Enabling Cookies: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’ve recently visited a website and encountered a message prompting you to enable cookies, you’re not alone. Many sites rely on cookies to enhance your browsing experience, remembering preferences, login details, and other important information. Below, we’ll guide you through the process of enabling cookies across various platforms, including mobile and desktop browsers.

Why Are Cookies Important?

Cookies are small data files created by websites you visit. They store information that helps improve user experience by enabling functionalities such as keeping you logged in and saving your preferences. Without cookies, you may face limitations when browsing certain sites, including difficulties in accessing personalized content. Thus, it’s essential to enable them to fully enjoy the online experience.

Common Issues with In-App Browsers

One notable issue arises from using the Facebook app’s in-app browser. Users have reported that it sometimes fails to retain cookies between sessions, leading to errors when trying to access certain websites. This is a known defect that Facebook is likely to address. For now, the best solution is to avoid the in-app browser by opening links externally.

Here’s how to do that:

Open Links in External Browser via Facebook App

1. Open Settings: Tap the hamburger menu in the top right corner of the app.
2. App Settings: Select “App Settings.”
3. Link Behavior: Enable the “Links Open Externally” option to allow links to open in your device’s default browser.

By making this change, you can prevent issues associated with cookie handling in the Facebook in-app browser.

How to Enable Cookies in Various Browsers

Now that you understand the importance of cookies, let’s look at how to enable them in different browsers.

Internet Explorer (7, 8 & 9)

1. Open Internet Browser: Launch Internet Explorer.
2. Access Tools: Click on Tools, then select Internet Options.
3. Privacy Settings: Go to the Privacy tab and click on Advanced.
4. Custom Settings: Check the option to Override automatic cookie handling.
5. Cookie Preferences: Set both First-party and Third-party Cookies to Accept.
6. Final Steps: Click OK twice to close the settings.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Launch Firefox: Open your Firefox browser.
2. Access Options: Click on Tools, then select Options.
3. Privacy Tab: Navigate to the Privacy section.
4. Custom History Settings: Choose “Use custom settings for history.”
5. Cookie Settings: Ensure that both “Accept cookies from sites” and “Accept third-party cookies” are checked.
6. Expiration Preferences: Select “Keep until: they expire.”
7. Finalize: Click OK to save changes.

Google Chrome

1. Start Chrome: Open Google Chrome on your device.
2. Access Options: Click on the Tools menu, and go to Options.
3. Privacy Settings: Under the Privacy section, click on “Content Settings.”
4. Cookie Permissions: Check “Allow local data to be set.”
5. Adjust Third-party Cookies: Uncheck “Block third-party cookies.”
6. Save Changes: Lastly, ensure that “Clear cookies” is also unchecked, then close the settings.

Mobile Safari (iPhone & iPad)

1. Home Screen Access: Press the Home button to unlock your device.
2. Open Settings: Tap the Settings icon.
3. Select Safari: Scroll down and choose Safari from the settings menu.
4. Cookie Settings: Tap on ‘Accept Cookies.’
5. Cookie Preference: Choose ‘from visited’ from the available options.
6. Return to Home: Press the Home button to get back to the main screen.
7. Restart Safari: To apply the changes, you need to restart Safari. Press and hold the Home button for about five seconds until the screen goes blank, then release to return to the home screen.
8. Open Safari Again: Launch Safari to continue browsing with cookies enabled.

Conclusion

Keeping cookies enabled is a small but significant step towards a smoother, more personalized browsing experience. Whether you’re accessing social media or checking your favorite sites, ensuring cookies are properly set can enhance functionality and convenience. If you’re experiencing issues, especially with in-app browsers like Facebook’s, don’t hesitate to switch to an external browser for optimal performance.