Make no mistake: they are watching you. Do you want to be shocked? Take a look at the secret map in your smartphone that tracks your every move. Tap or click here to see the map that follows you and delete it
How about the ads that follow you on the web? Facebook is one of the biggest data. Tap or click for ways to stop or restrict targeted ads on Facebook.
And then there are cookies, small bits of data that track your online activity. They are not just hidden in your computer. Cookies store your passwords on your smartphone and help you log in faster, but they can also collect more than you want.
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Ask yourself: are cookies worth it?
Take a close look at your priorities when it comes to cookies. Do you prefer the convenience of a browser like Safari or Chrome or the privacy of a browser that doesn’t store cookies in the first place?
This is a difficult balance to achieve, especially considering how convenient cookies make our browsing experience. They keep your login information and track your preferences to show you the content you care about, but of course it comes at the cost of your privacy.
The choice is up to you. If you want to clear them, go to your smartphone settings. Scroll down to the list of applications. Find your browser and follow the instructions below.
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1. Start with Safari
For iPhone Safari, follow these steps:
- Open up Settings and tap safari.
- Tap Clear website history and data. Apple will tell you, “Clearing will remove history, cookies, and other browsing data.”
- Then tap Clear.
2. Discard cookies from Chrome
If you’re a Chrome user instead, the process is a little different.
On iPhone:
- Open up Chrome browser and tap the three dots in the lower right corner and select Settings.
- Now tap confidentiality and then Clear browsing data. Check Cookies, site databut uncheck the other items.
- Then tap Clear browsing data and tap Done.
This is also a great way to check which data you want to clear. Note the option for Cached images and files. Make sure this is checked, tap Clear browsing data and then confirm your choice.
For Chrome on Android, follow these steps:
- Open the Chrome app on your Android phone or tablet. Tap | More â–¼which is to the right of the address bar.
- Click Settings.
- Tap confidentialitythen select Clear browsing data.
- To delete everything, select The whole time. If you want to delete cookies from a certain period, select your time range at the top.
- Check Cookies, media licenses and site data option.
- Then select Clear data and Clear.
3. Clean Firefox
The creator of Firefox, Mozilla, puts privacy first and foremost. This browser blocks tracking cookies by default.
There is one caveat. Firefox allows first-party cookies that are stored by the website you are visiting.
These cookies allow website owners to collect analytics data, remember your language settings, and so on to personalize your experience. If you want to clear them, here’s how.
On iPhone:
- Open your browser and tap the three horizontal lines in the lower right corner. From there, tap Settings.
- Scroll down to confidentiality section. Click on Data management.
- Tap Clear personal data on the bottom.
- You will receive a warning dialog. If you want to clear all selected data, tap All right.
Note: This will also clear the history of your synced devices.
If you’re using Android, follow these steps:
- Tap Menu, then Settings.
- From there, tap confidentiality.
- Choose Clear now and a new window will appear.
- Tap Clear data.
4. Put your privacy in the center with Opera
Here’s another privacy-oriented option that encrypts your data and blocks ads.
To clear cookies, open the browser on your Android or iPhone and tap the Opera icon in the lower right corner.
- From there hit Settings. This will take you to a new window.
- Scroll down and select Clear browser data. You will then be able to delete cookies and site data, clear your browsing history and even change your site settings.
- Tap Cookies and site data to delete all your cookies.
- You will see a new option at the top of the window appear next to Clear browser data header.
- Tap Clear button.
For a good measure, tap Cached images and files to empty anything that slows down your browser. Then tap Clear button.
Bonus tip: Lock what you do with a VPN
These days, big technology companies, advertisers, the government and your ISP want some of you. They want to know what you click, the sites you visit and where you go online. This is nobody’s business but yours.
S ExpressVPN, you can stay private online and keep everyone else away from your personal affairs. Registration is fast and you connect with just one click. It’s so easy to use and unlike some other VPNs, it won’t slow you down.
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