Delete browsing history from Chrome, Firefox, or Samsung Internet

The steps differ slightly depending which browser you use, but all three let you clear your history in under a minute from the app itself. You do not need to go into Android settings or use a computer — everything happens inside the browser.

The most common browsers on Android are Chrome, Firefox, and Samsung Internet (which comes pre-installed on Samsung phones). Each one stores history the same way but accesses the delete function from a different menu. Pick the one you actually use and follow those steps.

Key Takeaways

  • Chrome, Firefox, and Samsung Internet all let you delete history directly from the app without touching Android settings.
  • You can delete all history at once or pick a specific date range — for example, just the last hour or the last week.
  • Clearing history does not sign you out of websites or delete saved passwords unless you specifically choose to clear those too.
  • If you want history deleted automatically every time you close the browser, both Chrome and Firefox have a setting for that.

Delete history in Chrome

Open Chrome and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Scroll down and tap History, then tap Clear browsing data at the top of the screen.

A menu will appear asking what time range you want to clear. The default is All time, which deletes everything. If you want to delete only recent history, tap the dropdown and choose Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or Last 90 days.

Make sure Cookies and site data is unchecked unless you want to sign out of websites. The box labeled Browsing history should already be checked. Tap Clear data and you are done.

Delete history in Firefox

Open Firefox and tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner (or top right, depending on your phone model). Tap Settings, then scroll down and tap Delete browsing data.

Firefox will ask what you want to delete. Make sure Browsing history is checked. You can also check Cookies and Site data if you want to sign out of websites, but that is optional. Tap Delete and the history is gone.

Firefox does not give you a time range option in this menu — it deletes all history. If you want to delete only recent history, you will need to use the history list itself: tap the three lines again, tap History, long-press the items you want to remove, and tap Delete.

Delete history in Samsung Internet

Open Samsung Internet and tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right. Tap Settings, then tap Privacy. Tap Delete browsing data.

A checkbox menu will appear. Make sure Browsing history is checked. You can also check Cookies and site data if you want to sign out of websites. Tap Delete at the bottom.

Samsung Internet, like Firefox, deletes all history at once and does not offer a time range. If you need to delete only specific dates, go back to the main menu, tap History, and long-press individual entries to remove them.

Set your browser to delete history automatically

If you want history deleted every time you close the browser, you can turn that on in Chrome or Firefox. This is useful if you share your phone or want to keep your browsing private by default.

In Chrome: tap the three dots, go to Settings, tap Privacy and security, then turn on Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. This does not delete history automatically — you still have to manually clear history — but it does sign you out of websites each time you close the app.

In Firefox: tap the three lines, go to Settings, tap Privacy, scroll to Delete browsing data, and turn on Delete browsing data on quit. This will delete history, cookies, and site data every time you close Firefox completely.

Samsung Internet does not have an automatic delete option built in. Your only choice is to delete manually each time.

What gets deleted and what stays

When you clear browsing history, you are removing the list of websites you visited and the dates you visited them. This does not automatically delete your saved passwords, autofill information, or payment methods — those stay unless you specifically check the box to remove them.

Clearing history also does not sign you out of websites unless you also clear cookies and site data. If you just want to hide where you have been without logging out everywhere, uncheck the cookies box before you delete.

If you have synced your browser to a Google account (in Chrome) or a Firefox account, clearing history on your phone will also clear it on any other device signed into that account. You can turn off sync in settings if you want to delete history on just one device.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete history from a specific website only?

Yes. In Chrome, tap the three dots, tap History, find the website you want to remove, and tap the X next to it. In Firefox, tap the three lines, tap History, long-press the entry, and tap Delete. Samsung Internet works the same way as Firefox. You can delete one entry at a time or select multiple entries before deleting.

Will deleting history delete my saved passwords?

No. Passwords are stored separately from history. To delete saved passwords, you have to go into settings and find the password manager. In Chrome, tap the three dots, go to Settings, tap Passwords, find the password you want to remove, and tap the trash icon. Firefox and Samsung Internet have similar password managers in their settings menus.

What if I deleted history by accident?

Once history is deleted, you cannot recover it from the browser. However, if you synced your browser to an account, you might be able to see your history on another device or on the web version of your browser. In Chrome, you can visit myactivity.google.com to see your Google account activity, which is separate from browser history.

Does clearing history speed up my phone?

Deleting old history frees up a small amount of storage space, but it will not noticeably speed up your phone. The main reason to delete history is privacy — to keep others from seeing where you have been browsing.

Can someone recover my deleted history?

Once you delete history from the browser, it is gone from the app. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visited may still have records of your activity. Deleting browser history only removes it from your phone.