Enabling or disabling (aka allowing or blocking) cookies, simply means whether or not you want your computer to save bits of information from the site. You’ll notice this happens for most sites you visit online and your computer uses these for quick reference, instead of searching an entire database. Cookies are helpful in some ways but not all cookies are safe. Some users opt out of these for security purposes but not without running into minor issues or inconveniences on most online sites. Typically, the best course of action is allowing most sites and making it a habit to clear these out on a regular basis.
The following tutorials are how to allow or block cookies in Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera and Safari.
Enable or Disable Cookies in Edge
Settings and More > Settings > View advanced settings > Cookies
- Open Edge and click the “Settings and More” button.
- This will be the 3 vertical dots in the top right-hand corner of your browser.
- Toward the bottom of the menu select “Settings”.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “View advanced settings”
OR instead you might have: - Scroll down to the bottom again and look for the section “Cookies”.
- In the drop down menu under “Cookies” you will be able to click this and choose from:
- Block all cookies
- Block only third party cookies
- Don’t block cookies
- Once you’ve selected your desired settings it will be saved. You can simply close your browser once finished.
Enable or Disable Cookies in Chrome
More > Settings > Advanced > Privacy and Security > Advanced
- Open Chrome and click the “More” button.
- This will be the 3 vertical dots in the top right-hand corner of your browser
- Toward the bottom of the menu select “Settings”.
- In the new window, scroll all the way to the bottom and select “Advanced”.
- Look for the section “Privacy and Security”.
- This will have a list of many options, find and select “Site Settings”.
- Now you’ll select the top option “Cookies” and be taken to a page where you can choose which settings you want.
- At the top, next to ‘Allow sites to save and read cookie data (recommended)’ will be a switch you can slide on or off.
Enable or Disable Cookies in Firefox
Menu > Options > Privacy and Security > Under the ‘History’ section
- Open Firefox and click the “Menu” button.
- This will be the 3 horizontal lines in the top right-hand corner of the window.
- In the drop-down list select “Options”.
- In the left-hand side panel select “Privacy and Security”.
- Firefox has it listed as under the History section.
- Locate history and there will be a drop down menu with 3 options:
- Remember history
- Never remember history
- Use custom settings for history
- Choose your desired settings.
- The recommended setting is remember history, this will enable cookies for you.
- Custom settings will give you additional options to choose from that allow you to be more specific.
Enable or Disable Cookies in Internet Explorer
Tools > Internet Options > Privacy > Advanced
- Open an Internet Explorer window and click “Tools”.
- For Internet Explorer 6, 7 or 8, – at the top of the screen in the menu bar.
- For Internet Explorer 9 and higher – Click the gear icon on the right-hand corner of the browser
- In the drop-down menu select “Internet Options”.
- Find and click the Privacy tab.
- Find the “Advanced” button next to “Sites”.
- You’ll get a new window providing the options:
- Accept
- Block
- Prompt
- This will ask for these settings for both First-party and Third-party cookies.
- Prompt will notify you each time you visit a site to accept or block.
- Make sure to hit ‘Ok’ on exit to save these changes.
Enable or Disable Cookies in Opera
Tools > Preferences > Advanced > Cookies
- Open an Opera window and click “Tools”.
- This will be located in the Menu bar at the top of your browser
- In the drop-down menu select “Preferences”.
- This will open a new window with tabs. Select the last tab labeled “Advanced”.
- You’ll have a panel on the left hand side where you can select “Cookies”.
- This will give you the following options:
- Accept cookies
- Accept cookies only from the site I visit
- Never accept cookies
- You can also manage additional settings below, such as choosing if you want to allow or block for each individual site.
Enable or Disable Cookies in Safari
Safari > Preferences > Privacy tab > Cookies and website data
- Start by opening a Safari Window.
- Be sure the window is selected and not just open, or you won’t be able to view the menu options.
- In the top left-hand corner of the screen select “Safari”.
- From the drop-down menu select “Preferences”.
- In the new window, select the “Privacy” tab.
- Under the top section ‘Cookies and website data’ you’ll be given the options:
- Always block
- Allow from current website only
- Allow from websites I visit
- Always allow
‘Always block’ will block all sites, and ‘Always allow’ will allow all sites. ‘Current’ will approve only the site your on and ‘Allow from websites I visit’ will be the sites you most frequently visit.