Feeling queasy about websites remembering you long after you’ve left? Don’t want to give sites on the web even the chance to track you across sessions? Find out here how to keep local browsing data only until you quit your browser (and delete cookies as well as site data automatically when you close it).
First, a Bed of Slime
At night, the turquoise parrotfish finds herself a cozy spot at the lagoon’s bottom — and makes it even cozier with a fluffy cloud of her own mucus.
The slimly cocoon is more than a comfortable cushion and bed, of course: it not only prevents parasites from getting through to the fish easily, it also masks the scent that helps the parasites from finding our parrotfish in the first place.
How to Keep Local Browsing Data Only Until You Quit Your Browser
Google Chrome
Time needed: 2 minutes
To stop Google Chrome from saving local site data between browser sessions:
- Click the Google Chrome browser menu (three dots) button in the toolbar.
- Select Settings from the menu that has appeared.
- Go to the Privacy and security category.
- Select Site settings.
- Expand Additional content settings.
- Open On-device site data.
- Select Delete data sites have saved to your device when you close all windows.
Out of Google: This will also require you to sign in to your Google account in Chrome (for synchronizing data, for example) every time you start Chrome.
In Chrome up to version 112:
- Open the Chrome menu.
- Select Settings.
- Open Privacy and security.
- Now choose Cookies and other site data.
Google Chrome shortcut: Open chrome://settings/cookies to visit the settings page directly. - Enable Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows.
Clear cookies: You can also clear cookies in Chrome manually at any time, of course.
Firefox
To have Firefox keep local data and cookies only until you quit the browser:
- Click the Firefox hamburger menu button.
- Select Options, Settings or Preferences from the menu that has appeared.
- Go to the Privacy & Security category.
- Check Delete cookies and seat data when Firefox is closed under Cookies and Site Data.
Exceptions: In Firefox, you can allow cookies and data saved to disk for specific sites; click Manage Exceptions to set up exceptions.
Microsoft Edge
To stop Edge browser from saving data locally (and use cookies and site data only until you close the browser):
- Click the Settings and more button in Edge.
Edge keyboard shortcut: Press Alt F (Windows) to open the menu. - Select Settings.
- Go to the Privacy, search, and services category.
- Click Choose what to clear every time you close the browser (under Clear browsing data).
- Turn on Cookies and other site data.
Note: You can check more data options, of course, as you see fit.
Deleting cookies: Edge also lets you clear cookies at any time.
Opera
To keep local data only until you quit the Opera browser:
- Click the Easy setup button in Opera.
- Select Go to full browser settings at the bottom of the menu that has appeared.
- Click Delete browsing data under Privacy and security.
- Go to the On exit tab.
- Check Cookies and site data.
- Click Save.
In Opera One Version 100:
- Select Go to full browser settings from the Easy setup menu in Opera.
- Click Cookies and other site data under Privacy and security.
- Check Clear cookies and site data when you quit Opera.
How to Keep Local Browsing Data Only Until You Quit Your Browser: FAQ
What does it mean to “keep local browsing data” only until I quit the browser?
Many web sites store account data (such as usernames), customizations (such as, say, a different default font) and tracking information using cookies and site data.
These are two methods to store site-specific information locally, so it is available even after you have left a site and even after you have quit and restarted the browser:
- Cookies store short pieces of alphanumeric information.
- Site data is more versatile and can also store larger amounts of data.
Either way, to stop sites from remembering you and your information across browsing sessions, you can prevent your browser from keeping such local data.
Does not keeping local browsing data mean sites cannot track me or retain my information?
No.
Local data only means data kept on your disk.
As soon as you set up an account on a website and log in to it (again), your data can be stored at the server and be connected to your username (instead of your browser).
Can I set up Safari to keep local data only until I quit?
No.
Safari does not currently offer the option to delete local data when you close the browser.
Safari does prevent tracking across sites by default, though, and lets you disable cookies altogether. You can also delete cookies and site data at any time in Safari.
(Tested with Chrome 114–138, Microsoft Edge 127, Firefox 115–140 and Opera One 100–120; first published December 2020, last updated July 2025)