How to Clear Your Browser History on PC, Mac, and Phones?

Clearing your browser’s cache, cookies, and history can remove things like saved passwords, address bar predictions, and shopping cart contents. So, before you do this, be cautious and make sure you’re aware of the information you’re clearing. If you’re unsure about any step, it’s always a good idea to reach out to a local expert for help.

It’s a good practice to clear your cache, cookies, and history occasionally to avoid or fix performance issues. However, if you’re concerned about losing important information, you might want to back it up first.

For Desktop Browsers:

To quickly access the menu for clearing your cache, cookies, and history, make sure your browser is open and selected, then press:

• Ctrl-Shift-Delete (Windows) or
• Command-Shift-Delete (Mac).

If that doesn’t work, follow the specific instructions for your browser version. If you can’t find the right options, check your browser’s help menu by searching for “clear cache.” You can also find your browser version under the “About” section of the help menu. In some browsers, like Internet Explorer or Firefox, pressing Alt will show the menu bar.

For Mobile Browsers:

Android:

The process to clear your cache and data may vary depending on your Android device and browser, but you should be able to do it through the app settings:

1. Go to Settings and tap on Apps or Application Manager.
2. Swipe to the All tab.
3. Find and tap your browser app, then select Clear Data and Clear Cache.
4. Close all browser windows and reopen the app.

For Chrome on Android:

1. Tap the Chrome menu > Settings.
2. Tap Privacy (under Advanced).
3. From the “Time Range” drop-down, select All Time.
4. Check Cookies and Site Data and Cached Images and Files.
5. Tap Clear Data.
6. Close all windows and reopen the browser.

For Safari on iOS:

1. Open Settings and tap Safari.
2. Tap Clear History and Website Data and confirm.
3. Close all windows and reopen Safari.

For Chrome on iOS:

1. Tap the Chrome menu > Settings.
2. Tap Privacy.
3. Tap Clear Browsing Data.
4. Choose the data types you want to clear.
5. Tap Clear Browsing Data.
6. Close all windows and reopen the browser.

For Desktop Browsers:

Chrome:

1. Go to the URL bar and type: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData.
2. At the top of the “Clear browsing data” window, click Advanced.
3. Select:
   • Browsing history
   • Download history
   • Cookies and other site data
   • Cached images and files
4. Choose the time range from the drop-down menu, and if you want to clear everything, select All time.
5. Click CLEAR DATA.
6. Close all windows and reopen Chrome.

Firefox:

1. Go to the History menu and select Clear Recent History. If the menu bar is hidden, press Alt.
2. From the “Time range to clear” drop-down, select Everything.
3. Click the down arrow next to Details to choose which elements to clear, then select all items.
4. Click Clear Now.
5. Close all windows and reopen Firefox.

Microsoft Edge:

1. In the top right, click the Hub icon (three horizontal lines).
2. Click the History icon (clock), then select Clear all history.
3. Select:
   • Browsing history
   • Cookies and saved website data
   • Cached data and files
4. Click Clear.
5. After the “All Clear!” message, close all windows and reopen Edge.

Internet Explorer 11:

1. Select Tools > Safety > Delete browsing history. If the menu bar is hidden, press Alt.
2. Deselect Preserve Favorites website data, and select:
   • Temporary Internet files or Temporary Internet files and website files
   • Cookies or Cookies and website data
   • History
3. Click Delete.
4. Once the confirmation appears at the bottom, close all windows and reopen Internet Explorer.

Opera:

1. From the Opera menu, select Settings, then Privacy & Security, and click Clear browsing data.
2. In the dialog box, select The beginning of time from the “Obliterate the following items from” drop-down menu.
3. Choose:
   • Browsing history
   • Download history
   • Cookies and other site data
   • Cached images and files
4. Click Clear browsing data.
5. Close all windows and reopen Opera.

Safari 8 and Later:

1. From the Safari menu, select Clear History or Clear History and Website Data.
2. Choose the time range and click Clear History.
3. Go to Safari > Quit Safari or press Command-Q to close Safari.

Why It’s a Good Idea to Clear Your Browser Data:

While cookies help browsers load frequently-visited pages faster, they can also pose security risks. For example, hackers can use stolen cookies to gain access to accounts without needing a password, as was the case with Yahoo’s recent security breach.

Web history can also be a security concern. For instance, “active logins” can leave your accounts vulnerable if someone else uses your computer. Even if you log out, the system may still think you’re logged in. This makes it easy for others to view your browsing history or, worse, access your online shopping or banking accounts.

Clearing your history and cookies, and logging out of all accounts, helps protect your privacy. Additionally, it stops websites from tracking you across the internet to build profiles for targeted advertising or remarketing.

Lastly, if you change your login details, clearing cookies ensures that old data won’t cause problems by trying to log you in with outdated credentials.