To always allow cookies in Safari on iPhone, open the Settings app, tap Apps > Safari > Advanced, and turn off Block All Cookies. Websites that need cookies, such as sites you sign in to, will then work normally. The setting stays that way until you change it, so you only need to do this once. You can leave Prevent Cross-Site Tracking on for privacy.
These steps come from Apple’s Enable cookies on iPhone, Delete your Safari history, cache, and cookies and Browse the web privately pages. Apple currently publishes the same cookie steps for iOS 18, iOS 26 and iOS 27.
Before You Start
A cookie is a small piece of data a website stores on your iPhone so it can remember you, for example that you are signed in or which settings you picked. A few points save time before you change anything:
- Cookies are normally already allowed. There is no switch named “Allow Cookies” on iPhone. Safari accepts cookies unless Block All Cookies has been turned on, so “allowing” cookies means making sure that one switch is off.
- The setting is in the Settings app, not in Safari. You will not find it in Safari’s own menus.
- It only affects Safari. Other browser apps on your iPhone keep their own cookies and have their own settings.
- The path depends on your iOS version. On iOS 18 and later, Safari’s settings are inside Apps. On older versions, Safari is listed on the main Settings screen. To see your version, go to Settings > General > About.
How to Allow Cookies in Safari on iPhone
- Open the Settings app. It is the gray gear icon on your Home Screen.
- Scroll to the bottom of the list and tap Apps. Your installed apps appear in alphabetical order.
- Tap Safari. You can also type “Safari” in the search field at the top to jump to it.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Safari screen and tap Advanced.
- Look at Block All Cookies. If the switch is on, tap it to turn it off. If it is already off, cookies are already allowed and you do not need to change anything.
Result: Safari accepts cookies again, and sites that require them can keep you signed in and remember your settings. There is no Save button. Go back to Safari and reload any page that showed a cookie error. If you browse with Chrome on a computer or Android phone, see how to enable cookies in Chrome instead.
If You Don’t See Apps in Settings
The Apps entry was added to Settings in iOS 18. On an iPhone running iOS 17 or earlier, scroll down the main Settings screen and tap Safari directly. From there, look for Block All Cookies under Advanced; on some older versions the same switch sits on the main Safari settings screen under the Privacy & Security heading. Apple’s current guide only covers iOS 18 and later, so the exact position on an older iPhone may differ slightly. The switch name, Block All Cookies, is what to look for.
How to Confirm Cookies Are On
Go back to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced and check that the Block All Cookies switch is off. That is the only check you need on the iPhone itself.
For a practical test, open Safari, reload the site that complained about cookies, and sign in. Then close the tab, open the site again, and see whether you are still signed in or whether your settings were remembered. If the site was open while you changed the setting, close that tab and open the site in a new one so it loads fresh.
Why You Might Need Cookies On
Apple says that with all cookies blocked:
- You will likely not be able to sign in to a site, even with the correct username and password.
- You might see a message that cookies are required or that your browser’s cookies are off.
- Some features on a site might not work.
In practice that covers most sites with an account: email, banking, shopping carts, school and work portals, and streaming services opened in the browser. If one of those suddenly stops keeping you signed in, the cookie switch is the first thing to check.
What About Cross-Site Tracking?
Allowing cookies doesn’t turn off Safari’s tracking protection. Apple says Prevent Cross-Site Tracking, found in Settings > Apps > Safari, limits third-party cookies and data by default. A third-party cookie is one set by a company other than the site you are visiting, usually to follow your activity from site to site.
So there are two separate switches. Block All Cookies is all or nothing and is the one that breaks sign-ins. Prevent Cross-Site Tracking is on the main Safari settings screen, not under Advanced, and is meant to stay on. Turn it off only if a site you trust still doesn’t work after cookies are allowed, and consider turning it back on when you are done. Apple’s wording is that turning this option off allows cross-site tracking.
Still Seeing Cookie Errors?
If a site still says cookies are off after you have turned off Block All Cookies, work through these checks in order and retest the site after each one.
Reload the Page
A page that was already open may still be showing the old error. Reload it, or close the tab and open the site again.
Turn Off Content Blockers
Content blockers can also block cookies. Apple describes them as third-party apps and extensions that let Safari block cookies, images, pop-ups and other content. To check, go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Extensions, tap a content blocker, and turn it off. Then reload the page.
To switch an extension off for just one website, open the site in Safari, tap the button on the left side of the search field, then tap Manage Extensions and turn the extension off. Apple documents both routes in Get extensions to customize Safari on iPhone. Our guide on how to disable a Safari extension on an iPhone has more detail.
Test With Prevent Cross-Site Tracking Off
Some sign-in pages and embedded tools rely on third-party cookies. As a test for a site you trust, go to Settings > Apps > Safari, turn off Prevent Cross-Site Tracking, and try the site again. If that doesn’t help, turn it back on, because it was not the cause.
Clear Old Website Data
Outdated or damaged cookies can cause errors even when cookies are allowed. Clearing them makes the site start over. The steps are in the next section. Expect to sign in again everywhere afterward.
Check Whether the Site Needs JavaScript
Many sites need both cookies and JavaScript, and an error page may mention both. If you have changed that setting before, see how to turn JavaScript on or off in Safari on iPhone.
The Switch Is Gray or Won’t Change
If a Safari setting is dimmed and you can’t tap it, a restriction is probably in place. Apple notes that when the buttons for clearing Safari data are gray, you might need to check your web content restrictions in Screen Time. Screen Time is the iPhone feature for parental controls and usage limits, and a parent or the person who set the Screen Time passcode can change those restrictions. On an iPhone supplied by a school or employer, the organization can manage Safari settings, so ask its IT support. We could not confirm in Apple’s documentation exactly which restrictions lock the cookie switch, so treat this as a likely cause, not a certain one.
How to Clear Cookies
Warning: clearing website data signs you out of websites. Make sure you know your passwords, or that they are saved, before you continue.
- Go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.
- Tap Remove All Website Data, then Remove Now.
This clears cookies and cache but keeps your browsing history. Apple says it removes data sites use to save login information, so expect to sign in again. To clear history too, use Clear History and Website Data on the main Safari settings screen and confirm the timeframe. If either button is gray, there may be no data to clear, or you may need to check your Screen Time web content restrictions. For more on this, see how to clear the cache on iPhone.
How to Block Cookies Again
To undo the change, go back to Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced, turn on Block All Cookies, and tap Block All to confirm.
Warning: Apple notes that this removes all existing cookies and website data, quits Safari and reloads your tabs. You will be signed out of your sites, and turning the switch off again later does not bring the old cookies back. If you turned it on by accident, you’ll need to sign back in to your sites after turning it off. Our guide on how to block or allow cookies on iPhone covers when blocking makes sense.
Cookie Settings at a Glance
| Setting | Where it is | What it does | Suggested position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Block All Cookies | Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced | Stops every site from storing cookies in Safari | Off, so cookies are allowed |
| Prevent Cross-Site Tracking | Settings > Apps > Safari | Limits third-party cookies and data | On, unless you are testing a trusted site |
| Extensions | Settings > Apps > Safari > Extensions | Turns content blockers and other extensions on or off | Your choice; turn off to troubleshoot |
| Website Data | Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced | Removes stored cookies and cache | Use only when a site misbehaves |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cookies on by default in Safari on iPhone?
Cookies are allowed whenever Block All Cookies is off. Apple’s instructions for enabling cookies consist only of turning that switch off, and its privacy guide says Safari limits third-party cookies and data by default through Prevent Cross-Site Tracking. If you have never changed these settings, you most likely do not need to do anything.
Does clearing website data delete my saved passwords?
Apple says clearing history and website data doesn’t change your AutoFill information. You will be signed out of websites, but details saved for AutoFill are not removed by this action.
Can I allow cookies for just one website?
Apple’s cookie steps describe a single Block All Cookies switch that covers every site, not a per-site list. In practice, the choice is cookies on (with Prevent Cross-Site Tracking limiting third-party cookies) or all cookies off. Safari’s per-site Website Settings cover items such as camera, microphone and location, not cookies.
Do I have to allow cookies again after an iOS update?
You should not need to. The switch is a standing setting, not a one-time permission. If a site starts reporting blocked cookies after an update, open Settings > Apps > Safari > Advanced and confirm the switch is still off, keeping in mind that Apple sometimes moves settings between versions.
Is a website’s cookie banner the same thing?
No. A banner asking you to accept or reject cookies comes from the website and records your choice for that site only. The Safari setting decides whether any site can store cookies at all. If Block All Cookies is on, a site may keep showing its banner because it cannot save your answer.
Does this change cookies in Chrome or other browser apps?
No. The steps here change Safari only. Other browsers store their own website data and manage it from inside their own apps, so check that app’s settings or the developer’s help pages if the problem happens there.
Is it safe to leave cookies on?
For most people, yes. It is how Safari is set up unless you change it, and most sites with accounts depend on it. Keeping Prevent Cross-Site Tracking on and clearing website data now and then limits how much sites can keep about you without breaking sign-ins.
More Safari Guides
Once cookies are working, these guides cover other Safari settings on iPhone:
- How to stop Safari websites from using your location
- Why can’t I open a private tab in Safari?
- How to change the Safari search engine
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.