How to Clear Your Browser History

One of the fundamental parts of maintaining your privacy and security online is clearing your browser history. As you browse the web, your device will accumulate a history of the site you’ve visited, what you’ve searched, and the information you’ve entered. While your browsing history makes it easy to access frequently visited websites, it can also compromise your privacy if left unmanaged.

You should clear your browsing history regularly to ensure no one can access it. Below is an all-inclusive way to clear your browsing history on several popular web browsers. You’ll also learn why you should regularly clean it and get tips to help manage your online data and privacy more efficiently.

How to Clear Your Browser History

You might be new to the online world or a veteran who hasn’t yet discovered this useful tool. However, you’ll be pleased to know that deleting your browsing history is simple, and the process is similar for most web browsers.

If your browser isn’t listed, don’t worry. As you’ll see, the steps are similar, and you can transfer them to almost any platform, including for use on phones, tablets, and gaming consoles.

On Google Chrome

If Chrome is your default browser, you can use the following steps to clear your browsing history quickly.

1. Launch Google Chrome on your computer.
2. Click on the three dots in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
3. Select History, followed by History from the menu that expands. Alternatively, when a new tab is open, you can use the Ctrl + Y (or Cmd + Y on a Mac) keyboard shortcut.
   
4. Click Clear Browsing Data in the list of options on the left-hand side of the page.
   
5. From the page that opens, select Browsing history from the list of data you want to clear.
6. Choose the time range from which you want to delete your browsing history, including Last Hour and All Time.
   
7. Click Clear Data to confirm the process.
   

Erasing Google Chrome’s browsing history from your PC will automatically delete them from all other devices linked to your Google account.

On Mozilla Firefox

1. Open Firefox on your computer.
2. Click the horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
3. Go to History > Clear recent history.
   
4. Decide how far back you want to delete or select Delete Everything to clear all data.
5. Under Details, indicate what data types you want to clear, including download history, cookies, and cache.
   
6. Press Clear Now to confirm your choice.

That’s it! You have successfully cleared your Firefox browsing history.

You can also automatically delete your browsing history in Firefox. 

On Safari

Viewing your Safari browsing history on your PC, iPhone or iPad is easy. Similarly, it is equally easy to clear the list of sites you have visited. 

1. Open Safari on your Mac.
2. Select History from the top menu.
3. Tap on Clear History from the dropdown menu shown.
4. Select how far back you’d like to delete your browsing history.
5. Click Clear History to confirm your choice.
   

Remember that Safari will also clear your browsing history on other devices signed into the same Apple account.

On Microsoft Edge

1. Launch Microsoft Edge on your Windows computer.
2. Click the three dots positioned in the upper-right corner to open the menu.
3. Scroll down and navigate to History.
4. Click on the trash can icon in the top right.
   
5. Decide how far back you wish to delete and if you want to delete cookies and cache.
6. Press Clear and confirm your choice.
   

Like Safari, your browsing history and other data will be cleared across all linked devices. 

Why Should You Clear Your Browser History?

It’s easy to forget that something as simple as not clearing browser history can compromise your privacy and security. The risks you take when doing so are far more significant than the time it takes to delete it. Here are a few reasons why you should clear your browsing history regularly

Privacy

Your browsing history provides a detailed outline of every website you’ve visited, including sensitive information like login credentials and personal data entered in online forms. By deleting this, anyone who gains access to your device won’t be able to see anything.

Avoid Embarrassment

If you visit websites you don’t want anyone else to know about, clear your browsing history regularly. This will ensure others don’t find your browsing habits, which can be embarrassing or damaging if found.

Enhanced Security

Storing your browsing history becomes risky when someone gains access to your device. Data breaches happen all the time, and unfortunately, they’re out of your control. However, with a little effort, cleaning up any breadcrumbs left behind is very much in your control. Hackers do their best to track victims online, and using any data they find is fair game for them.

Accelerated Browsing

Over time, accumulating your browsing history can bog down the performance of your web browser with unnecessary memory. Some browsers are faster than others; however, regularly purging your web history can help expedite your browsing experience and enhance responsiveness.

Manage Cookies

Cookies are data packets that allow a website to retain information specific to you. This can come in the form of a user ID, login information, or even your previous searches to provide you with targeted ads. They allow quicker access to a website if you regularly visit it to make the experience. But you can also reject a cookie to help secure your web session.

If you have cookies allowed for a website but want to delete them, you can usually clear them alongside your browser history. For example, in Mozilla Firefox, where you choose how far back you’d like to delete, you can choose to delete cookies with the browsing history. This will delete all files associated with login credentials and personal details on a website and clear traces of previous activity.

Clearing Cached Files

Browser cache typically contains text, images, and files used by a website. This is stored locally on your device for quick access, so the page opens quicker the next time you access it. This helps speed up your web browsing experience with the trade-off that essentially useless information takes up storage on your device. It’s important to periodically clear your browser’s cache to ensure it can run as efficiently as possible.

Clear Your Browsing Blunders

Clearing your browser history is key to maintaining your online privacy and security. However, while clearing your browser history does provide a good amount of protection, there’s still more you can do. Staying informed about the latest security threats, using strong, unique passwords, and keeping your device updated will all help ensure you’re safe while online.