Deleting your browsing history has its benefits. Firstly, it can improve the performance of your device. Secondly, it can help make you more private online to a point. In fact, clearing your history periodically is just one of several steps you can take to enhance your privacy. It won’t erase you from the internet, but it does reduce the data stored on your devices and in your accounts.
To help you understand the benefits of deleting your browser history, we’ll walk you through what your browsing history includes, how to clear it in popular browsers, the pros and cons of using incognito mode, as well as additional tips for enhancing your privacy and optimizing your device’s performance.
Clearing your browsing and search history matters
The two ways your browser uses to build your history are remembering the websites you visit and saving the topics that you search for. Together, they paint a comprehensive picture of your digital life.
Over time, the cached browsing data, such as files, cookies, and stored history consume valuable storage space and slow down your computer, especially on older devices or those with limited storage capacity.
Although your browsing or search history may seem harmless, the bigger concern about this stored information goes deeper than device performance. They create detailed profiles of your interests, habits, and personal information that can impact your privacy in ways you might not expect.
Your search history directly feeds into the hidden processes that customize your online experience, allowing companies to build detailed profiles about the interests, relationships, health concerns, and financial situations that you research. What’s more, tracking technologies in the search engine follow you across websites, collecting more data about you.
Similarly, your browser saves your preferences and the sites you visit to load pages faster. That’s a convenience for you, but browsers also share this data with data brokers, advertising networks, and analytics companies, who use it to customize the ads displayed on your browser.
Additionally, data brokers frequently purchase and resell browsing and search data to create consumer profiles for marketing, insurance, and even employment purposes. Your search for health information might influence insurance rates, while your browsing patterns could affect loan approvals or job opportunities. Additionally, this aggregated data makes you vulnerable during security breaches, potentially exposing sensitive personal information to malicious actors.
Benefits of regularly clearing your browser history
When you regularly delete your browsing and search history, you gain several immediate advantages, such as greater control over your digital footprint and online reputation by limiting data collection and profiling. You will also enjoy the improved performance of your device as a result of freeing up storage space, and you will receive fewer targeted advertisements, as algorithms have less data to work with. Most importantly, you reduce your risk of data exposure in the event of a security breach or device theft.
Taking control of your browsing and search history puts you back in charge of your digital privacy.
Delete your internet history in the browser
There’s no fixed or recommended time for deleting your browsing history, cache, and cookies. It’s all relative to your system’s storage space and personal preferences. To get started, refer to this step-by-step guide when you believe it’s time to clear your browser.
Google Chrome
To delete your browser history on Google Chrome:
- Open the Chrome browser on your laptop or computer.
- Select the three vertical dots in the upper right corner.
- Find an option that says “Clear browsing data.”
- Select your preferred time range near the top of the screen. To delete all data since you first used your browser, select “All time.” If you want to delete history from the past hour, select “Last hour.”
- Next, check the boxes saying “Cookies and other site data” and “Cache images and files,” and select “Clear data.”
Some of your settings may be deleted when you clear your browser history. For example, you might have to re-sign into your accounts. But that is a small price to pay for keeping your privacy. If you want to delete cookies and cache for a specific site, you can check out Google’s Chrome support page.
Microsoft Edge
Clearing your Microsoft Edge browsing data is similar to the process in Chrome. On your device, turn off sync before clearing the data, as the selected data will be deleted across all your synced devices if sync is turned on.
- Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your device.
- Select the three horizontal dots in the upper right corner.
- Find the option that says “Delete browsing data.”
- You will be prompted to select the time range from a dropdown list, ranging from “Last hour” to “All time.”
- You’ll see an option to select which types of browsing data to clear. Select the data you want to delete, such as browsing or download history, cookies, and cached images and files. You may keep the saved passwords and autofill data unchecked.
- Select the “Clear now” option.
Mozilla Firefox
To delete your browsing, search, and download history on Mozilla Firefox, follow these basic steps:
- Select “Menu” and select “History.”
- Select the “Clear recent history” option.
- In “Time range to clear,” select “Everything” from the drop-down menu.
- Select “Cache” and other items to delete in the options list.
- Ensure the files you want to keep aren’t selected.
- Select “OK.”
Safari
Here are simple steps to clear browser cache and cookies on Safari on the Apple macOS, but an iPad or iPhone might have slightly different steps.
- Go to the Safari app on your Mac.
- Choose Safari > Settings, then click Privacy.
- Click Manage Website Data.
- Select one or more websites, then click Remove or Remove All.
That’s all! You’ve now deleted your browser history on Safari.
Opera
To clear the cache and browser history in Opera:
- On your Opera browser, go to Settings (Alt+P).
- Select Privacy & Security on the left, then click “Delete browsing data.”
- Select a time range and the data you wish to clear, and click “Delete data.”
Delete your history at the account level, across all devices
After clearing your browser and search history, you may also want to consider deleting your account-level history. While browser-level history encompasses the searches and websites stored locally on your device, your account-level history refers to the searches that are logged and stored when you’re signed into that account.
Related to this, when you’re signed into accounts such as Google, Microsoft, or other services on several devices at once, your search and browsing activity is automatically synchronized across all the devices you are signed into. Deleting the search and browsing history on your phone won’t remove it from your laptop. To clear history on all your devices where you are signed in, you will need to delete it at the account level, where the syncing happens. In doing so, you are addressing the source of data collection that follows you across all your devices and online activities. This action provides genuine privacy protection, rather than just cleaning up individual browsers.
Here’s how to delete your search history so it disappears from every device where you’re signed in:
- Access your account activity center on Google or your Microsoft Privacy Dashboard. Other services have similar activity management pages.
- Look for “Web & App Activity” or “Search History” sections on the respective accounts. Choose to delete by time range (last hour, day, week) or select “All time” to delete search history from your account completely. The automatic synchronizing typically takes a few minutes to propagate across your devices.
- Verify on another device. To check another device where you’re signed in, type previous search terms to see if autocomplete suggestions appear. Also, check that your search history pages show no recent activity. You may need to refresh your browser or restart your search app.
Manage multiple accounts and profiles
Many people use multiple accounts or browser profiles for work, personal use, or family sharing. Each requires separate attention:
- Make sure to clear your history for each account. Log into each Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, or other account you use and clear the search history separately. The deletion of one account doesn’t affect another.
- Check browser profiles individually. If you use multiple browsers or browser profiles, each may be signed into different accounts. Clear the history for each profile separately.
- Don’t forget your guest or incognito usage. While private browsing doesn’t save history locally, you might still be signed into accounts that track your activity.
Other accounts you need to wipe clean
Now you know that your browsers and search engines aren’t the only accounts you need to scrub, here is a short list of other online services that you will need to check and clear:
Bing
- Sign in to your Microsoft account and navigate to the Privacy dashboard to access all your account-level privacy settings across Microsoft services. This central hub controls how Microsoft collects and uses your data across all its services.
- Locate search history settings. In the Privacy dashboard, find the “Search history” section under your activity data to view all the search queries you’ve made while signed into your Microsoft account on Bing.
- Choose your deletion method.
- Delete individual searches: Click the “X” next to each query you want to remove from your search history.
- Clear all search history: Select “Clear all search history” to delete search history completely and start fresh
- Delete by date range: Choose a specific time period to clear history from just that timeframe
- Confirm your deletion. Microsoft will ask you to confirm your choice before permanently removing your search history. Remember, this action cannot be undone, so make sure you’re comfortable with losing this data.
- Disable future personalization (optional). To prevent Bing from saving future searches, turn off the “Search history” collection in your privacy settings.
To see the synchronized changes in your search history across all devices and all Microsoft accounts, including Windows PCs, Xbox, and mobile devices, you will need to refresh Bing. The caveat to deleting your Bing search history is that it prevents the engine from personalizing your search results and ads. You will notice fewer relevant suggestions and more generic search experiences until you build up new search patterns.
Yahoo!
- Sign in to your Yahoo.com using your Yahoo email address and password, and navigate to your search history settings. Click on your profile icon or name and select “Account Info” from the dropdown menu. On the left sidebar, go to Privacy or Privacy Dashboard > Manage your data and activity.
- Find and select “Search History” or “Web Search History” to display all the search queries you’ve made while signed into your Yahoo account on different devices and browsers.
- To remove a specific search, click the “X” or “Delete” button next to the individual query. You can also use the search bar in your history to find specific terms you want to delete.
- To delete your entire Yahoo search history, choose the “Clear All” or “Delete All” option at the top of your search history page.
- To review ad personalization settings in your privacy dashboard, navigate to “Ad Interest Manager” or “Advertising Preferences.” You can turn off personalized advertising or modify your ad interests.
After the deletions, you may need to sign out and back in to see the changes reflected across all your devices. You can verify the deletion by rechecking your search history or noticing changes in your personalized search suggestions. However, it doesn’t affect data that Yahoo may have already collected and shared with advertising partners.
Brave
- Open the Brave browser on your computer.
- Click on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
- Select “History” from the dropdown menu, then choose “Clear browsing data” to see options for different time ranges from the dropdown menu.
- Check the boxes for the data you want to delete: Browsing history, cookies and other site data, and cached images and files
- Click on the “Advanced” tab to access more clearing options, including saved passwords, autofill data, and site settings.
- Click “Clear data” to delete your selected browsing information.
Keep in mind that Brave’s built-in privacy settings, including Brave Shields, already block many trackers and ads by default. You can adjust these settings by clicking on the Brave Shields icon (lion logo) in the address bar. Brave offers a private browsing mode that doesn’t save your history automatically.
Other Google accounts
Google offers auto-delete features for three main types of activity data, each with flexible time intervals that let you balance convenience with privacy.
Google auto-delete
To enable auto-delete in your other Google services, visit myactivity.google.com, click “Web & App Activity,” then select “Auto-delete.” You can choose to remove activity older than 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months. The 18-month option strikes a good balance, retaining sufficient data for personalized use while preventing excessive accumulation.
YouTube history
YouTube watch and search history can be managed separately from your general web activity. In your Google Account settings under “YouTube History,” you’ll find auto-delete options for both the videos you’ve viewed and what you’ve searched for on YouTube. The same time intervals apply: 3, 18, or 36 months.
Location history auto-delete
Given the sensitive nature of location data, you can set Google to delete it automatically through your Google account’s “Location History” settings. You can choose the 3-month option for more frequent cleanup, although the 18-month option works well if you use location-based features regularly.
Combine auto-delete with pausing
For maximum control, combine auto-delete with the strategic pausing of history collection. When you’re researching sensitive topics, planning surprises, or conducting confidential work, you can pause your Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings to prevent those searches from being saved. Once you’re finished, turn the history collection back on and let your auto-delete selection handle the routine cleanup. This approach enables you to maintain your privacy protection while still receiving personalized search results for your regular online activities.
Incognito history
While incognito mode prevents your browser from storing your browsing history, cookies, and search history locally, it does not make you completely invisible online. Your internet service provider, workplace network administrators, and the websites you visit can still track your online activity. Additionally, any accounts you log into during private browsing will still have records of your activity.
Meanwhile, some types of data can remain on your device, such as the downloaded files. Your DNS cache may also keep records of your browsing activity, while websites and bookmarks may leave traces on your local storage data. To clear these completely, you’ll need to take a few additional steps.
- Delete downloads. Manually delete any files you downloaded during your private session. Don’t forget to clear your trash bin as well.
- Clear your DNS cache. Clear your DNS cache by opening Command Prompt as an administrator and typing “ipconfig /flushdns” on Windows, or using “sudo dscacheutil -flushcache” on Mac.
- Check browser data and bookmarks. Clear your browser’s site data and local storage through your browser settings, even after using incognito mode. Finally, check and remove any bookmarks you may have accidentally saved.
- Review stored site permissions and data. Some websites can still store permissions you granted during incognito sessions. Review your browser’s site permissions in Settings > Privacy and Security to see what data the websites collected.
- Remove cached images and temporary files. Some cached images or temporary files might remain in system folders after your private sessions. Use disk cleanup tools or manually check your browser’s temporary file folders to remove them.
Social media
Most social platforms store search history in Privacy, Security, or Data settings sections of your account. Look for terms such as “Activity,” “Search History,” or “Personalization” to find these options. For specific social media, here are some quick instructions:
- Facebook: Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Your Facebook Information > Activity Log. Filter by “Search” to find and delete individual search queries, or go to “Search History” to clear all searches at once.
- Instagram: Go to your profile, tap the menu icon, select Settings > Security > Search History. You can delete individual searches or tap “Clear All” to remove your entire search history.
- Twitter/X: Access Settings and Privacy > Privacy and Safety > Data Sharing and Off-Twitter Activity. Look for “Personalization and Data” settings where you can manage and delete your search history data.
- TikTok: Open Settings and Privacy > Privacy > Personalization and Data. Select “Search History” to view and delete individual searches or clear your entire search history.
- LinkedIn: Go to Settings & Privacy > Data Privacy > How LinkedIn uses your data. Look for “Search History” options to manage what you’ve searched for on the platform.
Make your browsing more private
Clearing your cache is only the first step. Preventing others from gathering info about you while you browse is the next. So keeping your browsing private from advertisers, websites, ISPs, and other third parties calls for extra measures:
Use a VPN
When you use a VPN, you can hide several things from your ISP and other third parties, like the websites and apps you use, the time spent on them, your search history, and downloads. As for websites and apps, a VPN can hide your IP address and your location, all of which can thwart ad tracking on those sites and apps.
A strong VPN service offers yet another benefit. It protects you from hackers and snoops. Our VPN uses bank-grade encryption to keep your data and info secure. With a VPN, a snoop would only see garbled content thanks to your VPN’s encryption functionality.
Clean up your info online
One major privacy leak comes at the hands of online data brokers, companies that collect and resell vast amounts of personal information about millions of people. In fact, they make up a multibillion-dollar industry that spans worldwide. Additionally, there are so-called “White Pages” and “people finder” sites that post info like names, addresses, and other public records that anyone can access.
With all this information collected in a central location that’s easily searchable and accessible, these sites can be an ideal resource for hackers, spammers, and thieves. McAfee Personal Data Cleanup can help you take control. It scans high-risk data broker sites and lets you know which ones are selling your data, and depending on your McAfee+ plan, it can remove it for you, too.
Delete old accounts
Consider all those dozens and dozens of old (and forgotten) online accounts you don’t use anymore. Several might have various pieces of personal info stored on them, even though it’s been ages since you used them. Deleting these accounts and the info linked with them can improve your privacy. What’s more, deleting them can help prevent identity theft if those sites get breached.
Our Online Account Cleanup can save you hours and hours of time by cleaning things up with just a few clicks. It shows you which accounts are tied to your email address and what info is usually shared with each account. It also shows you which are riskiest to keep, helping you determine which ones to delete.
One step closer to better online privacy
Deleting your browser history can give you a performance boost and delete tracking cookies used by third parties. To prevent others from collecting your information while you browse and to clean up the online places where it appears, get comprehensive online protection software like our McAfee+.
It offers several features that can help you be safer and more private online:
- Identity monitoring can track several pieces of personal info and alert you if it’s found on the dark web.
- Identity theft coverage & restoration, which covers you with $2 million for legal fees, travel expenses, and stolen funds reimbursement, along with help from a licensed recovery pro to repair your identity and credit.
- Other features like web protection can help you avoid dangerous links, bad downloads, malicious websites, and more when you’re online—all of which scammers and thieves can use to steal personal info.
With all this data collection happening online, there’s still plenty you can do to take control. With the steps outlined above and strong online protection software at your back, you can keep your personal info more private and secure.
Final Thoughts
Taking control of your digital privacy only requires small actions to make a significant difference in protecting your personal information. By routinely clearing your search history and browser data, setting up auto-delete features, and combining these practices with privacy tools such as VPNs and data cleanup services, you’re building a stronger foundation for your online security. These simple steps you can take today will compound over time, giving you greater control over your digital footprint and reducing unwanted tracking. Staying private online is an ongoing journey. Continue to explore new ways to protect yourself and stay informed about emerging privacy practices that can benefit you.
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