By
Delia
/ Last update
December 10, 2024
In addition to storing your work and entertainment-related files, a computer that has been used for a long time will also keep various "traces", such as your usual browser's browsing history and cookies.
Cookies are data stored on a user's local terminal by some websites for the purpose of identifying the user and tracking the session. Specifically, a website may generate a unique ID for each visitor, which is then stored on each user's machine in the form of a cookie file so that the server can display content specific to the user. This is why when we search for a certain product on the Internet, we may have relevant ads placed for us on various pages.
Basically, cookies make it easier for us to see content that is of interest and relevant to us. But it also opens the door to information leakage - especially since some third-party cookies are shared between different websites. Imagine your cookie files being monitored or even controlled, and your privacy may eventually fall into the wrong hands.
To protect your Internet information, in addition to using a more secure browser, regular cleaning of browsing history and cookies is also a proven solution. In this article, we will take Google Chrome as an example and provide some suggestions for setting it up.
How to access privacy settings
Open Google Chrome, click the three dots icon in the upper right corner and select “Settings”. Then go to “Privacy and Security” tab, you will find all related options here.
Clear browsing information
To delete your private information, select “Browsing history” and choose the specific type of information you want to clear, such as browsing history and cookies. you can also set a “Time range” to clear data within a specific time range.
Customize cookies policy
Under “Cookies and other site data”, you can choose to allow all cookies, block all cookies, or block only third-party cookies, etc. You can also click on “See cookies and site data” to review the list of content stored on your computer, or click on the trash can icon on the right to delete individual cookie files, etc.
Modify site settings
Here, you can set whether to allow websites to ask for your location information, camera or microphone access, etc., so as to avoid unauthorized third parties from accessing your personal information.
In addition to Chrome, the Microsoft Edge built into Windows 10/11 also applies Google's Chromium kernel, so the functions and operations are basically the same.
If you choose another browser, don't worry, as all major browsers on the market should have such features, and you can clear your browsing traces and cookies with similar settings.