Clear your Safari history in three taps
Open Safari, tap the book icon at the bottom of the screen, then tap the clock icon labeled "History". Scroll to the bottom and tap "Clear History and Website Data". Choose how far back you want to clear — the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time — then tap "Clear History" to confirm.
That's the full process. The rest of this guide explains what actually gets deleted, what stays behind, and when you might want to clear only part of your history instead.
Key Takeaways
- Clearing history removes the list of websites you visited, but does not delete saved passwords or autofill information unless you specifically choose that option.
- Website data — cookies, cached images, and site preferences — gets deleted along with history when you use the standard clear option.
- Private browsing mode prevents Safari from recording history at all, so nothing gets added to your history list while it's on.
- Clearing history on your iPhone does not automatically clear it on your Mac or iPad unless you have iCloud sync turned on for Safari.
What actually gets deleted when you clear history
When you tap "Clear History and Website Data", Safari removes two separate things. First, it deletes the list of websites you visited — the pages that show up when you tap the clock icon. Second, it removes website data, which includes cookies (small files websites use to remember you), cached images (pictures Safari stored to load pages faster), and site preferences (like whether you told a website to remember your login or your font size choice).
What does not get deleted: your saved passwords, your autofill information (addresses and payment methods you've saved), or your bookmarks. If you want to delete those too, you have to do it separately through Settings.
The difference between clearing all history and clearing recent history
When you tap "Clear History and Website Data", Safari shows you four time options. "The last hour" removes only what you visited in the past 60 minutes. "Today" removes everything from midnight onward. "Today and yesterday" removes the last two calendar days. "All time" removes your entire history since you set up the phone or last cleared it completely.
Most people use "All time" because they want a clean slate. But if you only want to hide a few recent visits — say, you looked up something you'd rather not have in your history — choosing "The last hour" is faster and leaves the rest of your history intact. The time options apply to both your history list and your website data, so clearing "the last hour" removes cookies and cached images from that period too.
Why clearing history does not log you out of most websites
When you clear history and website data, Safari deletes cookies. But many websites store a separate, longer-lasting login token — a more permanent credential that survives a cookie deletion. That's why you often stay logged into Gmail, Facebook, or your bank even after clearing everything. The website recognizes you because of that token, not because of the cookie.
If you want to actually log out of a website, you have to do it manually through the website itself, usually by tapping your profile picture or account menu and selecting "Sign Out" or "Log Out". Clearing history is not a substitute for logging out.
How to prevent history from being recorded in the first place
Instead of clearing history after the fact, you can use Private Browsing to prevent Safari from recording anything while you browse. Tap the tabs icon (two overlapping squares) at the bottom right of Safari, then tap "Private" at the bottom left. Safari switches to a dark theme, and any pages you visit from that point on won't be added to your history.
Private browsing also clears cookies and website data when you close the private tab, though some login tokens may persist. You can have both regular and private tabs open at the same time — Safari keeps them separate. When you close a private tab, Safari forgets it existed. When you close a regular tab, the history stays.
Clearing history on one device when you use iCloud sync
If you have iCloud sync turned on for Safari, clearing history on your iPhone also clears it on any Mac, iPad, or other Apple device signed into the same iCloud account. This happens automatically — you don't have to do anything extra. The deletion syncs across all your devices within a few minutes.
If you want to clear history on only one device, turn off iCloud sync for Safari first. Go to Settings, tap your name at the top, tap iCloud, scroll down to Safari, and toggle it off. Clear your history. Then toggle it back on. This way, the deletion stays local to that one phone.
What to do if you want to keep some history but delete specific sites
Safari doesn't have a built-in way to delete individual sites from your history list. Your only options are to clear a time range (like the last hour) or clear everything. If you need to hide a specific visit, clearing "the last hour" is the closest you can get — it removes that site along with anything else you visited in that window.
Alternatively, you can use Private Browsing for visits you don't want recorded. Open a private tab, visit the site, and close the tab when you're done. That visit never gets added to your history in the first place, and the private tab's data gets cleared automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing Safari history delete my passwords?
No. Clearing history removes your browsing list and website cookies, but not your saved passwords. If you want to delete a saved password, go to Settings, tap Passwords, find the site, tap Edit, and tap Delete Password. You can also delete all passwords through Settings, but that's a separate action from clearing history.
Will clearing history on my iPhone clear it on my Mac?
Only if you have iCloud sync enabled for Safari. If you do, clearing history on your iPhone automatically clears it on your Mac and any other Apple device using the same iCloud account. If you don't want this to happen, turn off Safari sync in iCloud settings before clearing.
Can I recover history after I clear it?
No. Once you confirm the deletion, Safari permanently removes your history. There's no undo button or recovery option. If you think you might need a record of a site you visited, take a screenshot or bookmark it before clearing.
Does private browsing hide my activity from my internet provider?
No. Private browsing only prevents Safari from storing your history on your phone. Your internet provider, your WiFi network owner, or your employer (if you're on their network) can still see which websites you visit. Private browsing does not hide your activity from anyone outside your phone.
What's the difference between clearing history and clearing cache?
Safari doesn't separate these — when you clear history, you automatically clear the cache (stored images and files) at the same time. You can't clear one without the other in Safari's standard settings. The "website data" option includes both.