This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Firefox not clearing cookies on close

  • 2 replies
  • 3 have this problem
  • 9 views
  • Last reply by MWba

more options

Firefox is set to clear history and cookies on close. History is cleared but when I start a new tab it fills with recently visited sites and the cookies re-appear but not the history. When I manually clear them exit the browser start again – they are back! I’ve tried deleting cookies.sqlite. I also uninstalled and then downloaded and reinstalled Firefox and just imported the stored bookmarks with no result. Any idea please.

Firefox is set to clear history and cookies on close. History is cleared but when I start a new tab it fills with recently visited sites and the cookies re-appear but not the history. When I manually clear them exit the browser start again – they are back! I’ve tried deleting cookies.sqlite. I also uninstalled and then downloaded and reinstalled Firefox and just imported the stored bookmarks with no result. Any idea please.

All Replies (2)

more options

Are you closing all open tabs before closing Firefox?

Are you automatically reopening tabs and windows from the previous session via session restore?

  • Tools > Options > General > Startup: "When Firefox Starts": "Show my windows and tabs from last time"

Firefox stores cookies used in tabs that are currently open in the sessionstore.js file as part of saved session data, so those cookies will be restored if Firefox is closed without first closing these tabs.

You can check for problems with the sessionstore.js and sessionstore.bak files in the Firefox profile folder that store session data.

Deleting sessionstore.js will cause App Tabs and Tab Groups and open and closed (undo) tabs to get lost and you will have to recreate them (make a note or bookmark them if possible).

more options

Thanks for your feedback. Yes I close all tabs and use the EXIT and not X

I have a start up page so opening last tab also not it. When I start a new tab it fills with nine previously visited and puts the cookies back too.

I'll try profile option - if that 's no good I guess it's on to Safari.

Thanks for your help.