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

the privacy panel in "options" does not give me the option to say how long to keep cookies

  • 5 replies
  • 1 has this problem
  • 2 views
  • Last reply by cor-el

more options

I have it set to use custom settings for history, always use private browsing mode, and accept cookies from sites, but not to accept third-party cookies. Then underneath that is "keep until. . . " with a dialogue box but that is unavailable to me.

I have it set to use custom settings for history, always use private browsing mode, and accept cookies from sites, but not to accept third-party cookies. Then underneath that is "keep until. . . " with a dialogue box but that is unavailable to me.

All Replies (5)

more options

Make sure that you do not run Firefox in permanent Private Browsing mode.

To see all History and Cookie settings, choose: Tools > Options > Privacy, choose the setting Firefox will: Use custom settings for history

  • Deselect: [ ] "Always use private browsing mode"

Modified by cor-el

more options

So if I stay in private browsing mode all the time, am I not getting cookies at all?

more options

In Private Browsing mode you can use cookies just like in normal mode.
PB mode means that nothing is saved to disk, so you can't create cookies that last the current session.
In PB mode no access is possible to cookies that were created in regular mode and cookies created in PB mode are removed if PB mode is ended or Firefox is closed.
In PB mode all cookies are session cookies (so no expiration choice), but you can still block or allow specific cookies based on the default setting.

In PB mode you do not have access to cookies created in a regular session, so you can use that to swap cookies and login with other credentials or visit a website without using currently stored cookies.

Modified by cor-el

more options

Thanks, it's clear now.

more options

You're welcome