Clear your history in three steps from the Chrome menu

Open Chrome and press Ctrl + H (or Cmd + H on a Mac Chromebook), or click the three vertical dots in the top right corner and select "History" then "History" again. On the left side, click "Clear browsing data." A window will open with options for what to delete and how far back to go.

By default, Chrome selects "All time" — which clears everything. If you want to delete only the last hour, day, week, or month, use the dropdown at the top that says "Time range." Check the boxes next to what you want removed: browsing history, cookies and other site data, cached images and files, or all of them. Then click "Clear data" at the bottom right.

The whole process takes about 10 seconds. Your history is gone immediately, though some websites may still recognize you if you're signed into an account with them.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl + H to open your history, then click "Clear browsing data" on the left side.
  • You can choose to clear everything or just the last hour, day, week, or month using the time range dropdown.
  • Clearing history removes the list of sites you visited, but does not sign you out of accounts or remove saved passwords unless you specifically check that box.
  • Clearing cookies and site data may log you out of websites and remove saved preferences like language or login information.

What gets deleted and what stays behind

When you clear "Browsing history," Chrome removes the list of websites you visited — the sites that appear when you start typing in the address bar or click the history button. This is what most people mean when they say "clear my history."

If you also check "Cookies and other site data," Chrome removes login information, preferences, and tracking data that websites store on your device. This means you'll be logged out of most sites and may have to sign back in. Some websites will also forget your preferences, like your language choice or whether you had items in a shopping cart.

"Cached images and files" is data Chrome saves to load websites faster next time. Clearing this frees up storage space but makes websites load slightly slower for a while. Your saved passwords are not deleted unless you specifically check the "Passwords" box — that box is unchecked by default.

Clear history automatically when you close Chrome

If you want Chrome to delete your history every time you close the browser, you can set that up in Settings. Click the three dots, go to "Settings," then "Privacy and security," then "Clear browsing data."

Toggle on "Clear cookies and other site data when you quit Chrome." This setting only affects what happens when you fully close the browser — not when you close individual tabs. You can choose what gets cleared automatically using the same checkboxes as the manual process.

This is useful if you share a Chromebook with other people or use it in a public place, because it means your browsing won't be visible the next time someone opens Chrome.

Clearing history on a shared Chromebook with multiple accounts

Each person who uses a Chromebook has their own account, and each account has its own separate history. When you clear your history, it only affects your account — other people's browsing history stays intact.

If you're concerned about privacy on a shared device, the automatic clearing option (above) is more reliable than remembering to clear manually. You can also use Guest mode, which doesn't save any history, cookies, or data at all. Click your profile picture in the bottom right corner and select "Browse as Guest."

Clearing history doesn't hide your activity from your network

Clearing your Chromebook's history removes the record from your device, but it does not hide what you visited from your internet service provider, your school's network, or your employer's network. Those organizations can see which websites you connected to based on network traffic, even if your local history is empty.

If you need to hide your browsing from your network, you would need to use a VPN (virtual private network), which encrypts your traffic so the network can only see that you're using a VPN, not which sites you visit. A VPN is a separate tool from clearing history and requires a subscription or a free service you trust with your data.

What to do if Chrome won't let you clear history

Some Chromebooks are managed by a school or organization, and the administrator may have turned off the ability to clear history. If the "Clear browsing data" button is grayed out or missing, your device is managed and you don't have permission to delete history.

Contact your school's IT department or your organization's tech support to ask whether they can give you permission, or whether they can clear your history for you. On a personal Chromebook that you own, this should never happen — if it does, you may have accidentally set up parental controls or device management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?

No. Passwords are saved separately and are not deleted unless you specifically check the "Passwords and other sign-in data" box in the clear browsing data window. That box is unchecked by default, so your passwords stay safe.

Will clearing history log me out of Gmail and other Google accounts?

Only if you check "Cookies and other site data." If you clear only browsing history, you stay logged in. If you do clear cookies, you'll be logged out of most websites, including Gmail, and will need to sign back in.

Can I clear history for only one website instead of everything?

Not directly from the clear browsing data menu. You can delete individual items by opening History (Ctrl + H), hovering over a site, and clicking the X next to it. Or you can clear all history from a specific time range, like just today.

What's the difference between clearing history and deleting a single site from history?

Clearing history removes everything (or everything in a time range you choose). Deleting a single site removes just that one entry. To delete one site, open History with Ctrl + H, find the site, and click the X next to it.

If I clear my history, can someone recover it?

Not from your Chromebook. Once you clear history, it's gone from your device. Your internet service provider or network administrator may still have records of which sites you visited, but your local browsing history cannot be recovered.