Why and how to clear your browser history
Deleting your browsing history removes the record of websites you have visited from your browser. When you clear history, your browser stops showing those sites in the address bar suggestions, and anyone else using your device cannot see where you have been online. The steps differ slightly between browsers, but the process takes less than a minute on any of them.
Most people clear history for privacy — either because they share a device with family members or coworkers, or because they prefer not to leave a trail on their own machine. Some do it to free up storage space, though the amount is usually small. Others clear it before selling or giving away a device.
You can delete all your history at once, or you can set your browser to delete it automatically every time you close it. You can also delete history from a specific time range — just today, or the last week — rather than everything.
Key Takeaways
- Every major browser has a keyboard shortcut to open the delete history window: Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows, or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac.
- You can choose to delete history from the last hour, day, week, month, or all time — you do not have to clear everything.
- Clearing history also removes saved passwords and cached images by default in most browsers, though you can uncheck those options if you want to keep them.
- Setting your browser to delete history automatically when you close it means you never have to remember to do it manually.
Delete history in Chrome
Open Chrome and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows, or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. A window titled "Clear browsing data" will open.
At the top, you will see a dropdown that says "All time" by default. Click it to choose a different time range: Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or All time. Select whichever matches what you want to delete.
Below that, you will see checkboxes for what to delete. "Browsing history" is checked by default. You will also see options for "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files." Leave these checked unless you have a reason to keep them — most people want all three deleted. Click the blue "Clear data" button at the bottom right.
Chrome will delete the history instantly. You can close the window and continue browsing.
Delete history in Firefox
Open Firefox and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows, or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. The "Clear Recent History" window will open.
At the top, click the dropdown that says "Everything" to choose a time range instead: Last Hour, Last 2 Hours, Last 4 Hours, Today, or Everything. Select the range you want.
Below that, you will see checkboxes. Make sure "Browsing & Download History" is checked. You will also see "Cookies" and "Cache" — leave these checked unless you want to keep them. Click the blue "Clear Now" button.
Firefox will delete the history right away. The window will close on its own.
Delete history in Safari
Open Safari. At the top of the screen, click the History menu. Near the bottom, you will see "Clear History..." — click it.
A small window will pop up. Click the dropdown that says "the last hour" to choose a different time range: the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history. Select what you want to delete.
Once you have chosen the time range, click the blue "Clear History" button. Safari will delete it immediately and close the window.
Delete history in Edge
Open Microsoft Edge and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows. A window titled "Clear browsing data" will open.
At the top, click the dropdown that says "All time" to pick a different range: Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or All time.
Below that, make sure "Browsing history" is checked. You will also see "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files" — leave these checked unless you want to keep them. Click the blue "Clear now" button at the bottom right.
Edge will delete the history instantly.
Set your browser to delete history automatically
If you want your browser to delete history every time you close it, you can turn on that setting instead of doing it manually. This is useful if you share a device or simply prefer not to keep a record.
In Chrome: Click the three-line menu at the top right, then click Settings. On the left, click Privacy and security. Under "Clear browsing data," check the box next to "Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome." From now on, Chrome will delete your history, cookies, and cached files every time you close the browser completely.
In Firefox: Click the three-line menu at the top right, then click Settings. On the left, click Privacy & Security. Scroll down to "Cookies and Site Data" and check the box that says "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed." Firefox will now clear history automatically.
In Safari: Click Safari in the menu bar at the top, then click Settings. Click the Privacy tab. Check the box next to "Remove history items" and choose how often from the dropdown: after one day, after one week, after two weeks, or after one month. Safari will delete history on that schedule automatically.
In Edge: Click the three-dot menu at the top right, then click Settings. On the left, click Privacy, search, and services. Scroll down to "Clear browsing data" and toggle on "Choose what to clear every time you close the browser." Edge will now delete your history each time you close it completely.
What gets deleted when you clear history
When you clear browsing history, you are removing the list of websites you visited and the dates you visited them. This is what shows up in your address bar when you start typing a website name, and what appears in your History menu or History sidebar.
Most browsers also delete cookies and cached files at the same time, unless you uncheck those options. Cookies are small files websites store on your device to remember you — they include login information, preferences, and tracking data. Cached files are images and other content your browser saved to load websites faster next time.
Clearing history does not delete your saved passwords by default in most browsers, though you can manually delete those separately if you want. It also does not affect your browsing on other devices — if you use the same browser account on your phone and your computer, clearing history on one device does not clear it on the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone recover my history after I delete it?
Once you delete history through your browser, it is gone from your device in the normal way. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visited may still have records of your activity on their end. Deleting your browser history only removes your local record.
Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?
No. Most browsers keep saved passwords separate from browsing history. When you clear history, passwords stay saved unless you specifically delete them. If you want to remove a saved password, you can do that through your browser's password settings separately.
Will clearing history log me out of websites?
Yes, in most cases. Websites use cookies to keep you logged in, and clearing cookies will log you out. You will need to log back in the next time you visit. If you want to keep login information, uncheck "Cookies" when you clear history.
What if I only want to delete history from one website?
Most browsers let you delete history from a single site. In Chrome and Edge, right-click the site in your History menu and select "Delete." In Firefox, find the site in History, right-click it, and select "Forget About This Site." In Safari, find it in History and click the X next to it.
Does clearing history on my browser affect my Google or Microsoft account?
No. Clearing your browser history only removes the record stored on your device. If you use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge with an account, your activity may also be stored in your account's web history online. You would need to delete that separately through your account settings if you want it gone.