By default, your internet browser will store information about the pages visited during an internet browsing session. This information can include anything from personal log-in information, to information accessed on a specific website, or random on-site content. This can be a good thing (saving passwords etc) however, depending on the type of information saved by a browser it may put users at some security risks. This article will explain the safest and most effective methods for deleting your browser history and protecting your personal information.
Permanently Delete Browser Search History
There are several methods that you can utilize to permanently delete your browser history.
Clean Your Hard Drive
You can get rid of your browser history by using the
Disk Cleanup (
cleanmgr.exe) tool to delete internet cookies and the history of your visited websites.
If you're a
Windows user, simply press the
Windows key +
R, then type in
cleanmgr to launch Disk Cleanup. Now, simply select the items that you wish to erase.
There is also a variety of software that can make the procedure automatic on most browsers. We recommend
CCleaner.
Clear Internet Explorer Browsing History (versions 8 to 11)
- Launch Internet Explorer and open the Tools menu. Then click Safety.
- Click Delete browsing history, select the boxes that correspond to the information you'd like to clear, and then click Delete to finalize the reset.
Clear Google Chrome Browsing History
There are several methods that you can use to clear your
Google Chrome browser history.
The most straightforward way to clear your Chrome browsing history can be done by clicking on the
Chrome menu located in the top-right corner to access the tools menu and browser setting options.
Clear Firefox Browsing History
To clear your
Firefox browsing history, simply launch your browser and click the
Library icon >
History >
Clear Recent History.
Select how much to clear by selecting a time range in the
Time range to clear box:
Click
Details to select exactly which items will be deleted:
Click
Clear Now to reset your browser history.
Stop Search Engines from Saving Browser History
Here are a few quick ways to prevent your internet browser from recording your session history.
Disable Record History on Internet Explorer
- Open Internet Explorer and go to Tools.
- Check the option Private Navigation to disable the recording of your browser history.
In activating this feature, both your
internet history and
browser cookies will be deleted when you close the browser window.
This step must repeated each time you launch the browser.
Disable Record History on Mozilla Firefox
- Open Firefox and go to Menu > Preferences.
- Then, click the Privacy & Security tab, and go to the History section.
- In the drop-down menu next to Firefox will, choose Use custom settings for history:
Check the box next to
Clear history when Firefox closes:
To specify what types of history should be deleted, click
Settings…, located next to
Clear history when Firefox closes. Check the items that you want to have cleared automatically each time you quit Firefox:
After selecting the history to be cleared, click
OK, then close the window. Any changes you've made will automatically be saved.
Disable Record History on Google Chrome
The only way that you can browse Google Chrome without the application saving your history is by browsing in
Incognito Mode.
To activate this, open Google Chrome, and go to the
Customize and control Google Chrome menu (three vertical dots) in the top-right corner of your browser window. Click
New Incognito Window:
This will open a dark grey browser with a message indicating that you have entered Incognito mode:
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