How to Enable Cookies on Android

Save time when browsing the web

By
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Jennifer Allen
Writer
  • Swansea University, Staffordshire University
Jennifer Allen has been writing about technology since 2010. Her work has appeared in Mashable, TechRadar, and many more publications.
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Updated on May 17, 2021
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

What to Know

  • Chrome: Tap Settings > Site Settings > Cookies > Allow Cookies.
  • Firefox: Tap the three dot menu > Settings > Enhanced Tracking Protection > choose Standard, Strict, or Custom.
  • It saves time when browsing to have cookies enabled, but you can delete them.

This article teaches you how to enable cookies on Android smartphones in both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox and clear them. 

How to Enable Cookies on Android in Google Chrome

Enabling cookies is often the default option in web browsers as it provides you with more functionality. If it's switched off, though, it's good to know how to enable cookies on Android. Here's what to do if you use Google Chrome on your Android smartphone. 

Note:

This guide applies to all Android devices running Google Chrome.

  1. Open Chrome on your Android.

  2. Tap the three dot menu.

  3. Tap Settings.

    Steps for finding Settings on Google Chrome on Android

  4. Scroll down and tap Site Settings.

  5. Tap Cookies.

  6. Tap Allow Cookies.

    Steps for allowing cookies on Google Chrome on Android

    Tip:

    You can also choose to block third-party cookies or block all cookies, but neither is recommended if you wish to use the functionality of all sites. 

How to Enable Cookies on Android in Mozilla Firefox

If you prefer to use Mozilla Firefox on your Android, it's just as easy to enable cookies here as it is on Chrome. Here's what to do. 

Note:

Mozilla Firefox calls the relevant settings slightly different names to Chrome and doesn't use the word cookie frequently, so be aware and follow the instructions closely.

  1. Open Firefox on your Android.

  2. Tap the sideways Hamburger icon.

  3. Tap Settings.

    Steps for finding Settings on Mozilla Firefox on Android

  4. Scroll down and tap Enhanced Tracking Protection.

  5. Choose the setting you feel most comfortable with. Standard enables cookies while Strict disables most of them and can reduce functionality on certain websites.

    Steps for allowing cookies on Mozilla Firefox on Android

    Tip:

    You can also choose Custom to pick out certain restrictions for yourself.

How to Clear Cookies on Android in Google Chrome

It can be useful to clear your Android cookies in Google Chrome occasionally. Here's what to do. 

  1. Open Chrome.

  2. Tap the sideways Hamburger icon.

  3. Tap Settings.

  4. Tap Privacy and Security.

    Steps for finding Privacy and Security settings on Google Chrome on Android

  5. Tap Clear Browsing Data.

  6. Make sure the Cookies and site data option is enabled and then tap Clear Data.

    Steps for clearing browsing data on Google Chrome on Android

    Tip:

    Choose a time range and whether you want to delete browsing history and cached images and files here. 

How to Clear Cookies on Android in Mozilla Firefox

If you use Mozilla Firefox, it's similarly useful to know how to clear cookies every once in a while. Here's what to do on Firefox. 

  1. Open Firefox.

  2. Tap the sideways Hamburger icon.

  3. Tap Settings.

  4. Scroll down and tap Delete Browsing Data.

    Steps for deleting browsing data on Mozilla Firefox on Android

  5. Select the Cookies option and then tap Delete Browsing Data.

    Tip:

    You can choose to delete open tabs, browsing history, cached images, and files, as well as simply deleting cookies here.

  6. Tap Delete.

    Steps for deleting browsing data on Mozilla Firefox on Android

Why Should I Enable Cookies on Android?

Cookies are a necessary part of browsing online much of the time. They're used to help websites remember whether you've visited them before and offer relevant information associated with that. 

Cookies remember your login data for particular websites so that you always remain logged in. They also help track what you've been considering buying online, so it can be irritating to feel like you're being tracked at all times. Generally, though, cookies are a big timesaver, so it's worthwhile keeping them enabled. 

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