keep” exceptions for sites you need to remain logged into.
• If a specific site fails to work even after logging in again, try clearing the site’s data manually: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data → click the trash icon next to that site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this clear cookies for all my browsing profiles?
No, the setting is per profile. You need to enable it in each profile you use.

Does clearing cookies on close also clear my saved passwords?
No, passwords are stored separately. The “Cookies and other site data” option only clears cookies, not saved passwords or autofill data.

Can I keep cookies for specific sites while clearing all others?
Yes, use the “Always keep cookies on these sites” option in the same settings page to whitelist sites.

Will this slow down my browser?
No, clearing cookies on close has no noticeable performance impact. It may actually speed up browsing by reducing stored data.

Does this affect my browsing history?
Only if you also enable the “Browsing history” toggle. By default, only cookies are cleared.

Can I schedule automatic clearing at specific times instead of on close?
Edge doesn’t have a built-in scheduler for clearing cookies. You can use the “Clear browsing data” feature manually, or use third-party extensions that offer scheduling, but the built-in option only works on browser close.

Related

• iPhone Power Button Not Working: What to Do
• ETF vs Index Fund: Key Differences
• Fix Spotify Web Player Not Working: 7 Real Fixes