Cookies are those little bits of data websites save on your device to remember things about you. They store your site preferences (like dark mode), items in your shopping cart, and even login details, making your browsing experience much smoother and more personal. They work behind the scenes and you often don’t even realize they are there, making websites work as expected.
Cookies also help websites personalize ads for you, based on your browsing history. Sometimes, this can be pretty useful if you’re searching for something specific.
If websites aren’t behaving as they should, or certain features aren’t working, disabled cookies might be the issue. So let’s look at how to get cookies enabled on your Chrome browser.
Enabling Cookies on Chrome for Android
It’s really easy to turn on cookies on your Android device once you know where to look.
To start, open the Chrome app from your home screen or app drawer.
Next, tap the three vertical dots (the kebab menu) in the top-right corner of the screen.
From the menu that pops up, select “Settings”.
Scroll down to the “Advanced” section and tap on “Site settings”.
Now, tap on “Cookies” which you’ll find on the “Site settings” page.
Here, you’ll see several options regarding cookie settings. Let’s break down what each one does, to help you choose the best one for your needs:
- Allow all cookies: This enables all cookies, including those that track your browsing activity across websites and personalize your advertisements.
- Block third-party cookies in incognito (default): This option works similarly to the one above, but under incognito mode, prevents websites from tracking your behavior on other websites. This means no personalized advertisements in incognito mode.
- Block third-party cookies: Choosing this setting will still allow websites to remember your preferences, passwords, and items in carts. However, it won’t enable websites to track your behavior across other websites, hence limiting personalized advertisements.
- Block all cookies: This will prevent websites from saving your preferences, passwords, or even remembering items in your cart. Some sites might not work correctly if you block all cookies.
Choose your preferred option. The change will take effect immediately.
Enabling Cookies on Chrome for Desktop
On desktop, Chrome usually has cookies enabled by default. But, if you think they might be disabled, it’s quick to double check and enable them.
To start, launch the Chrome browser on your computer.
Click the three vertical dots (kebab menu) in the top right corner, and then select “Settings.” This will open the settings in a new tab.
Click on “Privacy and security” in the left sidebar.
Next, select “Cookies and other site data.”
You’ll see the same list of options related to cookies, as we discussed in the Android section.
Choose the radio button next to your preferred option, and the change will happen right away.
And that’s all there is to it - you’ve just adjusted your cookie settings on Chrome for desktop.