How to Delete Cookies Automatically at Browser Exit?
Not very long ago we used to clear our browsing histories so other users on our computers don’t see what we did during our online sessions. Today, however, there are various reasons to delete our browser cookies.
Browsing history should be deleted to dodge advertising companies from tracking your browsing habits, to avoid hackers from decoding our passwords and so on. Unfortunately, even our mobile broadband companies such as AT&T and Verizon keep eyes on what we do!
So, if you want to know how to delete cookies automatically at the end of each browsing session, here is how you should go about it:
How to Delete Cookies on Major Internet Browsers
Chrome — The Public Favorite
Click on the ‘hamburger’ icon located at the upper right corner of your browser. From the pop menu that opens, choose Settings. Now scroll down to the button and click the option titled Show advance settings. Under the heading Privacy, select the option titled Content settings.
Once a new window for Content Settings opens, checkmark the option titled ‘keep local data only until you quit your browser’ and then click Done.
Close the settings tab and you are done. If you are unable to locate any of these options or they appear differently, upgrade your browser to the latest one.
Chrome for Android
Unfortunately, Chrome for Android lacks the option of deleting cookies on exit. But there’s still a way to eliminate cookies while you’re using the browser.
The best way to avoid cookies is to use the “incognito mode.” Chrome records none of your online activities while you’re using this mode. If in case you forget to turn on the incognito mode, you can also delete the cookies manually.
You only need to open the app, go to Settings à Privacy à Clear Browsing Data, and you can easily delete all the cookies manually from there.
Firefox — For the Privacy Minded
Choose the ‘hamburger’ icon from the upper right corner of the browser and select Options. A window will open where you need to choose the Privacy tab. Under ‘History’, click the dropdown menu titled Firefox will and select Use Custom Settings. Now, you will see a number of check boxes appearing in the same window.
Most of the default settings should be left as they are. What you have to modify is the drop down menu next to ‘Keep until’. Change it to ‘I close Firefox’ (i.e. keep cookies until I close Firefox).
There is an option at the bottom of history section, which allows you to clear all your browsing history upon browser shut down. If you want to use this option, you can do so by making the feature as your default setting. Click OK to apply changes.
Firefox for Android
Firefox for Android allows users to turn on the feature to delete cookies on browser exit automatically. To activate this feature, you need to open the app, go to Settings à Privacy à Mark the box labeled “Clear private data on exit.”
Internet Explorer — The Old Horse
Internet explorer is very different from Chrome or Firefox. You will have to locate a ‘gear’ icon instead of a hamburger in order to navigate to the Internet options. The gear icon is located in the upper-right corner of the IE browser.
Once you have reached the ‘Internet Options’, open the General Tab and check the box next to ‘delete browser history on exit’ under the Browser History section.
You can also choose to click the Delete button underneath to configure which settings are flushed each time you exit Internet Explorer. However, the cookies are wiped by default upon enabling the ‘Delete browser history on exit’ option.
Microsoft Edge — The Browser Reinvented
If you are new to Windows 10 and the Microsoft Edge browser, here is a useful tip to help you clear your browsing history automatically every time you exit the browser. All you have to do is enable one setting. Here’s what you need to do.
Simply launch Microsoft Edge and click the settings button (three dots) located at the top-right of the screen. Tap or click Settings and the settings menu will be displayed. Tap or click “Choose what to clear” under Clear browsing data.
Select the option to clear your browsing history (and cookies or cache files if you so choose). Check-mark the option to “always clear this when I close the browser.”
Safari — Choice of Applers
There are a few browsers that don’t offer options to automatically clear cookies upon exiting, such as Safari. If you use one of such browsers, you can use third-party app additions such as Cookie, Privatus, NetShred X or a similar program to automatically clear search history upon browser exit.
If you do not want to spend money on a cookie-clearing app, you can also manually delete cookies each time you exit Safari. To do so, go to the Preferences option from the Safari menu, choose Details under the Privacy tab and hit Remove All.
Default Android Browser — An Underestimated, Simple Browser
Even though a plethora of mobile browsers are available to download from Google’s App Store, a vast majority of Android users browse the internet via the default Android browser. Unfortunately, when it comes to deleting cookie history, Android users have to perform the task manually every time they exit the browser.
The option to do so is located in the settings tab in the browser. The settings icon is usually located at the top right corner of your screen and is identified by three vertical dots. Tap settings and then tap privacy and security. Swipe to the “cookies” section and tap “clear all cookies”.
Opera Browser — A Complete Package for Privacy Enthusiasts
Opera Browser is one of the most advanced browsers that provide all the features required by privacy enthusiasts. These features include the feature of deleting cookies automatically on browser exit.
To enable this feature, you only need to open the browser à go to settings à click “Privacy & Security à Check-mark “Keep local data only until I quit my browser” below the “Cookies” heading.
Opera Mini — A Worthy Competitor
Opera Mini ranks amongst the preferred choice of browsers for Android users. Similar to the default Android browser, Opera too does not provide the option of automatically delete cookies upon exit.
The function needs to be performed manually by tapping Opera’s icon in the browser window. Tap Settings and you will see a long line of options. Tap Privacy, and then tap clear cookies. You can also clear passwords and your browsing history by tapping the respective options.
Improve Your Browsing Experience
So, this is how to delete cookies, quite easy right? Follow the instructions provided in this tutorial on how to delete history guide and prevent outsiders from ruining the way you browse the internet.
Have a private browsing experience, each and every online session. Also make sure to enhance your internet privacy by subscribing to the best VPN service.
If we missed a browser that you are using, feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
Originally published at www.purevpn.com on November 2, 2017.
