How to clear your browsing history in Chrome, Firefox and Edge

Your browser keeps track of which websites you visit, which files you download and which forms you fill in. That can be handy for quickly returning to a page you visited earlier, but sometimes you want to delete this data. Maybe you share your computer with others, or you simply want to protect your privacy. In this article we explain step by step how to clear your browsing history in the three most popular browsers: Chrome, Firefox and Edge.

What is browsing history?

Your browsing history is a log of all the websites you have visited. Every time you open a web page, your browser stores the address together with the date and time of your visit. This information is kept locally on your computer.

Besides the websites you visited, your browser stores even more data. Think of cookies, which websites use to recognize you, and cache files, temporary copies of images and other content that make websites load faster on your next visit. Form data, such as the name and address you entered before, is saved as well.

Why clear your browsing history?

Protect your privacy

If you share your computer with family members, housemates or colleagues, they can see which websites you have visited. By regularly clearing your browsing history, you keep your browsing habits private. This is especially important if you work on a shared or public computer.

Fix problems

Sometimes stored cache files or cookies cause problems with websites. A page does not load properly, or you stay logged in when you don't want to. Clearing your browsing history and related data can often solve these problems.

Free up storage space

Your browser cache can grow quite large over time, especially if you visit many websites with lots of images and videos. Emptying the cache frees up storage space on your computer, which can be particularly useful on older computers or laptops with limited storage.

A fresh start

Sometimes you just want to start with a clean slate. Maybe you haven't cleaned up in a long time, or you want to be sure that no old data is being used anymore. Completely wiping your browsing history gives you that fresh start.

Clearing your browsing history in Google Chrome

Method 1: Through the menu

Open Chrome and click the three dots in the top right corner of the window. Go to History and click History again in the submenu that appears. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac.

In the history overview you will see the option Clear browsing data on the left. Click it. A window opens in which you can choose what you want to delete.

Method 2: With a keyboard shortcut

A faster method is the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. This opens the window for clearing browsing data directly.

What can you delete?

In Chrome you can delete different types of data. On the Basic tab you will find the most common options:

The browsing history itself contains all the websites you visited. Cookies and other site data contain information that websites store on your computer. Cached images and files are temporary files that make websites load faster.

Click the Advanced tab for more options, such as download history, passwords, autofill form data and site settings.

Choose a time range

At the top of the window you can select a time range. You can choose from the last hour, the last 24 hours, the last 7 days, the last 4 weeks, or all time. Choose all time to really delete all stored data.

Carry out the deletion

Check the data you want to delete, choose the time range you want and click Clear data. Chrome now deletes the selected data. This can take a moment if a lot of data has been stored.

Clearing your browsing history in Mozilla Firefox

Method 1: Through the menu

Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top right corner. Go to History and click Clear recent history at the bottom. You can also go directly to Library and then to History.

Method 2: With a keyboard shortcut

In Firefox you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac to open the window for clearing history directly.

Options in Firefox

In Firefox you first choose the time range at the top of the window. The options are similar to Chrome: the last hour, the last two hours, the last four hours, today, or everything.

Next, you check what you want to delete. The options are browsing and download history, cookies, cache, active logins, and form and search history. Click Details to see all options.

Clear the data

Once you have made your choices, click Clear Now. Firefox deletes the selected data. A confirmation message appears when the process is complete.

Clearing your browsing history in Microsoft Edge

Method 1: Through settings

Open Edge and click the three dots in the top right corner. Go to Settings and click Privacy, search, and services on the left. Scroll down to the Clear browsing data section and click Choose what to clear.

Method 2: With a keyboard shortcut

Just like in Chrome and Firefox, you can use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+Delete in Edge to open the window for clearing data directly.

Options in Edge

Edge offers options similar to Chrome. You can delete browsing history, download history, cookies and other site data, cached images and files, passwords, and autofill form data.

Edge also has a handy feature to clear data automatically when you close the browser. You will find it under Choose what to clear every time you close the browser.

Time range and clearing

Choose the time range at the top of the window. The options range from the last hour to all time. Check the data you want to delete and click Clear now.

Clearing your browsing history automatically

Chrome

In Chrome you can set cookies and site data to be cleared automatically when you close the browser. Go to Settings, then Privacy and security, and then Cookies and other site data. Turn on the option Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows.

Firefox

Firefox has a more extensive option. Go to Settings, Privacy & Security, and scroll to History. Next to Firefox will, choose Use custom settings for history. Check the option Clear history when Firefox closes. Click Settings to specify which data should be cleared.

Edge

In Edge, go to Settings, Privacy, search, and services. Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear every time you close the browser. Here you can check which data should be cleared automatically when you close it.

Private browsing as an alternative

What is private browsing?

All modern browsers have a private browsing mode. In Chrome it is called Incognito, in Firefox Private Browsing and in Edge InPrivate. In this mode your browsing history is not saved. When you close the private window, all data from that session is deleted automatically.

Starting private browsing

In Chrome you open an incognito window with Ctrl+Shift+N or through the three-dot menu. In Firefox you use Ctrl+Shift+P or the menu. In Edge it is also Ctrl+Shift+N or through the menu.

Limitations of private browsing

Please note: private browsing does not make you anonymous on the internet. Your internet provider, employer or school network can still see which websites you visit. Private browsing only prevents data from being stored locally on your computer.

Tips for privacy-conscious browsing

Clean up regularly

Make it a habit to clear your browsing history regularly. You can do this weekly or monthly, depending on how actively you use the internet and how important privacy is to you.

Use a password manager

If you want to remove your passwords from the browser but don't want to forget them, use a separate password manager such as Bitwarden or LastPass. These store your passwords securely, independent of your browser.

Combine methods

For maximum privacy, combine several methods. Use private browsing for sensitive matters, clear your normal browsing history regularly and use an ad blocker with tracking protection.

Frequently asked questions

Are my bookmarks deleted too when I clear my browsing history?

No, bookmarks and favorites are stored separately and are not deleted when you clear your browsing history. You can safely keep them, unless you specifically choose the option to delete bookmarks as well, which most browsers do not offer by default.

Will I be logged out of websites if I delete my cookies?

Yes, when you delete cookies, your login sessions are ended. You will have to log in again on websites where you used to be logged in automatically. This applies to email, social media, online stores and other sites where you have an account.

Can I recover deleted browsing history?

No, once deleted, the browsing history is permanently gone from your computer. There is no recycle bin or restore function for browser data. If you still need access to websites you visited earlier, you can try to find them again through a search engine if you remember something about the content.

Does clearing my browsing history make my computer faster?

Clearing the cache can make your browser slightly faster, especially if a very large amount of data had been stored. The websites themselves may load a bit more slowly the first time after clearing, because the cache files have to be downloaded again. In general you will notice little difference in speed, unless your cache had become very large.

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