Clear your history in Firefox in three steps

Open Firefox and press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac to open your history sidebar. At the top of that sidebar, click Clear Recent History. A window will pop up asking what time range you want to clear — choose Everything if you want to wipe your entire history, or pick a specific time period like "Last Hour" or "Last 24 Hours". Check the boxes next to the types of data you want removed (browsing history is checked by default), then click Clear Now.

That's the fastest way if you just want to clear history once. If you want Firefox to automatically delete your history every time you close the browser, you can set that up in your settings so you never have to think about it again.

Key Takeaways

  • The keyboard shortcut Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+Y (Mac) opens your history and the clear button in one step.
  • You can clear everything at once or choose a specific time period like the last hour or last 24 hours.
  • The clear history window lets you pick exactly what to delete — browsing history, cookies, cached images, or all of them together.
  • You can set Firefox to automatically clear history when you close the browser so you do not have to do it manually.

What gets deleted when you clear history

When you click Clear Now, Firefox removes the list of websites you visited, but it does not automatically remove everything connected to those visits. By default, only your browsing history is checked. If you want to also delete cookies (which websites use to remember you), cached images (which speed up loading), or form data (like searches you typed), you need to check those boxes before clearing.

Clearing history does not sign you out of websites. You will still be logged into Gmail, Facebook, or any other account you were using — only the record that you visited those sites gets deleted. If you want to sign out of everything too, you will need to do that separately on each site.

Clear history for a specific time period

When the clear history window opens, the first dropdown menu shows Time range to clear. Click it to see your options: Last Hour, Last 2 Hours, Last 4 Hours, Last 24 Hours, Last 7 Days, Last 4 Weeks, or Everything. Pick the time period that matches what you want to delete.

This is useful if you only want to remove recent history — for example, if you visited something private in the last hour but want to keep the rest of your history intact. Just pick Last Hour and Firefox will only delete sites you visited in that window.

Set Firefox to clear history automatically when you close it

To make Firefox delete your history every time you close the browser, open Firefox and click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner. Go to Settings, then click Privacy & Security on the left side. Under the History section, you will see a dropdown that says Firefox will. Click it and select Use custom settings for history.

A new set of options will appear. Check the box next to Clear history when Firefox closes. Once you do that, Firefox will automatically delete your browsing history, cookies, and cached data every time you shut down the browser. You can click the Settings button next to that checkbox to choose exactly what gets deleted each time — for example, you might want to keep cookies so you stay logged into sites, but delete browsing history.

Clear history from the Firefox menu without using the keyboard shortcut

If you prefer not to use keyboard shortcuts, you can clear history through the menu instead. Click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of Firefox. Look for History in the dropdown menu — it is usually near the bottom. Hover over History and a submenu will appear. Click Clear Recent History at the top of that submenu.

This opens the same clear history window as the keyboard shortcut, so the rest of the process is identical. Choose your time range, check the boxes for what you want to delete, and click Clear Now.

Difference between clearing history and private browsing

Clearing history removes the record of sites you already visited. Private browsing (also called Incognito mode in other browsers) prevents Firefox from recording your history in the first place while that window is open. When you close a private browsing window, Firefox automatically deletes everything from that session — no manual clearing needed.

To open a private browsing window in Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows or Command+Shift+P on Mac. Everything you do in that window stays private and is deleted when you close it. This is useful if you want privacy for a single browsing session without changing your settings for the whole browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will clearing history sign me out of my accounts?

No. Clearing history only removes the list of websites you visited. You will stay logged into Gmail, Facebook, and other accounts. If you want to sign out, you need to do that on each website separately by clicking your profile and selecting the sign-out option.

Can I undo clearing history after I do it?

No. Once you click Clear Now, the history is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered. If you are unsure about clearing everything, pick a specific time period like Last Hour instead of Everything.

What is the difference between clearing cookies and clearing browsing history?

Browsing history is the list of websites you visited. Cookies are small files websites store on your computer to remember you — they let you stay logged in and remember your preferences. Clearing cookies will sign you out of most websites, while clearing history alone will not.

Does clearing history in Firefox clear history on my phone too?

No. Firefox on your computer and Firefox on your phone are separate. You need to clear history on each device separately. Open Firefox on your phone, tap the menu button, go to Settings, and look for the history clearing option there.

Why does Firefox still show some websites after I cleared history?

Firefox may be showing you suggestions based on bookmarks or frequently visited sites, not your history. If you see a website in the address bar dropdown after clearing, it is likely bookmarked. You can delete bookmarks separately by right-clicking them and selecting Remove.