Cookies are not only tasty, sweet baked goods, but also small text files. We encounter them every time we visit a website. A window appears in front of our eyes, asking us to agree to the use of cookies. What exactly is a cookie and how do I delete it? Where are the cookies on your phone? We answer!
Cookies - what are cookies?
Cookies are small pieces of text which are sent by websites and stored on your device, e.g. your computer's hard drive. Then, the next time you visit the website in question, the browser will allow the website to read "your" cookie and the information it contains.
Contrary to appearances, a cookie is not always a single text file. Its form depends on the browser used, e.g. Internet Explorer stores all cookies from a given page in a single file, while Chrome and Firefox store them in an SQL database. However, all browsers agree on how to send cookies - the HTTP header with the "Set-Cookie" command is used for this. It contains information such as:
- domain name,
- the unique number of the cookie,
- browser identification number.
Optionally, it may also include an expiry date, after which the cookie will no longer be stored and must be deleted by the browser, and an option to limit the visibility of the cookie. 
How do I clear cookies in my web browser?
Need to clear your cookies? You can do this very easily and quickly in your browser settings. Most of them allow you to delete cookies of individual websites, but you can also get rid of them all at once. How do you do this in the most popular browsers, such as Google Chrome or Firefox? You'll find the options you need in the settings menu. These are most often hidden under the "Privacy and security" tab.
Doing this on a mobile device can be more of a problem. How do I delete cookies from my phone? On Android devices, go to the browser application and there, in the menu (often hidden as three vertical dots), look for the "History" option. Then find the "Clear browsing data" button and select the appropriate deletion settings, i.e. what you want to delete and over what time period.
On the iPhone, on the other hand, we need to go to the "Settings" app and find the Safari browser there. There you will find the option "Erase history and site data", which will solve our problem.
What can cookies be used for?
You already know how cookies work, but how are they used? Contrary to what you might think, they turn out to be very useful and many of us do not even realise that the functionalities we use on a daily basis work through cookies. What are these functionalities? Among others:
- remembering preferences in page settings,
- maintaining shopping baskets,
- personalisation of advertising,
- saving passwords,
- collection of statistical data,
- automatic completion of forms.
If these options do not work on your device, you may have set a cookie blocker. How do I enable cookies? On a computer, you will do this in your browser settings, exactly where you can clear them. Similarly, on Android smartphones. On the other hand, if you are wondering how to enable cookies on an iPhone device - follow the same path as for deleting them. In Safari settings, under Cookies, you will find the necessary options. 
Types of cookies
All the functionalities outlined above use dedicated types of cookies. These are most simply divided into permanent and temporary files. Permanent cookies, as the name suggests, are not deleted from the browsers' memory until users do so themselves. What are temporary cookies? As you can guess, they are the opposite of permanent cookies. The website only stores them for the duration of the session, i.e. browsing a particular website.
Other types may include:
- your own - sent directly by the website you visit,
- external - from a site other than the one visited,
- configuration - allow functions and services to be set up,
- essential - used to use the services available on the site,
- functional - remembering users' preferences and information,
- advertising - allowing advertisers to display personalised campaigns.
What data is stored by cookies?
Many users, concerned about their web security, wonder what data is stored by cookies. This is primarily IT data, such as session ID, operating system and browser information, as well as date and time. It can also include the aforementioned logins, passwords and user preferences.
The cookie policy has already been regulated by European and national law, so the use of cookies by websites need not concern us. When we enter any site, we should be shown consent and information about cookies. However, if we are concerned about our privacy, we can opt out of automatic password saving, disable cookies in our browser settings or install special software to block them.
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