How to Disable Cookies on a Browser

Steps to Disable Cookies on a Browser

If you want to disable cookies, blocking third-party cookies helps prevent tracking across sites without breaking most website functions.

Follow the steps below to disable cookies:

• Open the Chrome browser. Click on the three-dot menu from the top-right corner and then click Settings.
• Click Privacy and security.

• Under the Privacy and security section, click Third-party cookies > Block third-party cookies.

When you block third-party cookies, it prevents websites from using cookies set by other domains. However, websites can still use their own (first-party) cookies to maintain essential features like login sessions and user preferences.

While this setting helps reduce personalized ads and unwanted tracking, it may cause certain site functionalities that rely on third-party cookies to break or behave unexpectedly.

Why Disable Cookies?

While cookies are designed to improve user experience, they are also frequently used for advertising and analytics (to measure website behavior) that may invade user privacy. Therefore, disabling browser cookies offers greater control over your online privacy and data.

Benefits:

• Enhanced Privacy: Prevent websites and advertisers from storing and accessing personal data.
• Less Tracking: Reduce behavioral tracking and profiling by third-party services.
• Fewer Targeted Ads: Block ad networks from following your activity across sites.
• More Control: Decide when and where your data is stored.

What Changed for Third-Party Cookies in Chrome?

Chrome no longer plans to remove third-party cookies for everyone. Google confirmed that Chrome keeps offering third-party cookie choice, so blocking them stays a setting you apply yourself.

• No browser-wide removal: The Privacy Sandbox update confirms Chrome keeps third-party cookie choice instead of phasing the cookies out.
• Incognito blocks by default: Chrome blocks third-party cookies in Incognito windows, so an Incognito tab shows you the blocked state without changing your main settings.
• Blocking is not deleting: Blocking stops new cross-site cookies, while cookies already stored stay on the device until you clear cookies in Windows or delete them in the browser.
• SameSite still applies: A site controls when its cookie travels on a cross-site request through the SameSite cookie attribute, and your block setting applies on top of that.
• Per-browser paths differ: Edge, Firefox and Safari keep their own controls, so the route to Microsoft Edge cookies is not the Chrome route.

Blocked third-party cookies still break some logins, embedded players and payment frames. Check the affected journey again with cross browser testing before you decide the block setting is safe to keep.

An automated suite can set or delete a cookie directly instead of clicking through settings, which is what handling cookies in Selenium WebDriver covers. Consent banners are separate from this setting, so sites keep showing cookie warnings whether or not you block third-party cookies.

Conclusion

Disabling browser cookies helps you secure your digital presence and minimize online tracking. While cookies do enhance some aspects of web browsing, not everyone is comfortable with how their data is used. By managing your cookie settings, you take control of your privacy across all websites.