brave-browser: [Desktop] Allow users to add site exceptions for data that is cleared "on exit"
Description
As it is now, any data type that is checked in the Clear browsing data --> [On exit] will have all data of that type removed upon closing the browser. While this is the intended function, we should implement a function similar to what Microsoft Edge does, where site exceptions can be added to a “Do not clear” list. Data on this list is ignored when the browser runs “clear on exit”:
This would help users maintain login data for sites they regularly visit and not have to re-authenticate every time data is erased. Additionally, this helps with support, since clearing browsing data often resolves issues with bad cache data – having the ability to suggest users do this, but without sacrificing specific data they know they want would be very useful and appreciated by users
Miscellaneous Information:
Original thread that bought this to my attention (again): https://community.brave.com/t/delete-all-cookies-on-exit-except-allowed-list/137872/5
About this issue
- Original URL
- State: open
- Created 4 years ago
- Reactions: 60
- Comments: 54 (1 by maintainers)
This would really help a lot of people achieve better security, I’m sure more people would use the delete cookies on exit feature if you were able to add exceptions
So, I followed the advice to set up a new profile to test this and you all are absolutely right. It is a feature.
If I set
Clear cookies and site data when you close all windowstoonand add sites toSites that can always use cookiesthose will not be deleted.My problem came from setting
Clear browsing data -> On exit -> Cookies and other site data, that’s the one which isn’t overwritten by the site exceptions. Thank you everyone!+1 from Community: https://community.brave.com/t/save-cookies-for-specific-websites-possible/288464
I can confirm that this works, but it is confusing and not user-friendly, in my opinion. Brave could do what Edge is doing, keeping a list of URLs whose data the user wants to preserve and deleting the data of every other website.
Having to sign in to websites that are visited frequently, especially those with 2FA enabled, is very annoying and does not improve security in any way.
agreed, feature worth moving up the list of priority, I would like to have security of Clear All on exit with exception cookies in domains to keep logins I use frequently, thank you
Been nearly 3 years since I posted this on the brave forum.
Still no change. Having clear privacy controls is table stakes for a privacy browser.
I think I understand what is happening now and why people are getting inconsistent results. There are two places to clear cookies on exit:
Settings > clear browser data > switch to the “on exit” tab > “cookies and other site”
Settings > privacy and security > cookies and other site data > clear cookies and site data when you close all windows. It is a toggle.
If you have the setting>clear browser data > on exit > “cookies and other site data” selected then it clears everything on exit – including any sites you have in your “sites that can always use cookies”.
To fix the issue, uncheck the field at: settings> clear browser data > on exit > “cookies and other site data”. Then go to: settings > privacy and security > cookies and other site data > “clear cookies and site data when you close all windows”. Here, keep the toggle set to “on”.
This clears of the conflict between the two settings and keeps the cookies that are always set to on.
This feature is already present in Mozilla Firefox, MSEdge and I would love to see it in Brave browser as well. Its a most needed feature. MSEdge
Mozilla firefox
Definitely add this feature. The absence of this feature is the only thing stopping me from making Brave the only browser I use.
+1 from Community: https://community.brave.com/t/selecting-what-cookies-to-keep-and-delete-all-others/283635/2?u=mattches
I think it got moved to Settings > Privacy and security > Site and shields settings > Additional content settings > On-device site data, then you choose the middle option (Delete data sites that have been saved to your device when you close all windows) and define the exceptions below.
The above is not synchronised with the forgetful browsing mentioned in https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/10493#issuecomment-1915303103 though, so not sure what the Brave team’s idea is.
I couldn’t agree more. I think I’ve got it set OK now, but I’m not sure I’m clearing all the cookies I want. Sometimes sites seem to “remember” things I didn’t expect them to. Using a browser shouldn’t require in-depth analysis of what’s being saved and what isn’t. There should be clear, unambiguous options to clear all cookies on exit, and a clear way to identify exceptions in the same option setting dialog.
Oh, and when I went to try to set the same options on the Android version, nothing looked familiar. I gave up and returned to the browsers I’d been using before. This is really a shame. Brave could be a real star in the browser world!
This seems like a very basic feature to implement. This issue has been open a long time, a lot of other browsers have it, I’m considering using brave, but I need this feature.
You can use this method for now.
+1 from Community: https://community.brave.com/t/deleting-cookies-on-exit-with-exceptions/359863/2
Thank you, @VGJUNKY! This is much clearer.
Of course we’re not always in this post to copy and paste the local URLs, above. To find the same settings in the UI, here is how to navigate through the Brave menus:
(1) Uncheck the “on exit” box:
(2) And the one I always have trouble finding, “Allow to save data on your device”:
There is no option where I can edit Sites that can use cookies while as others are cleared by this :
brave://settings/cookies→Clear cookies and site data when you close all windowsBrave seems to have removed the option in a new update. Kind of annoying as I cannot edit it or turn off so other sites can use cookies for login, and making me re-login again and again.
Agreed, especially lazy for a browser with its own customized settings page. Adding cryptocrap without addressing basic missing features is a terrible look.
This is a really important feature for keeping some comfort with the increased privacy of clearing everything on exit
No work on this still yet ?
You are wrong @joaopenteado.
The goal is that the “Always clear cookies when windows are closed” function always deletes all cookies except for sites specifically added as exceptions by user.
“Example 1” requires to "block all cookies " which is impractical since some sites do not function without cookies. Manually adding those sites does not make sense either since not all of them must be kept after browser restart.
Tested “Example 2” in Brave v1.33.106, cookies got deleted even for sites added under “Sites that can always use cookies” after restarting Brave.
There’s definitely demand for this very helpful feature, as it is constantly requested, as f.i.
https://community.brave.com/t/cookie-whitelist/82489 https://community.brave.com/t/clear-cookies-and-site-data-when-you-quit-brave-not-working-consistently/112651/3 https://community.brave.com/t/cookies-delete-in-all-sites-problem/128814 https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/issues/5089