Safari, Chrome, and Firefox all store your browsing history by default, and you can delete it from each app's settings in under a minute
Your iPhone keeps a record of every website you visit in whichever browser you use — Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or another. This history helps the browser suggest sites you've been to and fill in web addresses faster. But if you want to clear that record, the steps differ slightly depending on which browser you use, and you have the option to delete everything at once or just the last hour or day.
The most common reason to delete history is privacy within your own household — if you share your phone or hand it to someone else, clearing history keeps your browsing private. You might also delete history to free up a small amount of storage space, though browser history takes up very little room compared to photos or videos.
Key Takeaways
- Safari history clears from Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, where you choose the time range (last hour, today, or all time).
- Chrome history clears from the app itself: tap the three-dot menu, select History, then Clear Browsing Data and choose your time range.
- Firefox history clears from the app menu: tap the three horizontal lines, go to Settings > Data Management, and tap Clear Private Data.
- Clearing history does not sign you out of websites or delete saved passwords unless you specifically choose to clear those too.
- You can set any of these browsers to clear history automatically when you close the app, though this requires turning on a setting first.
How to clear Safari history on iPhone
Safari is the default browser on iPhone, and its history settings live in the main Settings app rather than in Safari itself. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Safari, then scroll to the bottom and tap Clear History and Website Data. A popup will appear asking what time period you want to clear: Last Hour, Today, Today and Yesterday, or All Time. Choose the one you want and tap Clear.
If you want to clear only certain types of data — for example, history but not cookies — tap the same button but look for the option that says "Clear History and Website Data" with a dropdown arrow next to it (on some iPhone models this appears as a separate menu). You can then uncheck cookies or other items you want to keep. Most people just tap the main button and clear everything at once.
Safari also lets you delete history for a single website without clearing everything else. Open Safari, tap the book icon at the bottom, then tap the History tab (the clock icon). Find the website you want to remove, swipe left on it, and tap Delete.
How to clear Chrome history on iPhone
Chrome stores its history inside the app itself. Open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu in the bottom right corner, and scroll down to find Clear Browsing Data. A menu will pop up showing what you can delete: browsing history, cookies, cached images and files, and saved passwords. By default, all four are checked. You can uncheck any of them if you want to keep that data.
At the top of this menu, you'll see a dropdown that says "All Time" — tap it to choose Last Hour, Last 24 Hours, Last 7 Days, Last 4 Weeks, or All Time. Select your time range, make sure the data types you want to clear are checked, then tap Clear Browsing Data at the bottom.
Chrome does not have a built-in option to delete a single website from history the way Safari does. If you want to hide one site, you would need to clear all history for your chosen time period.
How to clear Firefox history on iPhone
Firefox keeps history clearing in its own app menu. Open Firefox, tap the three horizontal lines (called a hamburger menu) at the bottom right, then tap Settings. Scroll down to Data Management and tap Clear Private Data. A checklist will appear with options for browsing history, cookies, cached data, and other items. Make sure Browsing History is checked, then tap the red Clear Private Data button at the bottom.
Firefox does not give you a choice of time ranges the way Safari and Chrome do — it clears all browsing history when you tap that button. If you want to delete history from only the last few hours, you would need to use Safari or Chrome instead.
Setting your browser to clear history automatically
If you want your browser to delete history every time you close it, you can turn on an automatic clearing setting. In Safari, go to Settings > Safari and scroll down to find Close Tabs — tap it and choose "Manually" or "After One Day" or "After One Week". Then scroll down further to find Privacy and toggle on Prevent Cross-Site Tracking. This does not automatically clear history, but it does prevent websites from tracking you across the internet. To actually auto-clear history in Safari, you need to use a shortcut (explained below).
In Chrome, tap the three-dot menu, go to Settings, tap your account name at the top, then tap Privacy. Toggle on Clear Browsing Data and choose when you want it to happen — Chrome will then delete your history and cookies each time you close the app completely.
In Firefox, tap the hamburger menu, go to Settings, scroll to Data Management, and toggle on Delete Browsing Data on Quit. Firefox will then clear history, cookies, and cache every time you fully close the app.
What gets deleted and what stays when you clear history
When you clear browsing history, you are deleting the list of websites you visited and the dates you visited them. You are not automatically deleting cookies, cached images, or saved passwords unless you specifically check those boxes in the clearing menu. This means you can clear your history while staying logged into websites, because the login cookies remain.
If you want to delete cookies too — which will log you out of most websites — make sure the Cookies checkbox is marked when you clear. If you want to keep passwords but delete everything else, uncheck the Passwords option. Each browser lets you choose which types of data to clear, so you have control over what disappears.
Clearing history does not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or autofill information unless you specifically choose to clear those categories. It also does not affect your browsing on other devices — if you use the same account on an iPad or Mac, clearing history on your iPhone does not clear it there.
Why you might want to keep some history
Browsing history is useful for finding websites you visited recently but did not bookmark. If you clear history regularly, you lose this convenience. Some people clear history only when sharing their phone with others, rather than clearing it constantly. Others set their browser to auto-clear only cookies and cache, which removes tracking data while keeping the history list intact for their own reference.
If you are concerned about privacy from tracking companies rather than from people in your household, clearing history alone does not fully protect you — websites track you through cookies and other methods even after you clear history. Turning on Privacy Mode (called Incognito in Chrome) in any browser prevents history from being saved in the first place, which is more effective if you are browsing something you do not want recorded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?
No, not unless you specifically check the box for passwords when clearing. In Safari and Chrome, passwords are a separate checkbox. If you want to clear history but stay logged into websites, leave the passwords box unchecked.
Can I delete history from just one website?
Yes, in Safari and Chrome. In Safari, open the History tab, swipe left on the site, and tap Delete. In Chrome, you would need to clear all history for your chosen time period — there is no single-site deletion option. Firefox does not have either option.
What is the difference between clearing history and using Private Browsing?
Clearing history removes the record after you have browsed. Private Browsing (Safari) or Incognito (Chrome) prevents history from being saved in the first place. Private mode is better if you know in advance that you do not want a record of your browsing.
If I clear history on my iPhone, does it clear on my iPad too?
No. Each device keeps its own separate history. If you use the same account on multiple Apple devices and want to clear history everywhere, you need to clear it on each device individually.
Why does my browser still show website suggestions after I cleared history?
Suggestions come from bookmarks, frequently visited sites, and Siri suggestions — not just from history. Clearing history does not remove bookmarks or change which sites your phone thinks you visit often. You can turn off suggestions in each browser's settings if you prefer.