Safari sign-ins, carts, or saved preferences stop working when cookies are blocked, and the control moved in iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. It applies to every website you visit, not one site at a time.
Find the current Settings path, switch all cookies on or off, and know what happens to stored data when you confirm. If only one site is the problem, a website block is the better tool.
In this guide, I have covered:
Contents
Where Safari Cookie Settings Are Now
If an older tutorial sends you straight to Safari in the main Settings list, that path is outdated on current iPhone and iPad releases. Starting with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, Safari sits inside the Apps section.
Open Settings → Apps → Safari → Advanced. The Block All Cookies control lives on that Advanced screen, and it applies to every website you visit in Safari.
On an older device layout, Safari still appears directly in Settings and the cookie control sits on the main Safari screen. The steps below follow the current iOS 18 and later path.
Block All Cookies in Safari on iPhone and iPad
Use this option when you want Safari to reject cookies from every website. It is a global change, and confirming the prompt also clears the cookies those sites have already stored.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap Safari.
- Tap Advanced.
- Turn Block All Cookies on.
- In the confirmation dialog, tap .
You’ll know it worked when Block All Cookies shows as on under Safari → Advanced. Expect a few sign-outs: accounts can drop, and affected sites may ask you to sign in again once their stored cookie data is gone.
Allow Browser Cookies in Safari
Turn the switch off when account sign-ins, shopping carts, or saved preferences stop working. With the control off, websites can set cookies in Safari again.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap Safari.
- Tap Advanced.
- Turn Block All Cookies off.
You’ll know it worked when Block All Cookies is off under Safari → Advanced. Any site hit by the earlier cookie clear usually needs one fresh sign-in before its normal features return.
What the Safari Cookie Switch Changes
Cookies keep accounts signed in, hold cart contents, and remember preferences. Block them and those functions break, which is why sign-in and checkout pages sometimes fail outright.
One limit worth knowing: the switch controls cookie acceptance, not every tracking method a website uses. Safari on iPhone and iPad also has no per-site allow list and no separate setting for third-party cookies.
This menu path is specific to iPhone and iPad. If you also manage Safari on a Mac, the equivalent control is covered in how to allow or block cookies in Safari on Mac.
Block One Website Without Changing Safari Cookies
If a single site is the problem, flipping Block All Cookies punishes every other site you visit. Safari’s cookie switch has no one-site exception, so use a website restriction instead.
A website block limits access to that one site. Block All Cookies is broader: it rejects cookies everywhere and wipes existing cookie data the moment you confirm.
Should You Block or Allow Safari Cookies?
Block cookies if you want a global restriction and can live with the odd broken sign-in, cart, or preference. Allow them when those everyday site features matter more than limiting cookie storage.
There is no middle setting in this panel. And any confirmation that clears stored cookies can require a fresh sign-in on the sites you use most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Block All Cookies on an iPhone or iPad?
On current versions, including iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, open Settings → Apps → Safari → Advanced. On an older layout, Safari may still appear directly in Settings.
Does turning on Block All Cookies delete existing cookies?
Yes. Confirming Block All clears existing cookie data, which can sign you out of websites and remove stored cart or preference data.
Can I allow cookies for only one website in Safari?
No. The iPhone and iPad setting is global and has no per-site allow list or separate choice for third-party cookies.
Why does a website stop working after I block cookies?
Sites can require stored data for sign-ins, carts, preferences, and embedded features. Cookies must be allowed globally for those features to work normally in Safari.
