Browser Cookie Sharing Issues

TL;DR

Your browser isn’t sharing cookies between windows because of security settings, different profiles being used, or extensions interfering. This guide shows you how to fix it.

Fixing Browser Cookie Sharing Problems

1. Check Your Browser Privacy Settings
   • Most browsers let you block third-party cookies. While good for privacy, this can prevent sharing between windows if they’re treated as separate origins.
     • Chrome: Go to chrome://settings/cookies and make sure “Allow all cookies” or at least “Block third-party cookies in Incognito” is selected.
     • Firefox: Go to about:preferences#privacy, under “Cookies and Site Data”, choose “Standard” or “Custom” with exceptions as needed. Avoid “Strict”.
     • Edge: Go to edge://settings/cookies and set the slider to “Allow all cookies”.
2. Use the Same Browser Profile
   • If you have multiple browser profiles (e.g., work, personal), each profile has its own separate cookie storage.
     • Make sure all windows are open using the same profile. You can usually see which profile is active in the top-right corner of the browser window or in the browser settings.
3. Disable Browser Extensions
   • Some extensions (especially privacy-focused ones, ad blockers, and cookie managers) can interfere with cookie sharing.
     • Temporarily disable all extensions to see if that fixes the problem. If it does, re-enable them one by one to identify the culprit.

       // Example: Chrome extension management page

       Go to chrome://extensions/ and toggle extensions off.

4. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
   • Sometimes, corrupted cookies can cause issues. Clearing them forces the browser to start fresh.
     • Chrome: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData (select “Cookies and other site data” and clear).
     • Firefox: about:preferences#privacy, under “Cookies and Site Data”, click “Clear Data…”.
     • Edge: edge://settings/clearBrowserData (select “Cookies and other site data” and clear).
5. Check Domain Settings (for Developers)
   • If you’re working with multiple subdomains, ensure cookies are set to be shared across them.
     • When setting a cookie in your code, use the domain attribute correctly. For example:

       document.cookie = "myCookie=value; domain=.example.com"; // Shares with all subdomains

6. Restart Your Browser
   • After making any changes, restart your browser completely to ensure they take effect.