Delete your Safari history in three taps

Open Settings on your iPhone, tap Safari, scroll down and tap "Clear History and Website Data", then choose a time range and confirm. This removes the websites you've visited, your search history, and cookies stored by Safari — the data that lets websites recognize you when you return.

If you want to delete history without opening Settings, you can also do it directly from Safari itself. Open the Safari app, tap the book icon at the bottom, then tap "History" at the top, tap "Clear" in the bottom right corner, choose your time range, and tap "Clear History".

The difference between these two methods matters: the Settings route clears cookies and website data along with your history, while the Safari app method clears only your browsing history. If a website has been tracking you or storing login information, the Settings method removes that too.

Key Takeaways

  • You can delete Safari history through Settings or directly in the Safari app, and each method removes different amounts of data.
  • Clearing history through Settings also removes cookies and website data, while the Safari app method removes only visited websites and searches.
  • You can choose to delete history from the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time.
  • Deleting history does not sign you out of websites or remove saved passwords unless you specifically clear that data separately.

Delete history through the Settings app

This is the most thorough way to clear your Safari data. Open Settings, scroll down and tap Safari, then scroll to the bottom of the Safari settings page. You'll see "Clear History and Website Data" — tap it.

A popup will appear asking you to choose a time range. You have four options: "the last hour", "today", "today and yesterday", or "all time". Pick the range that matches what you want to delete, then tap "Clear History and Website Data" to confirm. Your history, cookies, and cached website data will be removed immediately.

This method is stronger than deleting from within Safari because it also clears cookies — small files that websites use to remember you. If you're concerned about tracking or want to start fresh with a website, this is the route to take.

Delete history directly from the Safari app

If you're already in Safari and want to clear your history without leaving the app, tap the book icon at the bottom of the screen. This opens your bookmarks and history panel. At the top of this panel, you'll see three tabs: Bookmarks, Reading List, and History. Tap "History".

Once you're in the History tab, look for the "Clear" button in the bottom right corner. Tap it, choose your time range (last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time), and tap "Clear History" to confirm. Only your browsing history and searches will be removed — cookies and website data stay on your phone.

This method is faster if you're already browsing, but it leaves behind cookies and cached data. Use it when you just want to hide what sites you've visited, but don't need a complete data wipe.

What gets deleted and what stays

When you clear Safari history, you remove the list of websites you've visited and the searches you've typed into Safari's search bar. The time range you select determines how far back the deletion goes — choosing "all time" removes everything, while "the last hour" removes only the past 60 minutes.

What does not get deleted when you clear history: your saved passwords, your autofill information (like your address or credit card), your bookmarks, or your Reading List. If you want to remove any of those, you need to delete them separately through Settings.

If you cleared history through Settings (not just the Safari app), cookies and cached website data are also removed. This means websites won't remember you, and pages may load slightly slower the next time you visit because the cached files are gone. Cookies will rebuild as you browse.

Delete specific websites from your history

You don't have to clear all your history at once. Open Safari, tap the book icon, then tap "History". Swipe left on any website you want to remove, and a red "Delete" button appears. Tap it to remove just that one entry from your history.

This is useful if you visited a site by accident or want to hide a single visit without clearing everything. You can delete multiple sites one at a time by swiping and tapping on each one. This method does not affect cookies or cached data — only the history entry itself.

Automatically clear history when you close Safari

If you want Safari to delete your history automatically every time you close the app, you can set that up in Settings. Open Settings, tap Safari, then scroll down and toggle on "Close Tabs" and look for the option labeled "Clear History and Website Data". Tap it and choose "On Exit".

Once this is turned on, your history, cookies, and website data will be cleared every time you fully close Safari. This happens in the background — you won't see a confirmation. If you change your mind, return to the same setting and toggle it off or choose a different option.

Be aware that this setting clears data every time you close Safari, even if you only stepped away for a moment. If you rely on Safari remembering your browsing history or keeping you logged into websites, this setting will interfere with that.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will deleting history sign me out of websites?

No. Deleting history removes only the list of sites you've visited. You'll stay logged into websites because your login information is stored separately in cookies and passwords. However, if you clear history through Settings (which also clears cookies), some websites may sign you out because the cookie that keeps you logged in is removed.

Can I recover deleted history?

No. Once you confirm the deletion, Safari history cannot be recovered from your iPhone. If you need to find a website you visited, try searching your email for confirmation messages, checking your iCloud account if you sync Safari across devices, or asking someone who was with you what the site was called.

Does clearing Safari history delete my passwords?

No. Your saved passwords are stored separately from your history. Clearing history does not remove them. If you want to delete a saved password, go to Settings, tap Passwords, find the password you want to remove, tap "Edit", and tap "Delete Password".

What's the difference between clearing history and private browsing?

Private browsing (Safari's Private mode) prevents Safari from recording your history in the first place — nothing gets saved while you're in Private mode. Clearing history removes sites you've already visited. Private mode is useful if you don't want a record created; clearing history is useful after the fact.

If I sync Safari with iCloud, will clearing history on my iPhone delete it everywhere?

Yes. If you have Safari syncing turned on through iCloud, clearing history on your iPhone will also clear it on your Mac, iPad, and any other device signed into the same iCloud account. If you want to clear history on only one device, turn off iCloud sync for Safari first in Settings.