To enable cookies in Chrome on a computer, select More (the three dots) > Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies, then choose Allow third-party cookies. On Android, tap More > Settings > Site settings > Third-party cookies and pick the same option. If only one website is complaining, you can leave the setting alone and add that site as an exception instead.
These steps follow Google’s Delete, allow and manage cookies in Chrome help page as it reads in October 2026.
What you are actually turning on
Cookies are small files that websites save so they can keep you signed in and remember your preferences. Google describes two kinds:
- First-party cookies are created by the site you are visiting, the one shown in the address bar.
- Third-party cookies are created by other sites whose content is embedded in the page, such as images, ads, or a sign-in box from another company.
Chrome’s cookie page only controls third-party cookies. First-party cookies are handled by a separate setting called On-device site data, covered further down. When a site says “cookies are disabled” in Chrome, the third-party setting is the first place to look, and the on-device setting is the second.
A few things to know before you start:
- The computer steps are the same in Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook.
- Third-party cookies are blocked in Incognito windows by default, even when you allow them elsewhere.
- Google notes that on a Chromebook from work or school, you might not be able to change cookie settings. Your administrator controls them.
- Third-party cookies can be used to learn about what you do on other sites. If privacy matters to you, the one-site exception is the narrower choice.
- Open Chrome and select More at the top right. It is the button with three dots.
- Select Settings.
- Select Privacy and security on the left, then select Third-party cookies.
- Under the list of options, choose Allow third-party cookies.
- Go back to the site that was failing and reload the page.
Google lists no separate save step after you select an option. To undo the change later, return to the same page and choose Block third-party cookies.
Older guides send you to Site settings > Cookies and other site data and an Allow all cookies option. Google’s current instructions do not use those labels. If your Chrome still shows them, it is probably an older version, and the option that allows cookies does the same job.
This keeps third-party cookies blocked everywhere except the sites you list. Google says sites on this list can use third-party cookies in both regular and Incognito windows.
- Go to More > Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies.
- Find the heading Sites allowed to use third-party cookies and select Add next to it.
- Type the web address. To cover a whole domain and its subdomains, put [*.] in front of it. Google’s example is [*.]google.com, which matches drive.google.com and calendar.google.com.
- Select Add. The site appears in the list.
To take a site off the list, select Remove to the right of its name.
The quick switch in the address bar
When Chrome is blocking third-party cookies on the page you have open, you can allow them for that site without opening Settings:
- At the left of the address bar, select Third-party cookies blocked.
- Turn on Third-party cookies.
- Select Close, or click anywhere outside the box. The page reloads.
After the reload, the address bar reads Third-party cookies allowed. Google describes this as temporary. In a regular window the site is added to your exceptions list for 90 days, or until you switch it off. In an Incognito window it lasts only until that Incognito session ends.
- Open the Chrome app and tap More at the top right, then tap Settings.
- Tap Site settings, then Third-party cookies.
- Select Allow third-party cookies.
- Go back to the site and reload it.
To allow just one site on Android, open the same Third-party cookies screen, tap + Add site exception, enter the address, and tap Add. Google’s help page reaches that screen through Privacy and security for this step and through Site settings for the step above, so look in both places if one does not show it. The [*.] prefix works here too. To remove an exception, tap it and tap Remove.
There is also a per-page switch. With the site open, tap Page info at the left of the address bar, tap Cookies and site data, and turn on Third-party cookies. Google says the site is added to your exception list automatically, and that the setting carries over into Incognito mode, where you cannot reset it.
First-party cookies fall under On-device site data. If it has been turned off, sites cannot remember you at all, and the third-party setting will not help. Google’s on-device site data page lists three choices:
| Option | What Google says happens |
|---|---|
| Allow sites to save data on your device | Sites are more likely to work as you expect. |
| Delete data sites have saved to your device when you close all windows | Sites will probably work, but are less likely to remember you between visits. |
| Don’t allow sites to save data on your device (not recommended) | Sites may not work as you expect. |
On a computer: go to More > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings, select Additional content settings, then On-device site data, and choose Allow sites to save data on your device.
On Android: tap More > Settings, then under Advanced tap Site settings > On-device site data, and turn On-device site data on.
If you keep getting signed out every time you close Chrome, the middle option is the usual reason. It clears cookies when the last window closes.
Chrome on iPhone and iPad
There is nothing to turn on. Google’s account help states that in the Chrome app on iPhone and iPad, cookies are automatically turned on and stay on. Its Chrome instructions for those devices only cover deleting cookies.
If a site will not sign you in, clearing its stored cookies can help. Be aware that this signs you out of websites and can delete saved preferences. Tap More > Settings > Privacy and Security > Delete Browsing Data, check Cookies, Site Data, uncheck the other items, and tap Delete Browsing Data. Safari has its own switch, covered in how to always allow cookies in Safari on iPhone.
How to check that it worked
- Reload the page that showed the cookie message, since a tab that was already open may still show the old error.
- On a computer, look at the left of the address bar. After you use the address bar switch, it should read Third-party cookies allowed.
- Sign in, close the tab, and open the site again. If you are still signed in, cookies are being saved.
Cookies are on but the site still does not work
Google’s Turn cookies on or off page suggests trying each of these, then signing in again:
- Open a new browser window. The old tab may still be holding the failed attempt.
- Clear the cache and cookies. A damaged cookie can block a sign-in. You will be signed out of sites when you do this. To remove data for a single site instead, see how to delete individual cookies in Chrome.
- Check whether you are in Incognito. Third-party cookies are blocked there by default, so a site can work in a normal window and fail in an Incognito one. Use the address bar switch or add an exception.
- Review your browser’s privacy settings. Another setting may be stopping the site.
A few other causes are worth checking:
- The setting is locked. On a work or school device, an administrator may manage it. Ask them to allow the site.
- The sign-in window never opens. Many sign-in boxes are pop-ups. See how to turn off the pop-up blocker and allow that site.
- The site asks for permission in a prompt. Embedded content from another site can ask to use the information it has saved about you. Select Allow if you trust it, or Don’t allow to refuse. Google says the connection lasts 30 days or for as long as you stay active.
- You are on an iPad. Clearing cookies and cache on iPad can fix sign-in loops there.
Stored cookies and site data can also skew a Chrome Lighthouse page speed test, so Google suggests testing in an Incognito window.
Frequently asked questions
Are cookies enabled by default in Chrome?
First-party cookies are covered by the on-device site data setting, which Google recommends keeping set to allow. Google documents one firm default for third-party cookies: they are blocked in Incognito mode. For regular windows, open Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies to see which option is selected on your device.
Is it safe to allow third-party cookies?
Google explains that other sites can use them to personalize ads and learn about actions you take across sites. Allowing them only for the sites that need them limits that.
Can I block third-party cookies but stay signed in across a company’s sites?
Often, yes. With Block third-party cookies selected, Chrome on a computer shows a switch named Allow related sites to see your activity in the group. A company can define a group of its own sites, and this switch lets those sites keep you signed in as you move between them.
How do I turn cookies back off?
Return to Third-party cookies and choose Block third-party cookies. Remove any sites you added under Sites allowed to use third-party cookies. Cookies that are already saved stay until you delete them.
Why does a site still say cookies are disabled in Incognito?
Incognito blocks third-party cookies by default. Add the site to your exceptions list, which applies in Incognito too, or use the address bar switch for that session.
Next step
Start with the one-site exception. It fixes most sign-in errors and leaves third-party cookies blocked everywhere else. Switch to Allow third-party cookies only if several sites you trust keep failing.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are tested on current devices or checked against official product documentation, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
Read more about Matthew and how Solve Your Tech writes and updates its guides, or report a correction.