How to block third-party cookies in Chrome on Mac: settings path and per-site fixes

What blocking third-party cookies does

A third-party cookie comes from a site you are not visiting. Say you read a news article. The news site is the first party. An ad network that loads inside that article is a third party, and it may try to set its own cookie in your browser. Blocking third-party cookies stops those outside cookies from being stored. The site you are visiting can still set its own cookies, so its own sign-in and settings keep working.

Blocking and clearing are different jobs. Blocking stops new third-party cookies from being stored. Clearing removes cookies that are already on your Mac. If you also want to remove old cookies, use the clear browsing data tool, covered in our guide to clearing browsing data in Chrome on Mac. Do both if you want a clean start.

You are not alone in wanting this. A 2023 household survey by Ireland's Central Statistics Office asked internet users whether they had changed browser settings to prevent or limit cookies. The answer was yes for 39% of them. Changing the setting takes moments, and you can undo it in the same place.

Block third-party cookies in Chrome on Mac, step by step

The steps below follow Google's own help article for Chrome. That article gives the path in one line: More, then Settings, then Privacy and security, then Third-party cookies. It does not list Mac menu bar items or keyboard shortcuts. Read each label on your screen before you click. If a label looks different, check your Chrome version first. The version section later in this guide shows how.

The faster route: chrome://settings/cookies

If you already know the address, skip the menus. Click the address bar, type chrome://settings/cookies, and press Return. Chrome opens the Third-party cookies page directly. Google's Privacy Sandbox guide lists this address next to the menu path, so both routes lead to the same controls. Bookmark the address if you change this setting often.

Keep one site working with a per-site exception

Blocking everything is rarely the goal. You want the outside tracking gone, and your bank or your work tool to keep working. Chrome handles that with exceptions. Under Third-party cookies, the list called Sites allowed to use third-party cookies holds the addresses that can still use them. Those exceptions apply in both regular and Incognito windows.

Add the site you need, not the ad networks it loads. A news site that uses a sign-in widget may need an exception for that widget. Check what breaks before you add anything. Start with the address of the site you were trying to use, reload, and test again. Add a second address only when you can name the service it belongs to.

1. Open Settings and go to Privacy and security, then Third-party cookies.
2. Under Sites allowed to use third-party cookies, select Add.
3. Type the address of the site you need, then select Add again.
4. To undo it later, find the site in the list and select Remove.

Allow one site for 90 days from the address bar

Sometimes you need a cookie for one visit, not forever. The address bar handles that case. When Chrome blocks third-party cookies on a page, a Third-party cookies blocked control appears in the address bar. Select it, then choose the option that allows third-party cookies for this site.

In a regular window, Chrome adds the site to your exceptions for 90 days. In an Incognito window, the allowance lasts only for that session. Use this route for a one-off checkout or a login that needs a cookie once. Use the exception list when a site needs access every day.

How Incognito handles third-party cookies

Incognito works differently in one way. Chrome blocks third-party cookies by default in Incognito. Exceptions still apply there, so a site on your list can use them in both modes. Some guides online describe a second option called Block third-party cookies in Incognito. Google's help article lists only Allow and Block at the top level. Treat the help article as the reference when the two disagree.

Check your Chrome and macOS versions first

Chrome on Mac needs macOS 13 Ventura or later, according to Google's update page. Chrome 150 is the last release to support macOS 12, per Google's Chrome Enterprise release notes. If your Mac runs macOS 12 or older, Chrome will not update past Chrome 150, and the menus may not match these steps.

To check your version, select More, then Help, then About Google Chrome. The version number appears under the Google Chrome heading. A Relaunch button appears if an update is ready. Wikipedia lists 157.0.8103.39 as the current stable build for Mac and Windows, dated 3 November 2026. Google's release blog did not confirm that build when this page was checked, so compare it with your own screen.

Chrome also moves faster now. Google's release notes say the release cycle changes from four weeks to two weeks starting with Chrome 153. Menus may shift more often as a result. The address bar route is a useful fallback when a label moves.

When the setting is locked or greyed out

Some Macs will not let you change this setting. Google's help article warns that on a work or school Chromebook you may not be able to change it. Google's Privacy Sandbox page says organization policies may also block cookies. If your Mac belongs to an employer or a school, ask the IT team before you try workarounds.

Chrome can also restrict third-party cookies on its own. Google's Privacy Sandbox page says Chrome restricts them by default for 1% of users, for testing. Those users can still block them entirely. If you see restrictions you did not set, that may be the reason. The setting stays yours to change either way.

Mistakes people make with this setting

• Blocking everything, then assuming the site is broken. Add an exception and reload before you give up.
• Adding ad networks as exceptions. Add the site you use, not the addresses it loads in the background.
• Treating a 90-day address bar allow as permanent. In a regular window it expires after 90 days.
• Expecting blocking to clear old cookies. Blocking stops new third-party cookies, and clearing removes stored ones.
• Looking for a second Incognito option. Google's help article lists only Allow and Block.
• Assuming blocking stops all tracking. It covers third-party cookies only, and sites can track in other ways.

How to tell if blocking is working

Open a site that loads a lot of outside content, such as a news site. When Chrome blocks third-party cookies on that page, the address bar shows a Third-party cookies blocked control. Select it to see the allow option for that site. Then sign in to a site you use every day and check that the login holds after you reload.

What to do next

If you also want to clear the cookies already on your Mac, read how to clear browsing data in Chrome on Mac. If one site needs its own space, create a Chrome profile for it and keep everyday browsing in another profile. For a private window for a single session, open an Incognito window in Chrome on Mac. Incognito already blocks third-party cookies by default.