Browsing without cookies on your iPhone can be slow. Learn how to enable cookies on iOS.
Browsing through the web and you get a prompt to enable cookies on a website. Cookies are very important in many ways from making sure your web pages stay in English to keeping you logged into web accounts. Now you are wondering what cookies are and what they do.
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What are Cookies?
Cookies are small files or packaged text created by websites and stored by browsers for reference purposes. They are stored on the device where the browser is installed and contain information and data specific to a website user, used for faster and improved browsing experience and functionality.
What are browser cookies used for?
What cookies do is to make a website remember you when next you visit the site from the same device. Ever wondered why when you log in on a website, you stay logged in whenever you open the site URL again? That is the work of cookies, storing needed info so you do not have to start all over again when next you revisit. An example is your account on Facebook. After you log in to Facebook on your browser, every time you open Facebook again on your browser, your account is logged in already and your timeline opens immediately instead of the sign-in page. You will agree nonetheless that this saves time.
Cookies are also used by advertising agencies to display ads that are relevant to you. They collect data as you surf the web and determine what products or services you are likely interested in, then display ads that will catch your fancy. So the answer to the mystery of how come you are seeing ads about items you just interacted with or read about being displayed as you are surfing the net, all lies in cookies saved by websites that you visited.
On shopping websites, when you add items to a cart, the site saves cookies containing the information about what you just did on the site. That way, even if you mistakenly close the site or tab, when reopened, your items in the cart will still be there. I am sure you might have noticed this too on betting websites if you are someone that bets online. After choosing your games before booking them, the selection will be there regardless of where you navigate to until you book them.
About Safari browser and Microsoft Edge
Safari browser is the browser developed by Apple for their devices. Comes on all iOS and Macintosh devices. It is also available for Android and Windows operating system devices too.
Microsoft Edge on the other hand is a cross-platform browser developed by Microsoft. It is available on major platforms including Xbox. It stands as a good alternative to the Safari browser on the iPhone.
By default, on your iPhone, cookies are enabled in the Safari and Microsoft Edge browser. But due to some reasons, cookies might have been disabled on your phone browsers. So if you are looking to have the full browsing experience, you should enable cookies on your browser. Below is a step-by-step approach to enable cookies on your iPhone browsers.
How to Enable Cookies in Safari Browser on iPhone
To enable cookies in the Safari browser on your iPhone, here is what you have to do.
- Navigate to the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Select Safari from the list of apps and open its settings
- Click on Privacy and Security from the settings list.
- Click on the Block All Cookies toggle switch to the OFF position to enable cookies.
Enable Cookies in Microsoft Edge on iPhone
To enable cookies in Microsoft Edge browser on your iPhone.
- From your iPhone home menu, find and open the Microsoft Edge browser.
- Locate the 3 equally spaced dots on the navigation option at the bottom of the screen and click on it to open settings on the options menu.
- Navigate to Privacy and security.
- Click on Cookies on the list.
- Now unblock cookies by clicking on don’t block cookies.
Frequently Asked Question
Q1. Can cookies saved by a site be used by another site?
No. Cookies are unique to websites that create them. The cross-domain policy does not allow other websites to access cookies saved by another website. That is how your login details stay safe from access by possible scam sites you might access on your browser. A well-designed browser is very strict on security and enforcing cross-domain policy. So you should always go for trusted browsers if you want your cookie to be safe.
Q2. Do advertisers make use of cookies saved by a website?
Advertisers do not make use of cookies saved by a site. They save their cookies used for cross-tracking across sites.
Cookies come in two types based on how they are created, first-party cookies and third-party cookies.
First-party cookies are cookies stored by the website you are visiting. All the data about your visit to a site stored by the website in your browser are regarded as first-party cookies.
Third-party cookies on the other hand refer to cookies stored by another domain based on your activities on the website you are currently on. Data stored by advertiser domains are third-party cookies and they help to track interest across sites and show personalized ads.
Q3. Are cookies a threat to your phone data?
Browser cookies enhance the browsing experience and are demanded by some websites to work.
Hackers can steal data from cookies by hijacking cookies through malware. But you do not have to worry, malware will only enter your device through unsecured and malicious websites. So if you are careful about what you click and where you visit on the web, then you are safe.
Since hackers can hack your cookies by tracking the browsing history of an individual, you should use the incognito mode when visiting suspicious websites as cookies are not stored when browsing in incognito or private mode. Or you can clear cookies on your browser if you want to, after your browsing session.
Final thoughts
The browser is something we use every time on our devices. Very important in so many ways, speed and ease are also needed. Turning off cookies can reduce browsing ease, so it’s best you enable them.
