# HTTPCookieStorage A container that manages the storage of cookies. ``` class HTTPCookieStorage ``` ## Overview Each stored cookie is represented by an instance of the [`HTTPCookie`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookie) class. ### Sharing cookie storage The persistent cookie storage returned by [`shared`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/shared) may be available to app extensions or other apps, subject to the following guidelines: - iOS — Each app and app extension has a unique data container, meaning they have separate cookie stores. You can obtain a common cookie storage by using the [`sharedCookieStorage(forGroupContainerIdentifier:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/sharedCookieStorage(forGroupContainerIdentifier:)) method. - macOS (non-sandboxed) — As of macOS 10.11, each app has its own cookie storage. Prior to macOS 10.11, a common cookie store is shared among the user’s apps. - macOS (sandboxed) — Same as iOS. - — `UIWebView` instances within an app inherit the parent app’s shared cookie storage. - — Each `WKWebView` instance has its own cookie storage. See the class for more information. Session cookies (where the cookie object’s [`isSessionOnly`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookie/isSessionOnly) property is ) are local to a single process and are not shared. > Note: > In cases where a cookie storage is shared between processes, changes made to the cookie accept policy affect all currently running apps using the cookie storage. ### Subclassing notes The [`HTTPCookieStorage`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage) class is usable as-is, but you can subclass it. For example, you can override the storage methods like [`storeCookies(_:for:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/storeCookies(_:for:)), [`getCookiesFor(_:completionHandler:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/getCookiesFor(_:completionHandler:)) to screen which cookies are stored, or reimplement the storage mechanism for security or other reasons. When overriding methods of this class, be aware that methods that take a `task` parameter are preferred by the system to equivalent methods that do not. Therefore, you should override the task-based methods when subclassing, as follows: - Retrieving cookies — Override [`getCookiesFor(_:completionHandler:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/getCookiesFor(_:completionHandler:)), instead of or in addition to [`cookies(for:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/cookies(for:)). - Adding cookies — Override [`storeCookies(_:for:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/storeCookies(_:for:)), instead of or in addition to [`setCookies(_:for:mainDocumentURL:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/setCookies(_:for:mainDocumentURL:)). ## Topics ### Getting the shared cookie storage object [`shared`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/shared) The shared cookie storage instance. [`sharedCookieStorage(forGroupContainerIdentifier:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/sharedCookieStorage(forGroupContainerIdentifier:)) Returns the cookie storage instance for the container associated with the specified app group identifier. ### Getting and setting the cookie accept policy [`cookieAcceptPolicy`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/cookieAcceptPolicy) The cookie storage’s cookie accept policy. [`HTTPCookie.AcceptPolicy`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookie/AcceptPolicy) Cookie acceptance policies implemented by the [`HTTPCookieStorage`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage) class. ### Adding and removing cookies [`removeCookies(since:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/removeCookies(since:)) Removes cookies that were stored after a given date. [`deleteCookie(_:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/deleteCookie(_:)) Deletes the specified cookie from the cookie storage. [`setCookie(_:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/setCookie(_:)) Stores a specified cookie in the cookie storage if the cookie accept policy permits. [`setCookies(_:for:mainDocumentURL:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/setCookies(_:for:mainDocumentURL:)) Adds an array of cookies to the cookie storage if the storage’s cookie acceptance policy permits. [`storeCookies(_:for:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/storeCookies(_:for:)) Stores an array of cookies in the cookie storage, on behalf of the provided task, if the cookie accept policy permits. ### Retrieving cookies [`cookies`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/cookies) The cookie storage’s cookies. [`getCookiesFor(_:completionHandler:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/getCookiesFor(_:completionHandler:)) Fetches cookies relevant to the specified task and passes them to the completion handler. [`cookies(for:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/cookies(for:)) Returns all the cookie storage’s cookies that are sent to a specified URL. [`sortedCookies(using:)`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/sortedCookies(using:)) Returns all of the cookie storage’s cookies, sorted according to a given set of sort descriptors. ### Tracking cookie storage changes [`NSHTTPCookieManagerCookiesChanged`](/documentation/Foundation/NSNotification/Name-swift.struct/NSHTTPCookieManagerCookiesChanged) A notification posted when the cookies stored in the cookie storage have changed. [`HTTPCookieStorage.CookiesChangedMessage`](/documentation/Foundation/HTTPCookieStorage/CookiesChangedMessage) A message a cookie storage instance sends when its cookies change. [`NSHTTPCookieManagerAcceptPolicyChanged`](/documentation/Foundation/NSNotification/Name-swift.struct/NSHTTPCookieManagerAcceptPolicyChanged) A notification posted when the acceptance policy of the cookie storage has changed. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)