Clear Safari history in three steps
Open Safari and click Safari in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select Clear History from the dropdown. A window will appear asking how far back you want to clear — choose all history to remove everything, or pick a specific time range like the last hour, day, or week. Click Clear History to finish.
That removes the list of websites you have visited. If you want to also delete cookies, cached files, and other data that websites store on your device, you need a different menu. Go back to Safari in the menu bar and select Clear History again, but this time look for Clear History and Website Data instead — the exact wording depends on your macOS version. This option clears more than history alone.
On iPhone or iPad, the process is slightly different because there is no menu bar. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Safari, then tap Clear History and Website Data. Choose your time range and confirm. The result is the same: Safari forgets where you have been and removes the files websites left behind.
Key Takeaways
- Safari history is the list of websites you visited, and you clear it through the Safari menu on Mac or through Settings on iPhone and iPad.
- Clearing history alone leaves behind cookies and cached files — use "Clear History and Website Data" to remove those as well.
- You can clear everything at once or choose a specific time range, like just the last day or week.
- Clearing history does not sign you out of websites or delete saved passwords unless you specifically choose to clear passwords separately.
- Private browsing mode prevents Safari from recording history in the first place, so nothing needs clearing afterward.
What gets deleted when you clear history
When you use the basic Clear History option, Safari removes the list of websites you visited and the dates you visited them. This is what appears in the History menu and in the search bar when you start typing a web address. Someone else using your device will not see where you have been.
The Clear History and Website Data option goes further. It removes cookies, which are small files websites use to remember you and keep you logged in. It also clears the cache, which is a folder of images, scripts, and other files that websites store locally so they load faster the next time you visit. Autofill data — the information Safari suggests when you fill out forms — gets cleared too, depending on your settings.
One thing clearing history does not do: it does not delete your saved passwords. If you want to remove those, you must go to Safari > Preferences (on Mac) or Settings > Passwords (on iPhone and iPad) and delete them individually. It also does not sign you out of websites automatically, though removing cookies usually logs you out anyway.
The difference between clearing history and private browsing
Clearing history is a cleanup step you take after browsing. Private browsing is a mode you turn on before you browse, and it prevents Safari from recording anything in the first place. Nothing gets added to your history, no cookies are stored, and no cache files are saved — so there is nothing to clear later.
To use private browsing on Mac, click File in the menu bar and select New Private Window. On iPhone or iPad, tap the tabs icon (two overlapping squares) at the bottom right, then tap Private and tap Done. Any tabs you open in this mode stay separate from your regular browsing and leave no trace.
Private browsing is useful when you are using someone else's device or when you do not want a record of where you have been. The trade-off is that Safari does not remember your passwords or autofill information in private mode, so you type more. Most people use private browsing occasionally and clear history regularly for everyday privacy.
Clearing history on a shared device
If multiple people use the same Mac, clearing your history removes it from your user account only. Each person has their own login, and Safari history is stored separately for each account. When you clear history, you are only clearing what Safari recorded while you were logged in.
On a shared iPhone or iPad, there is only one user account, so clearing history removes it for everyone. If you share a device and want privacy, private browsing is a better choice because it keeps your browsing separate without affecting what others see. Alternatively, you can create a separate user account on a Mac so each person has their own Safari history and settings.
If you are concerned about someone else seeing your browsing, talk to them about using private mode or creating separate accounts rather than clearing history after the fact. Clearing history is not a security measure — it just removes the record from Safari's interface. Someone with technical knowledge can still recover deleted history in some cases.
When clearing history does not work as expected
Sometimes you clear history and Safari still shows a website in the search bar or autocomplete. This usually means the website is saved as a bookmark or in your reading list, not in your history. Check your bookmarks by clicking the bookmark icon (looks like an open book) in the Safari toolbar. If you see the site there, delete it manually.
Another reason a site might reappear is that you have iCloud syncing turned on. If you clear history on one device, it may sync back from another device where you have not cleared it yet. To prevent this, turn off iCloud syncing for Safari before clearing history. On Mac, go to Safari > Preferences > General and uncheck Remove history items under the iCloud section. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and turn off Safari.
If you are trying to clear history but the option is grayed out or not responding, restart Safari. Close all Safari windows, wait a few seconds, and open Safari again. If the problem continues, restart your device. On rare occasions, Safari needs a full restart to respond to the clear history command.
Automating history clearing in Safari
You can set Safari to clear history automatically every time you close the browser. On Mac, open Safari > Preferences > General and look for the option Remove history items. Choose how often: after one day, after one week, after one month, or manually. If you select anything other than manually, Safari will delete history on that schedule without you having to do it.
On iPhone and iPad, the automatic clearing options are more limited. You can turn on Clear History and Website Data in Settings > Safari, but this only clears data when you close all Safari tabs, not on a set schedule. Some people use this as a compromise: Safari cleans up automatically when you are done browsing, but you do not have to remember to clear it manually.
Automatic clearing is useful if you share a device or if you want privacy without thinking about it. The downside is that Safari will not remember your browsing history, so you cannot go back and find a website you visited last week. Choose automatic clearing only if you are comfortable losing that convenience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing Safari history delete my passwords?
No. Clearing history removes the list of websites you visited and cookies, but not your saved passwords. If you want to delete passwords, go to Safari > Preferences > Passwords on Mac, or Settings > Passwords on iPhone and iPad, and delete them one by one.
Can I recover Safari history after I clear it?
Once you clear history in Safari, it is gone from the browser. However, if you have iCloud syncing on, the history may still exist on other devices where you have not cleared it. If you cleared it everywhere, recovery is not possible through Safari itself. Some data recovery software claims to recover deleted history, but results are not reliable.
What is the difference between clearing history and clearing website data?
Clearing history removes the list of websites you visited. Clearing website data removes cookies, cached files, and autofill information that websites store on your device. The option "Clear History and Website Data" does both at once. Use this option if you want a complete cleanup.
Will clearing history log me out of websites?
Usually yes, because logging in relies on cookies, and clearing website data removes cookies. However, some websites store login information in other ways, so you might stay logged in to a few sites. If you want to stay logged in somewhere, clear history without clearing website data, though this option is not available in all Safari versions.
How often should I clear my Safari history?
How often depends on your privacy needs and how much you browse. If you share a device, clear history regularly — daily or weekly. If you use your own device, clearing monthly or using automatic clearing is enough for most people. Private browsing mode is an alternative if you want to avoid leaving a record in the first place.