Clear your search history in seconds from your browser settings

Every browser stores a record of what you search for and the websites you visit. You can delete this history whenever you want — it takes less than a minute. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, but the process is the same: open your browser settings, find the history or privacy section, and select what time period you want to clear.

Clearing your history removes the searches and sites that appear in your address bar suggestions and your browser's history menu. It does not hide your activity from your internet service provider or your employer's network — only from other people who use your device. If you want to browse without saving history at all, every major browser has a private or incognito mode you can turn on instead.

Key Takeaways

  • You can clear your entire search history or just the last hour, day, or week — choose the time period that fits what you want to remove.
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all store history in their settings menu, and you can reach it with a keyboard shortcut on most devices.
  • Clearing history removes suggestions from your address bar and your history menu, but does not hide your activity from your internet service provider.
  • Private or incognito mode prevents your browser from saving any history while you are browsing, so nothing gets stored in the first place.

Clear history in Google Chrome

Open Chrome and press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac. This opens your history page. On the left side, click Clear browsing data. A box will appear with options for what to delete.

At the top of the box, you will see a dropdown menu that says Time range. Click it and choose how far back you want to clear: Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or All time. Below that, make sure the checkbox next to Cookies and other site data is unchecked unless you also want to log out of websites. The checkbox for Browsing history should be checked. Click Clear data and you are done.

Clear history in Mozilla Firefox

Open Firefox and press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac to open your history sidebar. At the top of the sidebar, click the three horizontal lines (the menu button) and select Clear Recent History. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac.

A window will open. In the Time range to clear dropdown, select how far back you want to go. Leave Browsing & Download History checked. Click Clear Now. Firefox will remove your search history and the websites you visited during that time period.

Clear history in Safari

Open Safari and click History in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Click Clear History near the bottom of the dropdown menu. A small window will appear asking how far back you want to clear.

Choose from The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, or All history. Click the dropdown if you want to pick a different option. Once you have selected your time range, click Clear History to confirm. Safari will remove your browsing history immediately.

Clear history in Microsoft Edge

Open Edge and press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows. This takes you directly to your clearing settings. On Mac, open Edge, click the three dots in the top right corner, select Settings, then click Privacy, search, and services on the left, and scroll down to Clear browsing data.

A window will open. At the top, use the Time range dropdown to choose how far back you want to clear. Make sure Browsing history is checked. You can leave Cookies and other site data unchecked unless you want to log out of websites. Click Clear now and Edge will delete your history.

Use private or incognito mode to avoid saving history

If you do not want your browser to save your search history in the first place, you can open a private window instead of your normal browser window. Every major browser offers this feature under a different name: Chrome and Edge call it Incognito mode, Firefox calls it Private Window, and Safari calls it Private Browsing.

To open a private window, press Ctrl+Shift+N in Chrome or Edge, Ctrl+Shift+P in Firefox, or Command+Shift+N in Safari on Mac. A new window will open with a different appearance — usually darker or with a notice that says you are in private mode. Anything you search for or any website you visit in this window will not be saved to your history. When you close the window, your activity is gone.

Keep in mind that private mode only hides your activity from other people using your device. Your internet service provider, your employer if you are on a work network, and the websites you visit can still see what you are doing.

What gets deleted when you clear history

When you clear your browsing history, your browser removes the list of websites you visited and the searches you performed. This means those sites and searches will no longer appear in your address bar suggestions or in your history menu. If you also check the box for cookies and site data, you will be logged out of websites you were signed into.

Clearing your history does not delete files you downloaded, bookmarks you saved, or passwords you stored in your browser — unless you specifically check those boxes. It also does not remove your activity from your internet service provider's records, your employer's network logs, or the servers of the websites you visited. Only your local browser history is affected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing my history hide my activity from my internet service provider?

No. Clearing your browser history only removes the record from your device. Your internet service provider can still see which websites you visit because they handle all your internet traffic. Only a VPN can hide your activity from your ISP.

Will clearing my history log me out of my accounts?

Not unless you also clear cookies and site data. If you only clear browsing history, you will stay logged into Gmail, Facebook, and other websites. If you check the box for cookies, you will be logged out of most sites.

Can I clear history from just one website?

Most browsers do not let you delete history for a single site. You have to clear a time period — like the last hour or last day. However, you can open your history, find the site you want to remove, right-click it, and select delete or remove from history in most browsers.

What is the difference between clearing history and using private mode?

Clearing history removes what your browser already saved. Private mode prevents your browser from saving anything while you are using it. If you forget to use private mode, you can clear history afterward. If you use private mode from the start, there is nothing to clear.

If I clear my history, can someone recover it?

Once you clear your browser history, it is gone from your device. However, a skilled person with access to your computer might be able to recover deleted data using special software. For most everyday situations, clearing your history is enough.