Clear the history and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Learn how to delete your history, cookies, and cache using the Settings app.

     Safari settings on iPhone

Delete history, cache, and cookies

Here's how to clear information from your device:

  • To clear your history and cookies, tap Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Clearing your history, cookies, and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information. 
  • To remove other stored information, tap Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data > Remove All Website Data.
  • To visit sites without leaving a history, turn private browsing on or off

When there's no history or website data to clear, the setting turns gray. The setting might also be gray if parental controls are set for websites. To check your settings, go to Settings > General > Restrictions, then scroll to Allowed Content. 

Cookies settings on iPhone     

Block cookies

A cookie is a piece of data that a site puts on your device, so it can remember you when you visit again. Here's how to choose whether Safari blocks cookies:

  1. Tap Settings > Safari > Block Cookies.
  2. Choose an option: Always Block, Allow from Current Websites Only, Allow from Websites I Visit, or Always Allow. 

If you block cookies, some web pages might not work. Here are some examples:

  • You might not be able to sign in to a site using your correct username and password.
  • You might see a message that cookies are required or that your browser's cookies are off.
  • Some features on a site might not work.

Use content blockers

With iOS 9 and iPhone 5s or later, you can use content blockers in Safari. Content blockers are third-party apps and extensions that let Safari block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups, and other content.

Here's how to get a content blocker:

  1. Download a content blocking app from the App Store.
  2. Tap Settings > Safari > Content Blockers, then set up the extensions that you want. You can use more than one content blocker.

If you need help, contact the app developer.

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