Clear your Chrome history in three steps

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 asking what time period you want to clear — choose All time if you want everything gone, or pick a specific range like "Last hour" or "Last 7 days". Make sure the checkbox next to Cookies and other site data is checked, then click the blue Clear data button.

That's the whole process. Your browsing history, search history, and cached files are now deleted. Chrome will not show those sites in your address bar suggestions anymore, and websites cannot use stored cookies to recognize you on your next visit.

If you want Chrome to stop saving your history going forward, you can use Incognito mode for private browsing — press Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows or Command + Shift + N on Mac to open a private window. Chrome will not record what you do in that window.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + Y (Mac) to open your history, then click Clear browsing data on the left side.
  • Choose "All time" to delete everything, or pick a specific date range like "Last 24 hours" or "Last week".
  • Make sure Cookies and other site data is checked so websites forget you visited them.
  • Use Incognito mode (Ctrl + Shift + N or Command + Shift + N) if you want Chrome to stop recording your browsing from that moment forward.

What gets deleted when you clear your history

When you click Clear data, Chrome removes several things at once. Your browsing history — the list of sites you visited — disappears from the history page and from your address bar suggestions. Your download history is also cleared, so Chrome will not remember what files you downloaded or where they went.

Cookies and site data are deleted too. These are small files that websites store on your computer to remember you. Without them, sites like Gmail or Facebook will not recognize you the next time you visit, and you will have to log in again. Cached images and files — copies of pictures and pages Chrome saved to load websites faster — are also removed.

Search history from your address bar is cleared as well. If you typed something into the search box, Chrome will not suggest it next time you start typing.

Choose what to delete and when

The Clear browsing data box has two main controls. At the top, you pick the time range. All time deletes everything since you started using Chrome. Last hour deletes only the past 60 minutes. Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, and Last 3 months are also options. Pick whichever matches what you want to remove.

Below the time range, you see checkboxes for different types of data. Cookies and other site data is usually checked by default — leave it checked unless you want to stay logged into websites. Cached images and files is also checked, which is fine. If you uncheck Browsing history, Chrome will keep your history but still delete cookies, which is rarely what you want. Most of the time, just use the default settings and click Clear data.

Clear history automatically every time you close Chrome

If you want Chrome to delete your history without asking every time you close the browser, you can set it to do that. Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome, then go to Settings. On the left, click Privacy and security, then Clear browsing data.

Turn on the toggle next to Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. Now every time you close all Chrome windows, your history and cookies are automatically deleted. You can also turn on Clear browsing history when you quit Chrome if you want the history page wiped too. This does not affect Incognito windows — those never save history anyway.

Use Incognito mode to avoid saving history in the first place

Instead of clearing history after you browse, you can prevent Chrome from saving it in the first place. Open an Incognito window by pressing Ctrl + Shift + N on Windows or Command + Shift + N on Mac. The window will have a dark theme and show a small spy icon in the top left.

Everything you do in an Incognito window stays private. Chrome will not save your browsing history, search history, or cookies. When you close the window, all traces are gone. Websites can still see you while you are visiting them, and your internet provider can still see what sites you visit, but Chrome itself keeps no record.

Incognito mode is useful when you are shopping for a gift on a shared computer, checking something private, or just want to browse without Chrome remembering. You can have both regular and Incognito windows open at the same time.

Sync your history across devices

If you sign into Chrome with a Google account, your history syncs across all your devices — your phone, tablet, and computer all see the same browsing history. When you clear history on one device, it clears on all of them. This happens automatically if you have sync turned on.

To check if sync is on, click the three dots in the top right, go to Settings, then look at the top of the page. If you see your Google account name and a green checkmark, sync is active. If you want to turn it off, click your account name and select Turn off. After that, clearing history on one device will not affect the others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?

No. Clearing browsing data does not touch your saved passwords. If you want to delete a password, go to Settings, click Password manager on the left, find the password you want to remove, and click the three dots next to it, then Delete. Your passwords are stored separately from your history.

Can I undo clearing my history?

No, once you click Clear data, it is gone permanently. Chrome does not have an undo button for this action. If you are not sure what to delete, use the time range dropdown to clear only the last hour or last 24 hours instead of all time.

Will clearing history log me out of websites?

Yes, if you check the Cookies and other site data box, you will be logged out of most websites. Gmail, Facebook, and other sites use cookies to keep you signed in. After clearing, you will have to log in again. If you want to stay logged in, uncheck that box before clearing.

Does Incognito mode hide my activity from my internet provider?

No. Incognito mode only hides your history from Chrome itself. Your internet provider, your employer if you are on their network, and the websites you visit can all still see what you are doing. Incognito is private from Chrome, not from the internet.

What if I only want to delete history from one website?

Open your history page with Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + Y (Mac). Find the website you want to remove, hover over it, and click the X button that appears on the right. That single entry is deleted without affecting the rest of your history.