How to delete browsing history in your browser
Every browser stores a record of the sites you visit, the searches you run, and the files you download. Deleting this history removes that record from your device. The steps differ slightly between Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, but all four let you clear everything at once or pick a specific date range.
You can delete history immediately after browsing, or go back weeks or months and remove older records. Some browsers also let you prevent history from being saved in the first place by using a private browsing mode.
Key Takeaways
- Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all have a keyboard shortcut to open the clear history menu: Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows, or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac.
- You can delete all history at once or choose a specific time range — last hour, last day, last week, or a custom date you set yourself.
- Clearing history also removes cookies and cached files by default in most browsers, which you can toggle on or off depending on what you want to keep.
- Private or Incognito browsing modes prevent history from being saved in the first place, though they do not hide your activity from your internet provider or network administrator.
Deleting history in Google Chrome
Open Chrome and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. This opens the "Clear browsing data" window directly. At the top, you will see a dropdown menu that says "All time" — click it to choose a different range. Select "Last hour", "Last 24 hours", "Last 7 days", "Last 4 weeks", or "All time".
Below the time range, checkboxes let you choose what to delete. "Browsing history" is checked by default. You can also check "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files" if you want to remove those too. Leave unchecked anything you want to keep. Click the blue "Clear data" button at the bottom right.
If you prefer to use the menu instead of the keyboard shortcut, click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome, select "History", then click "History" again. On the left side, click "Clear browsing data".
Deleting history in Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete Mac. This opens the "Clear Recent History" window. At the top, click the dropdown that says "Everything" to choose a time range instead — options are "Last Hour", "Last Two Hours", "Last Four Hours", "Today", or "Everything".
Below that, checkboxes show what Firefox will delete. "Browsing & Download History" is checked by default. You can also check "Cookies" and "Cache" if you want to remove those. Click the blue "Clear Now" button to finish.
To access this through the menu, click the three horizontal lines in the top right, select "History", then click "Clear Recent History".
Deleting history in Apple Safari
Open Safari and click "History" in the menu bar at the top of the screen. At the bottom of the dropdown menu, click "Clear History". A small window appears asking how far back you want to go — choose "the last hour", "today", "today and yesterday", or "all history". Click the "Clear History" button.
Safari does not offer a keyboard shortcut for this action on Mac. If you want to also remove cookies and cached data, go to "Safari" in the menu bar, click "Settings", select the "Privacy" tab, and click "Manage Website Data". Select the sites you want to remove data for and click "Remove".
Deleting history in Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows. This opens the "Clear browsing data" window. At the top, click the dropdown that says "All time" to pick a different range — options are "Last hour", "Last 24 hours", "Last 7 days", "Last 4 weeks", or "All time".
Check the boxes for what you want to delete. "Browsing history" is checked by default. You can also check "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files". Click the blue "Clear now" button at the bottom right.
If you use the menu instead, click the three horizontal dots in the top right corner, select "History", then click "Clear browsing data".
Using private browsing to prevent history from being saved
If you do not want a record of your browsing saved in the first place, you can use a private browsing mode. Chrome calls it Incognito mode, Firefox calls it Private Window, Safari calls it Private Browsing, and Edge calls it InPrivate browsing. In all four browsers, opening a private window prevents sites you visit, searches you run, and files you download from being added to your history.
Open a private window by pressing Ctrl+Shift+N in Chrome or Edge on Windows, Command+Shift+N in Chrome on Mac, Ctrl+Shift+P in Firefox on Windows, Command+Shift+P in Firefox on Mac, or Command+Shift+N in Safari on Mac. Private browsing does not hide your activity from your internet provider, your network administrator, or the websites you visit — it only keeps a record from being stored on your device.
What gets deleted when you clear history
When you clear browsing history, you remove the list of websites you visited and the searches you performed. Most browsers also delete cookies — small files websites store on your device to remember you — and cached files — copies of images and other content downloaded to speed up loading.
Passwords, autofill information, and bookmarks are usually not deleted unless you specifically check a box to remove them. Saved passwords in particular are kept separate and require a different process to remove. If you want to delete a password for a specific site, you can usually do that through the browser's settings or password manager without clearing your entire history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing history delete saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately from browsing history and are not deleted when you clear history. To remove a saved password, go to your browser's password settings — in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, this is usually under Settings or Preferences — find the password you want to delete, and click the remove or delete button next to it.
Will clearing history delete my bookmarks?
No. Bookmarks are stored separately and are not affected by clearing history. If you want to delete bookmarks, you must do that through your browser's bookmark manager, which is usually accessed through the menu or by pressing Ctrl+B (or Command+B on Mac).
Can someone see my browsing history after I delete it?
Deleting history removes it from your device, but your internet provider and network administrator can still see what sites you visit in real time. If you are on a work network, your employer may also have records of your activity. Private browsing mode does not hide your activity from these parties either.
Does clearing cache and cookies log me out of websites?
Yes. Cookies store login information, so deleting them will log you out of most websites. You will need to sign back in the next time you visit. If you want to keep some logins active, uncheck "Cookies and other site data" when clearing history and only delete browsing history itself.
How often should I clear my browsing history?
How often you clear history is a personal choice. Some people clear it weekly or monthly for privacy, while others clear it only when their browser feels slow. Clearing history does free up a small amount of storage space, but the impact on device performance is usually minimal unless you have years of history stored.