Modern mobile browsers accumulate a huge amount of temporary data during the surfing process. Files cookie (cookies) play a key role in this process by storing information about your sessions, preferences and browsing history. Over time, this database grows, which can lead to slowdown of the device or incorrect display of web pages.
Users often encounter a situation where sites stop loading correctly or display authorization errors. In such cases clearing cache and cookies becomes the only effective solution to the problem without the need to reinstall the application. This is especially true for owners of smartphones with a limited amount of built-in memory.
In this article we will look in detail at how to manage this data on Yandex Browser on the Android platform. You will learn not only about standard deletion methods, but also about the intricacies of privacy settings that will help prevent the accumulation of excess garbage in the future.
Why you need to delete cookies and cache in a mobile browser
The main function of cookies is to save the state of your interaction with the site. When you log into a social network or online store, the server sends a small text file to your device. The next time you visit, the browser sends this file back, allowing the site to “recognize” you and not require you to re-enter your password.
However, the uncontrolled accumulation of such files has a downside. Firstly, this is a question data security. If an attacker gains access to your unlocked phone, they can use saved sessions to log into your accounts. Secondly, outdated cookies may conflict with the updated design or functionality of the site, causing errors.
Regular cleaning helps free up space in the section Device memoryalthough text files themselves take up little space, they are often accompanied by a large cache of images and scripts. This is especially important for budget smartphone models, where every megabyte of free memory affects the performance of the system.
⚠️ Attention: After completely clearing cookies, you will be automatically logged out of all sites. Make sure you remember passwords for important services, such as mail or online banking, before carrying out the procedure.
Periodicly clearing cookies once a month helps maintain stable browser operation and reduces the risk of advertising networks tracking your activity.
Step-by-step guide for clearing through application settings
The most reliable and the complete way to delete accumulated data is to use the built-in settings menu of the browser itself. This method allows you to select a specific period of time for which you want to erase information, without affecting more recent data if this is not necessary.
First, launch Yandex Browser on your smartphone. In the lower or upper right corner of the screen (depending on the interface version), find the menu icon, indicated by three horizontal stripes or dots. Clicking on this element will open the main navigation window.
Next follow the clear algorithm of actions. You will need to go to the Settingssection, which is usually located at the bottom of the list or highlighted with a gear icon. All application management tools are concentrated here.
In the settings menu, find the item responsible for privacy. In different versions it may be called "Privacy" or have a subsection Data clearing. This is where cookie management tools are hidden.
☑️ Data clearing algorithm
After selecting the clearing item, the system will prompt you to define a time range. You can choose to delete data for the last hour, day, week, or for the entire lifetime of the browser. For deep cleaning, it is recommended to select the option "All time".
Deleting data for a specific site
Sometimes there is no need to erase all data in a row. It happens that problems arise only with one specific resource, for example, with the website of a favorite store or a news portal. In this case, targeted deletion would be a more reasonable solution.
To delete cookies for only one domain, open the problematic site in your browser. Notice the address bar at the top of the screen. To the left of the web page URL is usually a lock icon or a site settings icon.
Click this icon to open the site properties pop-up menu. Here you will see information about permissions and data usage. Find a button or link with the name Cookies and site data or similar wording.
In the list that opens, you will see all the domains associated with the current page (often these are third-party ad trackers). You can delete them one by one or use the button "Delete data" at the bottom of the screen to erase all information associated with this resource.
Why do sites perform worse after clearing?
After deleting cookies, the site takes time to relearn your preferences. The first few seconds of loading may be a little slower, since the browser will have to re-download avatars, theme settings and other elements that were previously stored locally.
This method is especially useful if you want to log out of your account on a specific site without affecting your sessions in other services such as Google or Yandex. This saves time and eliminates the need to re-authorize everywhere.
Using Incognito mode for automatic protection
If you don't want to constantly manually clean your browser, you should consider using private browsing mode. B Yandex Browser this function is called “Incognito”. It is intended for sessions that should not leave traces on the device.
When you open a tab in Incognito mode, the browser does not save your browsing history, cookies, form data and search queries. As soon as you close all tabs of this mode, all temporary information is automatically destroyed.
Activating this mode is very simple. Open the browser menu and select Incognito mode. A new window will open with a distinctive spy icon or a dark theme. All actions inside this window are isolated from the main profile.
| Option | Normal mode | Incognito mode |
|---|---|---|
| Saving history | Yes | No |
| Saving Cookie | Yes (before clearing) | No (deleted immediately) |
| Autofilling forms | Working | Disabled |
| Extensions | Active | Disabled by default |
It is important to understand that Incognito mode does not make you invisible to Internet provider or owner of the Wi-Fi network. It only prevents data from being saved locally on your phone. This is an excellent tool for logging into accounts on other people's devices or for searching information.
Setting automatic cleaning on exit
For those who value privacy and do not want to monitor manual cleaning, Yandex Browser provides a function for automatically deleting data when closing the application. This ensures that after each surfing session there are no traces left on the device.
To activate this option, go to Settings browser. Find a section related to privacy or security. In some versions of the interface, this item may be located in the subsection "Personal data".
Look for a switch with the name Clear data on exit or similar. By activating it, you can choose what data you want to delete: history, cache, cookies, or autofill data. It is recommended to leave a checkmark next to cookies.
⚠️ Attention: Enabling automatic clearing means that you will have to enter passwords on sites every time you start your browser. This improves security, but reduces usability.
This setup is ideal for devices shared by multiple people, or for phones used for work purposes where corporate data privacy is a top priority.
Automatic wipe on exit is the best balance between convenience and security for users who don't want to worry about manually managing data.
Solving common problems after cleaning
After deleting cookies, users sometimes encounter unexpected behavior on sites. For example, an online store can “forget” items in the cart, and a news portal can reset its theme settings to standard ones. This is a normal reaction of web resources to the loss of a session identifier.
If the site stops loading or displays an error 403 Forbidden immediately after cleaning, try completely closing the application and opening it again. Sometimes the browser needs to be restarted to correctly apply new security settings.
In rare cases, the problem may lie in the DNS cache. If clearing cookies does not help, try going to the phone settings, find the section Applications, select Yandex Browser and press "Clear cache" (not to be confused with clearing data).
It’s also worth checking to see if you have any third-party ad blockers or VPN services enabled, which may conflict with updated site certificates. Disable them temporarily to diagnose the problem.
Actions in case of a download error:1. Reload page (F5)
2. Restart the application
3. Check your Internet connection
4. Disable VPN/Proxies
Frequently asked questions about managing cookies
Will clearing cookies delete my saved passwords?
No, cookies and saved passwords are stored in different sections of the browser's memory. When clearing cookies as standard, your logins and passwords saved in the Yandex password manager will remain in place. However, you will be logged out of the sites as the session tokens will be deleted.
Is it possible to recover deleted cookies?
Unfortunately, no. Cookies are permanently deleted. They do not store important user information, but only technical session identifiers. They can only be restored by visiting the sites again and logging in.
Why, after cleaning, does the site ask you to pass a captcha?
Sites use cookies to identify trusted users. When you delete this data, the server sees you as a new visitor and, to protect against bots, may ask you to confirm that you are a human through a captcha.
Do cookies take up a lot of space on the phone?
Text cookies themselves take up a minimum of space (usually a few kilobytes). However, they often come with a cache of images and scripts that can grow to hundreds of megabytes. Therefore, you need to clear them in conjunction with the cache.
⚠️ Attention: The Yandex Browser interface may differ slightly depending on the Android version and application update. If you do not find the described items, check for updates in Google Play.