Delete your Safari history in three steps
Open Safari, tap the book icon at the bottom right, then tap the clock icon labeled "History". Scroll to the bottom and tap "Clear History and Website Data". Choose how far back you want to clear — the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time — then tap "Clear History and Website Data" again to confirm.
This removes the list of websites you've visited from Safari's history menu. It also clears your search history and cookies, which are small files websites store on your iPad to remember you. If you want to keep cookies from sites you trust but still clear your history, you can use the "Settings" app instead: go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, which gives you fewer options but the same result.
The process is the same whether you're using the latest iPad or an older model running iOS 15 or later. If you're running an older version of iOS, the icons and menu names may look slightly different, but the general steps remain the same.
Key Takeaways
- Clearing history in Safari removes the list of websites you visited, your search terms, and cookies that websites stored on your device.
- You can clear history from the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time — choose the timeframe that matches what you want to remove.
- Clearing history does not delete files you downloaded or passwords you saved, only the record of where you browsed.
- If you want Safari to stop saving history altogether, turn on Private Browsing mode, which leaves no record of sites you visit during that session.
What clearing history actually removes and what it leaves behind
When you clear history, Safari deletes three things: the list of websites in your history menu, the search terms you typed into the search bar, and cookies. Cookies are files that websites place on your iPad to remember things about you — your login status, items in a shopping cart, or your preferred language. Clearing them means you may have to log back into sites you visit regularly.
Clearing history does not delete files you downloaded, passwords you saved in iCloud Keychain, or autofill information like your address or credit card number. Those stay on your iPad unless you remove them separately. If you want to delete a saved password, go to Settings > Passwords, find the site, and swipe left to delete it. To remove autofill data, go to Settings > Safari > Autofill and turn off the categories you don't want.
If a website has already sent information about you to its own servers — like a purchase history or account activity — clearing your iPad's history does not erase that. Only the website itself can delete its records of what you did there.
Use Private Browsing to prevent history from being saved in the first place
If you don't want Safari to save your browsing history at all, use Private Browsing mode. Open Safari, tap the tabs icon (two overlapping squares) at the bottom right, then tap "Private" at the bottom left. The address bar will turn dark, and Safari will not save any history, cookies, or search terms from that session.
Private Browsing is useful when you're shopping for a gift on a shared iPad, looking up health information you'd rather keep private, or using a public iPad. When you close a Private Browsing tab, Safari forgets everything that happened in it. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see where you're going — Private Browsing only hides your activity from other people using the same iPad.
You can have both regular and Private Browsing tabs open at the same time. Regular tabs will save history as usual, while Private tabs will not. This lets you keep your normal browsing in one set of tabs and your private browsing in another.
Clear history from Chrome, Firefox, or other browsers on iPad
If you use a browser other than Safari, the steps are different. In Chrome, tap the three dots at the bottom right, go to Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data, choose your timeframe, and tap "Clear Browsing Data". In Firefox, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, go to Settings > Data Management > Clear Private Data, and confirm.
Each browser stores history separately, so clearing history in Safari does not clear history in Chrome or Firefox. If you use multiple browsers on your iPad, you'll need to clear history in each one individually if you want to remove all traces of where you've been.
Some browsers also offer their own private browsing modes — Chrome calls it "Incognito" and Firefox calls it "Private Browsing" — which work the same way as Safari's Private Browsing: they don't save history for that session, but your internet service provider can still see your activity.
Why you might want to clear your history regularly
Clearing history regularly keeps your browsing private from other people who use your iPad. If you share your device with family members, roommates, or colleagues, they can see your history by opening Safari and tapping the clock icon. Clearing it removes that record, though it doesn't prevent them from seeing what you're doing in real time if they're watching your screen.
Clearing cookies can also speed up Safari slightly, since your iPad won't have to load as many stored files. However, the difference is usually small. A more noticeable benefit is that clearing cookies can fix problems with websites that aren't loading correctly — sometimes a corrupted cookie causes a site to behave strangely, and clearing it forces the site to start fresh.
Clearing history does not improve your privacy from websites themselves, your internet service provider, or advertisers. Those entities track you through other means, like tracking pixels and your IP address, which clearing your history does not affect. If you want broader privacy protection, consider using a VPN or a privacy-focused browser, though those are separate tools with their own trade-offs.
Automate history clearing with Safari settings
Instead of manually clearing history every time, you can set Safari to clear it automatically. Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, then choose "On Exit". Safari will then clear your history, cookies, and search terms every time you close the app completely — not just when you close individual tabs.
This setting applies only to regular browsing. Private Browsing tabs are already cleared automatically when you close them, regardless of this setting. If you turn on "On Exit", you won't be able to use Safari's history menu to find a site you visited earlier in the day, since it will be gone once you close the app.
If you want finer control, you can also go to Settings > Safari > Cookies and Site Data and choose "Block All Cookies" or "Allow from Websites I Visit". Blocking all cookies prevents websites from storing files on your iPad, but it can break some websites that rely on cookies to function. Most people find "Allow from Websites I Visit" a better balance — it lets sites you actively use store cookies, but blocks tracking cookies from advertisers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?
No. Clearing history removes only the list of websites you visited and cookies. Passwords saved in iCloud Keychain stay on your iPad. If you want to delete a specific password, go to Settings > Passwords, find the site, and swipe left to delete it.
Can someone recover my history after I delete it?
Not from your iPad. Once you clear history, it's gone from the device. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visited have their own records of your activity that clearing your iPad's history does not affect.
What's the difference between clearing history and Private Browsing?
Clearing history removes the record of sites you already visited. Private Browsing prevents Safari from saving any record in the first place. Private Browsing is better if you want to browse without leaving a trace; clearing history is better if you want to remove traces of past browsing.
Will clearing history speed up my iPad?
Slightly, because your iPad won't have to load stored cookies and cached data. The improvement is usually small. If your iPad is running slowly, clearing history alone won't fix it — you may need to restart the device or check how much storage space is available.
Does clearing history on iPad also clear it on my iPhone or Mac?
No. Each device keeps its own separate history. If you use iCloud to sync Safari across devices, clearing history on one device will clear it on the others, but you can turn off sync in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Safari if you want to keep them separate.