How to Enable or Block Cookies in Chrome

How do I enable cookies in Chrome?

Chrome allows cookies by default, so this fix is usually needed only after you or a workplace policy switched them off. The setting that controls it lives under Privacy and security, not inside the cookie icon in the address bar — if you're wondering what that icon means for extensions, see our cookies permission guide.

1. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, then select Settings.
2. Choose Privacy and security in the left sidebar.
3. Click Third-party cookies (this replaced the older Cookies and other site data page in recent Chrome versions).
4. Under Default behavior, select Allow third-party cookies to allow everything, or leave the default that only blocks them in Incognito.
5. Reload the tab (Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows/ChromeOS, Cmd+Shift+R on Mac) so the site picks up the change.

On Android and iOS, the path is shorter: open the three-dot menu, tap Settings → Site settings → Cookies, then toggle third-party cookies there. ChromeOS uses the same chrome://settings/cookies page as desktop Chrome, since it's the same underlying browser.

How do I block all cookies, or just third-party ones?

Chrome gives you three real options: allow everything, block third-party cookies only, or block all cookies site-wide. Most people should pick the middle option — blocking everything breaks logins, shopping carts, and most sign-in flows across the web.

Set any of these under Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies and choose an option under Default behavior. There's no single switch labeled 'block all cookies' — you'll find it further down that same page as Sites can't use cookies, which also blocks first-party cookies.

Chrome doesn't warn you before applying whichever mode you pick to every open tab, so switch it while your important accounts are already logged in if you can, in case the change signs you out somewhere.

How do I allow or block cookies for just one site?

Click the padlock or tune icon at the left of the address bar while on that site, open Site settings, and set Cookies to Allowed or Blocked for that one domain only. This overrides your global default without touching any other site.

1. Visit the site, then click the icon left of the URL in the address bar.
2. Select Site settings.
3. Scroll to Cookies and choose Allowed or Blocked from the dropdown.
4. Reload the page for the change to apply.

To manage the whole exceptions list at once instead of site by site, go to Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies and use the Add buttons next to Allowed to use third-party cookies and Not allowed to use third-party cookies. On a managed Chromebook, this list may be preset by an administrator and greyed out.

Why does a site say cookies are blocked when Chrome shows they're on?

The global setting isn't the only thing that can block a cookie. A leftover per-site exception, an extension, or a managed policy can all override it, so check each one before assuming Chrome's setting is wrong.

Per-site exception

An earlier Blocked entry for that exact domain overrides your global Allow setting. Check the exceptions list under Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies.

Extension interference

A tracker blocker or privacy tool can strip cookies before a site reads them, even when Chrome itself allows them. Disable extensions one at a time to isolate it.

Managed or enterprise policy

On a work or school Chromebook, an admin can lock cookie settings; you'll see 'Managed by your organization' instead of a toggle you can change.

Incognito default

Incognito windows block third-party cookies regardless of your normal-window setting, which is why the same site can behave differently there.

What's the difference between first-party and third-party cookies?

A first-party cookie is set by the site shown in your address bar — it keeps you logged in and remembers your cart. A third-party cookie is set by a different domain embedded in that page, like an ad network, which is how it can follow you across unrelated sites.

Cookies also differ by lifespan: a session cookie disappears when you close Chrome, while a persistent cookie lasts until its expiry date or until you clear it. Both first-party and third-party cookies can be either type — lifespan and origin are separate questions.

Neither type disappears just because you're in Incognito. Incognito starts with no stored cookies, but any cookie set during that session still follows the same first-party or third-party rules while the window stays open.

Chrome's stance on third-party cookies has shifted more than once, so check the official cookie settings page for the current default rather than an older article. Blocking first-party cookies is a different decision entirely — it breaks the site you're actually visiting, not tracking by outside domains.

What does the cookies permission let a Chrome extension do?

An extension with the cookies permission can read, create, and delete cookies for any site it also has host access to. That's how cookie editors, session tools, and some cleanup extensions work, and Chrome shows this permission plainly on the install screen.

This permission is powerful because a cookie is often the session token that keeps you logged in. An extension that can read cookies for your email or banking domain can, in principle, read that session, so the publisher's track record matters more here than for a low-risk permission like activeTab.

How do I view, search, or edit cookies directly?

Chrome's settings only let you allow or block cookies — to see the actual name, value, domain, and expiry of an individual cookie, you need a cookie editor extension. These open a panel next to the address bar listing every cookie the current tab has set.

If you're building your own extension and testing how it reads or writes cookies, you'll need developer mode turned on to load the unpacked version before you publish it.

How is clearing cookies different from blocking them?

Blocking stops new cookies from being set; clearing deletes cookies already stored, but the site can set new ones on your next visit unless you've also blocked it. For the exact menu paths to clear one site or everything, see our guide to clearing cookies in Chrome.

Scheduled clearing sits between blocking, which can break sites outright, and doing nothing, which keeps every cookie indefinitely. You stay logged in for the length of a session but start fresh on your own schedule.

Should you manage cookies through Chrome's settings or an extension?

Use Chrome's built-in settings for anything global or per-site — allow, block, or an exception list — since that's what the browser itself enforces. Reach for an extension only when you need to see, search, or edit individual cookie values, which the settings screen doesn't expose.

• Blocking a whole category, like all third-party cookies: Chrome settings.
• Fixing one broken login on one domain: a per-site exception.
• Inspecting exactly what a site stored and for how long: a cookie editor extension.
• Clearing cookies automatically on a schedule: a cache or history-clearing extension.
• Auditing which sites currently have a saved cookie exception: the exceptions list under Third-party cookies.

If you actually want to block a whole site rather than just its cookies, see how to block a website in Chrome instead. And on a school- or employer-managed Chromebook, cookie exceptions may be locked the same way developer mode is restricted on those devices.