With the information here, you can clear any browser history with ease; and also secure your online presence against information misplacement.
Your weblog or history is a detailed record of every page you visit on the internet. All browsers record your history, and while this can be useful, there are significant privacy concerns if you never delete your browsing history. Learn how to clear history in all major browsers and platforms and find out why a safe browser is the best option.
Clearing your web history is an important step towards greater privacy on the internet. It also makes your browser more secure by preventing history tracking and speeding up execution. Regardless of which browser and platform you are using, here are instructions on how to remove your browser:
Clear your Browsing History in Chrome
If Google Chrome is your favorite browser, this section is for you. You can sync your Chrome data, including your history, bookmarks and saved passwords, across your various devices. If so, all you have to do is clear your history once, and you’re good to go. Otherwise, you’ll need to do this process on every device that you’re using Chrome on.
On Desktop
It’s a pretty straightforward process of clearing Chrome history on your desktop, and it’s basically the same for Windows 10 and macOS. Let us begin.
- Open Chrome and click the three dots in the top right corner.
- Hover over the history and select history again from the new menu.
- You will see a new tab. Here, in the left menu, select the option Clear browsing data.
- Another tab will open with a pop-up window. This is really where you really learn how to clear your history on Google Chrome. Make sure the appropriate browser history checkbox is selected. You will also need to select the time interval from the drop-down menu. Select “Every Hour” to clear all of your Chrome histories.
- Click Clear Data to clear your Chrome history for the time period you selected. And you are ready!
On iOS and Android
Then we will delete your Chrome browsing history on Android phones and iOS devices. The procedure is more or less the same on both operating systems, but with minor differences. Here we’re using iOS as an example, but these steps also apply to Android.
- Open Chrome and tap the three dots in the corner. In the following menu, tap on history.
- A list of your recently visited websites opens. IOS users can tap Edit at the bottom to select individual pages, while Android can tap the X next to each list to delete them. To clear everything at once, tap Clear Browsing Data.
- On the next screen, make sure your browsing history is turned on, then choose a time range to delete from the Time Range menu.
When done, tap Clear Browsing Data or Clear Data on Android and confirm. And you are ready!
Clear your browsing History in Safari
Safari is Apple’s own browser and comes with every Apple device, both on the desktop and on the phone. Clearing your history in Safari is pretty easy. So let’s get started.
- Open the History menu and select Clear History.
- Select the part of your history that you want to delete, then click Clear History. There is no confirmation. So make sure you want to continue before clicking.
On iPhone and iPad
Safari is available for Android devices. So if you have one, it’s easy to scroll down. IOS users, you are in the right place. Let’s delete this browsing history from Safari.
- Open Safari on your iOS device and tap the book icon in the bottom menu.
- Tap the clock icon in the menu to access your history. To delete a single list, swipe left and tap Delete.
- To delete in bulk, tap Delete in the lower right corner. Then select the part of your history that you want to delete. Like on the desktop, there is no way to confirm your choice. So make sure you make good choices.
Clear your Browsing History in Microsoft Edge
Just as Safari is the default browser on Apple devices, so is Microsoft Edge on Windows 10 PCs. It is Microsoft’s replacement for Internet Explorer after it has been tested.
On Desktop
If you’re an Edge desktop user, we’ll clear your browsing history in Windows 10. As with other browsers, this process is straightforward.
- Open Microsoft Edge, click the three dots to the right of the address bar, and then select history.
- On the History menu, click Clear History (in blue letters above).
- Make sure the Browsing history checkbox is selected, and then click Delete. Here’s how to clear your history in Windows 10. If you want, you can configure Edge to clear your browsing history every time. Close by turning the lever on.
On iOS and Android
Microsoft Edge is available for iOS and Android mobile devices. How to clear your history in the iOS version. These steps should also apply to the Android version.
- With the Edge open, tap the three dots at the bottom of the screen.
- In the menu that opens, select Settings.
- From the Settings menu, select Privacy & Security.
- Then select Clear Browsing Data.
- Make sure browsing history is turned on, then tap Clear browsing data.
- Tap Clear to confirm your browsing history and say goodbye to it.
Clear your Browsing History in Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is a popular open-source browser that is available on most devices and operating systems. Here we are going to show you how to clear your Firefox browsing history on desktop and mobile.
On Desktop
Firefox makes it easy to clear your browsing history and search history in one place. With Firefox open on your PC or Mac, do the following:
- Click the library icon; it looks like a minimalist stack of books, then choose history from the drop-down menu.
- Select “Clear last history.”
- Make sure your browsing and download history has been checked. If you want to clear your search history too, see Forms and Search history. Then select the desired time interval from the drop-down menu and click Delete.
On iOS
If Firefox is your browser of choice on your iOS device, here’s what you need to do to clear your browsing history. Take out your phone or tablet, and let’s start cleaning up.
- With Firefox open, tap the menu icon in the lower right corner.
- Tap your library.
- In the lower menu bar, tap on history. Then tap on Clear Current History.
- Select a time interval to delete. We recommend that you delete everything. Once you play, there is no going back. So make sure you are ready.
On Android
Android Firefox fans can clear their browsing history in the following ways:
- Tap the three dots in the top right corner.
- In the following menu, tap on history.
- In the History menu, tap Clear browsing history.
- Tap OK to clear your browsing history in Firefox for Android.
What does my Browsing History Contain?
It’s all about deleting and deleting, but what is browsing history anyway? Your browsing history is a list of all the websites you have accessed and the date and time of your visits. Every time you access a new page, it is saved in your history.
Such meticulous recordings can be helpful when trying to come back to a useful page that you forgot. However, because it contains so much information about your online activities, it is also a very personal area of your browser.
How to View Your Browsing History
If you’ve followed it this far, you already know how to view your browser’s history. All you have to do is go to the History section of your browser. For all of the browsers and devices mentioned above, follow the same steps to access the History menu. From there, you can see all of your browsing histories since you last deleted it.
Browsing History vs. Cookies: What’s the Difference?
Your browsing history and browser cookies relate to your internet activity but in two different ways. As mentioned above, your browsing history is a passive record of all the pages you have visited. Your story will not know what you did on these sites or how long you stayed there. All it tells you is who was there when.
Cookies have more complex functions. There are different types, from simple cookies that simply remember your user preferences on a particular website, to much more complex cookies that allow you to track your internet activity and send that information to people who want to learn more about you.
These tracking cookies are of the most insidious type. Businesses research your online business so they can market or promote it more effectively, adjust the prices you see for their products, or decide what content to see. When you delete cookies from your browser, you temporarily close the window in your life that these companies have.
However, the next time you visit a website with one of your cookies, it will be displayed again in your browser. For this reason, it is also important to know how to disable browser cookies. This way, you block them before they can access your device.
Will my Browsing History Actually be Deleted?
If you go to your browser and clear all your history, from a local point of view, those records really go away. If someone else gets their hands on your computer, they will not be able to see which websites you have visited.
However, the deletion will stop on your device. Your ISP can still access your web activity, and you cannot prevent this from happening in your browser. The same goes for your VPN provider, in case you use one. Many VPN providers state that this is why they don’t keep logs of their users.