How to Block Trackers in Chrome (Third-Party Cookies)

To block trackers in Chrome, open Settings, go to Privacy and security, click Third-party cookies, and select Block third-party cookies. That stops ad and analytics companies from following you from site to site with cookies. Chrome has no separate “tracker blocker” switch, so this setting is the main one, and an extension can cover the rest.

The Third-party cookies page: Block third-party cookies selected, Do Not Track under Advanced.

Before you start

Works on: Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebooks and Android.
You need: about a minute. No account and no extension for the main steps.
Heads-up: a few sites, mostly embedded sign-ins and comment boxes, may stop working until you allow them.

What counts as a tracker in Chrome?

A tracker is a piece of code from another company, such as an ad network, that loads on many websites and records what you do on each one. Most trackers use third-party cookies. A third-party cookie is a small file set by a site other than the one in your address bar. Chrome’s own settings page explains it the same way: content embedded from other sites can set cookies, and those are the third-party ones.

How do I block trackers in Chrome on a computer?

Click the three-dot menu at the top right, then click Settings.
In the left pane, click Privacy and security.
Click Third-party cookies.
Select Block third-party cookies. The change saves right away.
Under Advanced, turn on Send a “Do Not Track” request with your browsing traffic.

Third-party cookies sits in the Privacy and security list.

Shortcut: type chrome://settings/cookies in the address bar to jump straight to the page.

To check it worked, go back to Privacy and security. The line under Third-party cookies changes from “Third-party cookies are allowed” to “Third-party cookies are blocked”. When we tested a fresh Chrome profile, the setting started on Allow third-party cookies, so don’t assume it is already on.

How do I block trackers in Chrome on Android?

Tap the three-dot menu, then tap Settings.
Tap Site settings.
Tap Third-party cookies, then select Block third-party cookies.

On Android, the cookie setting lives under Site settings, not Privacy and security like on a computer. The steps above match Google’s own Chrome Help page for Android.

What if a site breaks after I block trackers?

You don’t have to turn blocking off. On the same Third-party cookies page, find Sites allowed to use third-party cookies and click Add. Type the site’s address. Adding [*.] before a domain covers all of its subdomains, so [*.]example.com also covers mail.example.com. Every other site stays blocked.

What doesn’t block trackers?

Do Not Track on its own. It only asks. Chrome’s setting says sites use their discretion when responding, and trackers have no reason to say yes.
Clearing your cookies. It wipes the trackers you already have, but the same trackers set new cookies the next time you load a page that carries them. Blocking stops them from being set at all.
Relying on Incognito. It limits cookies for that window only. Close it, browse normally, and the trackers are back.

Can an extension block more trackers?

Yes. The cookie setting doesn’t stop trackers that load as scripts or use other tricks, such as fingerprinting. A content blocker such as uBlock Origin Lite from the Chrome Web Store blocks known tracker and ad scripts before they load. The full uBlock Origin no longer runs in Chrome, so pick the Lite version.

FAQ

Does blocking third-party cookies stop all tracking?

No. It stops the most common kind, where ad and analytics companies follow you from site to site. Sites can still see what you do on their own pages, and some trackers use other methods, such as fingerprinting. A tracker-blocking extension covers more of those.

Will blocking third-party cookies break websites?

Sometimes. Chrome warns that site features that rely on third-party cookies may not work. Embedded sign-ins, comment boxes and some payment pages are the usual problems. Add those sites to the allowed list instead of turning blocking off everywhere.

Does Do Not Track actually do anything?

It sends a request, nothing more. Chrome’s own setting says sites use their discretion when responding, and most sites ignore it. It costs nothing to turn on, but don’t rely on it.

Is Incognito mode enough to block trackers?

Partly. On a computer, Chrome already blocks third-party cookies in Incognito by default, so cross-site tracking is limited there. But Incognito does not hide you from the sites you visit, and the protection ends when you go back to a normal window.

The short version

Block third-party cookies in Privacy and security, turn on Do Not Track if you like, and add an allow-list entry for any site that breaks. For broader cover, add uBlock Origin Lite.