Safari stores your search history and website suggestions to make typing faster, but you can delete them whenever you want
Safari keeps a running record of what you search for and the websites you visit. When you start typing in the address bar, Safari shows you suggestions based on that history. If you want to remove specific suggestions, clear your entire history, or stop Safari from storing suggestions altogether, you have several options depending on how much you want to delete and how permanent you want the change to be.
The steps differ slightly between iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but the principle is the same: you're telling Safari to forget what you've typed and visited. This guide covers all three.
Key Takeaways
- On Mac, go to History menu, then "Clear History", and choose how far back to delete (last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time).
- On iPhone and iPad, open Settings, scroll to Safari, tap "Clear History and Website Data", and select your time range.
- To stop Safari from showing suggestions entirely, turn off "Suggestions" in Safari settings on Mac, or toggle off "Safari Suggestions" in iPhone/iPad Settings.
- Clearing history removes suggestions from the address bar but does not delete your saved passwords or payment information unless you specifically choose that option.
Clearing history on Mac
On your Mac, open Safari and click the History menu at the top of the screen. Select Clear History. A window will appear asking how far back you want to delete: "the last hour", "today", "today and yesterday", or "all time". Choose the range that matches what you want to remove, then click Clear History.
This removes your browsing history and the suggestions Safari pulls from it. If you want to delete history more often without opening the menu each time, you can set Safari to clear history automatically when you quit the browser. Go to Safari menu, then Settings (or Preferences on older versions), click the General tab, and check the box next to "Remove history items" and choose your preferred time span from the dropdown.
Clearing history on iPhone and iPad
On iPhone or iPad, you cannot clear history directly from Safari itself. Instead, open the Settings app, scroll down and tap Safari, then scroll down further and tap Clear History and Website Data. A menu will appear asking what time period to clear: "the last hour", "today", "today and yesterday", or "all time". Tap your choice.
This removes both your browsing history and the suggestions that appear when you type in the address bar. Unlike on Mac, there is no built-in option to clear history automatically on iPhone or iPad, so you will need to do this manually each time.
Removing a single suggestion from the address bar
If you only want to delete one suggestion instead of clearing everything, you can do that on Mac. Start typing in the address bar until the suggestion you want to remove appears. Hover your mouse over that suggestion, then press the Delete key (or Backspace on some keyboards). The suggestion will disappear and will not appear again.
On iPhone and iPad, there is no way to delete individual suggestions. You can only clear all history at once using the method described above.
Turning off suggestions entirely
If you do not want Safari to show suggestions based on your history at all, you can disable this feature. On Mac, open Safari, click Safari menu, then Settings (or Preferences), and click the Search tab. Uncheck the box next to Include search engine suggestions. You can also uncheck Include Safari Suggestions if you want to turn off suggestions from your browsing history specifically.
On iPhone and iPad, open Settings, tap Safari, and scroll down to the Search section. Toggle off Safari Suggestions and Search Engine Suggestions. This stops Safari from showing any suggestions based on your history or search patterns.
What gets deleted and what stays
When you clear history in Safari, you remove your browsing history and the suggestions that come from it. However, clearing history does not automatically delete your saved passwords, credit card information, or autofill data unless you specifically choose to include those items.
On Mac, when you click "Clear History", a checkbox appears for "cookies and other website data". If you check this box, Safari will also delete cookies (small files websites use to remember you) and cached data (temporary files that make websites load faster). On iPhone and iPad, the "Clear History and Website Data" option includes both by default, so if you want to keep your passwords and payment information, you will need to use a different method to clear only history.
Why Safari stores suggestions
Safari keeps a record of your searches and visited websites to make typing faster. When you start typing a URL or search term, Safari can complete it for you based on what you have typed before. This is convenient, but it also means anyone with access to your device can see what you have searched for and visited by looking at the address bar suggestions.
If you share your device with others or use a public computer, clearing history regularly is a simple way to keep your searches private. Turning off suggestions entirely is another option if you prefer Safari not to remember your activity at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?
No. Clearing history in Safari removes your browsing history and suggestions, but your saved passwords stay in place. If you want to delete a specific saved password, go to Settings (Mac) or Settings app (iPhone/iPad), find Safari, and look for "Passwords" or "Autofill" to manage them separately.
Will clearing history on my Mac also clear it on my iPhone?
Only if you use iCloud sync. If you have turned on iCloud for Safari in your settings on both devices, clearing history on one device will sync to the others. If you have not turned on iCloud sync, clearing history on one device does not affect the others.
Can I undo clearing history?
No. Once you clear history in Safari, it cannot be recovered. If you think you might need your history later, consider turning off suggestions instead of clearing history, or use Safari's private browsing mode for searches you do not want stored.
What is Safari private browsing and does it stop suggestions?
Private browsing (called "Private" mode in Safari) means Safari does not store your history, searches, or suggestions while you are in that mode. Open a new private window in Safari, and anything you do in that window will not appear in your suggestions or history. When you close the private window, Safari forgets everything from that session.
Why do suggestions still appear after I cleared history?
If you cleared history but suggestions still appear, you may have turned off only "Include search engine suggestions" but left "Include Safari Suggestions" on. Safari Suggestions pulls from your browsing history, so turn that off as well. Also check that you did not accidentally clear only the last hour when you meant to clear all time.