delete history on safari ipad

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How to Manage Browsing History on Safari for iPad

Protect your privacy on your mobile device

What to Know

• Open Safari . Select the Bookmarks icon.
• Choose the Clock icon to open the History pane displaying the list of sites visited during the past month.
• Select Clear and indicate which entries to delete using one of the four options: The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, and All Time.

This article explains how to manage browsing history on Safari for iPad, including how to view and delete the iPad Safari history, cookies, and stored website data. This article applies to all iPad devices with iOS 10 or iPadOS 13 or later. The process for managing browser history in Safari on an iPhone is slightly different.

How to View and Delete Your iPad Browser History in Safari

Reviewing your iPad browser history is a straightforward process. Safari stores a log of websites you visit along with other related components, such as the cache and cookies. These elements enhance your browsing experience, but you may want to delete your browsing history for privacy reasons.

You can manage your web browsing history on the iPad in two ways. The easiest option is to do it directly in Safari:

Open the Safari web browser.

Select the Bookmarks icon (it looks like an open book) at the top of the screen. 

Select the clock icon to open the History pane. A list of sites visited over the past month appears.

To delete a single website from the browser history, swipe left on its name.

Select  Clear at the bottom of the panel to reveal four options: The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, and All time.

Select your preferred option to remove the browsing history from your iPad and all connected iCloud devices.

How to Delete History and Cookies From the iPad Settings App

Deleting the browser history through Safari doesn't remove all the data it stores. For a thorough cleaning, go to the iPad Settings app. You can also delete the browsing history and cookies from the Settings app. Clearing the history this way deletes everything Safari saved.

Select the gear icon on the Home screen to open the iPad Settings .

Scroll down and select Safari .

Scroll through the list of settings and select  Clear History and Website Data to delete the browsing history, cookies, and other cached website data.

Select  Clear to confirm, or select Cancel to return to the Safari settings without removing any data.

How to Delete Stored Website Data on iPad

Safari sometimes stores additional website data on top of a list of web pages you visited. For example, it can save passwords and preferences for frequently visited sites. If you want to delete this data but don't want to clear the browsing history or cookies, selectively delete specific data saved by Safari using the iPad Settings app.

Open the iPad Settings app.

Scroll to the bottom of the Safari settings screen and select Advanced .

Select  Website Data to display a breakdown of the data each website currently stores on the iPad.

Select Show All Sites to display the expanded list if necessary.

Select  Remove All Website Data  at the bottom of the screen to delete the site data at once, or swipe left on individual items to clear items one at a time.

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How to clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad

Clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad in a few simple steps

You'll definitely want to know how to clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad . Know how to delete browsing history is part of basic user operation on all your devices, and is especially if you share devices with others. 

Luckily, deleting browsing history on Safari is easy and can be done in just a few taps, and is the same on iOS and iPadOS, so whether you're using an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPad Air , these steps will apply.

Remember, though, that deleting your browsing history only stops your activity being visible on that device. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will still be able to see the webpages you have visited. If you want to stop that, for ultimate privacy, you'll need to use one of the best VPN services .

The following screenshots were taken on an iPhone running iOS 17 . If you aren't running the latest version of your device's OS, we can show you how to update an iPhone or how to update an iPad .

• In Safari, tap the book icon
• Go to the history tab (clock)
• Select how far back to clear

Read on to see full illustrated instructions.

1. In Safari, tap the book icon

Firstly, open Safari and tap the book icon in the bottom bar.

2. Select the history tab (clock icon) and tap Clear

Now select the history tab (clock icon) and tap Clear at the bottom.

3. Select how far back to clear and tap Delete

Now choose how far back you'd like to delete : last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time.

If you like, you can toggle on Close All Tabs , which will close every open tab that isn't in a tab group (we can show you how to use tab groups if you aren't sure).

Finally, when you're happy, hit Delete .

As you can see in the screenshot above, if you now go back to the history tab, your history will have been deleted.

For more iPhone tutorials, check out our guides on how to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone , how to clear RAM on iPhone , how to delete multiple contacts on iPhone and how to rearrange the iOS 17 Messages '+' menu .

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Peter is Reviews Editor at Tom's Guide. As a writer, he covers topics including tech, photography, gaming, hardware, motoring and food & drink. Outside of work, he's an avid photographer, specialising in architectural and portrait photography. When he's not snapping away on his beloved Fujifilm camera, he can usually be found telling everyone about his greyhounds, riding his motorcycle, squeezing as many FPS as possible out of PC games, and perfecting his espresso shots. 

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How to delete your safari history on a mac, iphone, or ipad.

Want to scrub your searches? Here's how to delete your history in the Safari browser, whether you're using it to surf the web on iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Key Takeaways

• Clearing your Safari history removes cookies and reduces online tracking.
• The process for deleting web history is different for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
• You can use Private Browsing Mode to prevent web history from being saved.

From accessing your bank account on a shared computer to Googling embarrassing queries, there are a number of reasons to want to clear out your search history. Deleting your history on Safari removes your trail of web browsing, but the process also does more than clear out potentially embarrassing websites.

Clearing your history will also remove associated cookies from the web browser, reducing the number of ways you are being tracked online. While clearing your web history only removes cookies from Safari and not third-party websites that already have your data, it can still be helpful to reduce online tracking. Clearing the related cache can also sometimes fix bugs.

Deleting a web history from Safari isn't a terribly complicated process, but the steps are a bit different if you are using a MacBook , iPad , or iPhone . The steps for clearing several web pages and a single website are also different. Some privacy settings can also prevent you from deleting any web history, leaving the buttons you need grayed out.

There are also a few tricks that can make the process simpler. For example, if you turn on iCloud for Safari, when you delete the history from your Mac, it will automatically be deleted from your phone and tablet too. If you know you want to delete your web history before you make a single click, you can use Private Browsing Mode instead.

Whether you are a murder mystery writer looking to eliminate search queries that would raise the eyebrows of any detective, or you want to reduce the number of cookies tracking you, this guide will tell you how to delete Safari history in a few simple steps.

Too many Safari tabs open on your iPhone? Close them all with this trick

How to delete safari history on a mac, click on history in the toolbar.

Safari allows you to delete a lot of web history from a Mac or MacBook at once by allowing you to choose the dates for which you would like to erase. If you want to clear websites from the last hour, last day, last two days or all of your web history, this is the process to use.

• Open Safari
• From the top toolbar, click on History , then click Clear History.
• In the pop-up window, use the drop-down menu to select the time period you want to clear from your history.
• Click Clear History .

14 Safari tips and tricks you absolutely need to know

How to delete safari history on an iphone or ipad, open settings app and go to safari.

The steps for clearing out your Safari history on an iPhone is quite different from using a Safari browser on a Mac. But, the process is the same across both iPhones and iPads, so these steps below work for both your phone and tablet.

• Open the Settings app.
• Select Safari.
• Scroll down to the Privacy & Security section and select Clear History and Website Data.
• On the next page, tap the time frame that you would like to delete the history for.
• Optional: If you also want to close out of all open websites, tap the toggle for Close All Tabs.
• Tap Clear History.

How to delete a single website from Safari history

Safari allows you to easily delete websites from the last hour, day, two days, or your entire web history easily. But, if you only want to remove a single website, you'll instead have to access your history, and then select the individual page to remove.

• Open a Safari browser.
• From the top toolbar, select History > Show All History. Or, you can use the keyboard shortcut Command + Y.
• Select the website entry that you wish to delete. If that site was not visited today, you will need to tap on the date that you visited the website to find it or use the search bar at the top.
• Right-click on the website entry and select delete.

On an iPhone or iPad:

• Tap the Bookmark icon on the bottom (it looks like an open book).
• Tap the Clock or History icon at the top of the page.
• Locate the website that you wish to delete from your history -- your history is organized by the date you visited.
• On the website you wish to delete, swipe left, then tap on the red trash icon.

How to use Bing Chat on Safari

How to use private mode in safari.

If you know that you'll want to delete the website that you are about to visit from your history, try using Private Browsing Mode instead. This mode does not save any website history, including search history and autofill information. That means you can do your online banking without going back and deleting your web history when you are done.

To use Private Browsing Mode on a Mac:

• Open Safari.
• On the top toolbar, go to File > New Private Window.
• Use this new private window for browsing. You can quickly see if a Safari browser is Private because the field to type in the URL is dark gray instead of white.

To use Private Browsing Mode on iOS:

• Tap the tab icon in the bottom left corner.
• At the bottom of the screen, tap Private (swipe to see all the toppings in this toolbar if you do not see the Private option.)
• Private browsing will have a dark gray URL field instead of white. To return to regular browsing, repeat the steps but this time swipe back to your open tabs.

How to use picture-in-picture mode in Safari on Mac

Q: how to instantly clear your web history from multiple devices.

With iCloud , Safari can save your web browsing across all the devices that you use with your Apple ID. While that's helpful for quickly recalling a website no matter what device you first opened it with, it also syncs any deletions to the web history across your devices . That means if you delete a web page from your history on a Mac, it will automatically be deleted from your iPhone too -- as long as both devices are logged into the same Apple ID and iCloud for Safari is enabled.

iCloud for Safari can be enabled during the setup process for a new device, but it can also be turned on and off from the Settings app:

• Tap on your Apple ID or name at the top.
• Tap on iCloud.
• Under Apps Using iCloud, select Show All . (If you are running iOS 15 or earlier, you may not see the full list already instead of the Show All option, in which case you can jump to the next step.)
• Toggle on Safari from the list.

Q: Why can't I clear my Safari history?

In some cases, the buttons that you need to tap to clear your Safari history are gray. But why can't you delete your Safari history, and how do you fix it? Here are a few common reasons why the Safari history options are grayed out:

• You've already deleted your history and there are no more websites to clear out.
• Web content restrictions are turned on. Some parental control settings prevent kids and teens from deleting their web history, while other content restrictions can also prevent you from deleting. To access the content restriction options, open the Settings app and go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
• You are using Private Browsing Mode. This mode does not save your web history, so you have nothing to delete.

Q: Can you permanently delete Safari history?

Deleting your Safari history makes it difficult for the average person to recover the past websites that you have visited. However, if you are connected to your work or school network, in some cases the network administrator can still see your website access. Deleting your website history also may not fool a trained digital forensics expert during an investigation.

How-To Geek

How to clear history, cache, and cookies in safari on iphone or ipad.

We're going to assume that most How-To Geek writers know how to delete the history, cookies, and cache in Mobile Safari, but just in case you don't know, here is how to do it.

Open up the Settings app and find Safari in the left-hand list, and then scroll down the right side until you find the "Clear History and Website Data" button.

You'll be prompted to verify that you really want to do this, and it will point out that this is also going to delete the history from other devices using your iCloud account to sync Safari.

Related: How to Clear Cookies / Cache for a Single Website on iPhone or iPad

Perhaps this is a good time to point out that you should use private browsing mode if you don't want history being saved on your device!

How to clear Safari cache, history and cookies on iPhone or iPad

It’s easy to clear Safari cache, history and cookies on your iPhone and iPad. This comes in handy when you want to delete some sensitive browsing information, in case you did not use Private Mode. Moreover, it can also help free up some space to keep your browser running efficiently. If Safari is being slow or behaving erratically, you can get rid of data to clear out the load. So let’s see what’s involved.

Why should you clear Safari cache?

• Cookies can store a range of data, from your login details to your shopping preferences. If they become corrupted or get shared with perpetrators, they can put your information at risk.  
• Clearing the Safari cache will prevent anyone else from seeing the websites you’ve been visiting and the searches you’ve been performing. If you’re utilizing a shared device or a public Wi-Fi network, this is extremely crucial. 
• Overall, tips and tricks like this for Safari on your iPhone are simple but keep the data stored in your browser at a minimum and help free up space on your phone.

How to clear cache and history in Safari on iPhone or iPad

• Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Scroll down and select Safari . 

This procedure will remove all cookies, cache, and history from your iPhone completely. Furthermore, you can prevent the cache from piling up by surfing in the Private Browsing Mode .  

How to delete specific website data from Safari on iPhone or iPad

• Go to the Settings app → Safari .
• Scroll down to the bottom and tap Advanced . 

• Once finalized, tap Done .

Clearing data from a particular website ensures the removal of all cookies. If you want, you can even customize Safari to your preference in a few simple steps.  

How to block cookies in Safari on iPhone

• Under Privacy & Security, toggle on Block All Cookies .

Yes. Clearing Safari cache, history, and cookies will log you out of the websites you are currently logged into.

No. Clearing your Safari cache, history, and cookies will not delete your bookmarks.

Yes. Clearing your Safari cache, history, and cookies will delete any saved passwords you have for websites.

Now, you’re safe…  

Clearing Safari cache, history, and cookies on iPhone can help you to secure your privacy and improve the performance of your device. It is a simple and easy process that only takes a few moments to complete.

Do let me know if you’d want me to cover more such articles. Until next time!

Read more: 

• How to clear Chrome history, cache, and cookies on iPhone and iPad  
• How to Fix A Problem Occurred with this Webpage so it was Reloaded on iPhone
• How to disable Safari on iPhone? Easy ways to do it!
• How to flush your DNS cache on Mac  

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How to view and clear your web browsing history in Safari on iPhone or iPad

Easily wipe your browsing history in Apple's Safari web browser in seconds.

How to find your web-browsing history

How to clear your web browsing history.

Clearing your browsing history on iPhone and iPad in Safari has been a straightforward affair for years now.

Sometimes, you may want a fresh start with your web browsing — perhaps to get rid of some history that may bring up a memory you'd rather forget as you type in a website URL in the address bar.

Apple makes this feature very easy to access on both the iPhone and iPad by offering two ways to clear your history. So with this in mind, here's how you can do just that and make a fresh start in Safari .

Viewing your web history in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is very easy to do — and it's all done from Safari.

• In Safari, tap the Bookmarks button in the toolbar that's below the address bar.
• Tap the History icon in the upper right corner. Here, you can view your entire web history.

• Use the History search bar to find previously viewed pages.

If the time calls to wipe most or all of your web browsing history in Safari, here's how to do it on both iPhone and iPad.

To note, the below steps will be the same if you attempt to wipe your web browsing history on an iPhone 15 Pro Max , and an iPad Mini 6 for example.

• In Safari, tap the Bookmarks button.
• Select the History icon in the upper right corner.
• Tap Clear and select how much history you'd like to clear: the last hour, the last day, 48 hours' worth, or all recorded history.

One more thing… A feature no one talks about

Privacy on the web matters more than ever in these modern times. Websites store the pages you click on, especially when you sign into a page that can contain personal information about you.

Master your iPhone in minutes

iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!

It's great to have a feature like this in Safari — but it would be good to have this automated. To tell Apple's web browser to automatically clear history after 24 hours would be very useful, as you wouldn't leave a trail behind.

Regardless, it's still a good feature, and one you should use every week.

Daryl is iMore's Features Editor, overseeing long-form and in-depth articles and op-eds. Daryl loves using his experience as both a journalist and Apple fan to tell stories about Apple's products and its community, from the apps we use everyday to the products that have been long forgotten in the Cupertino archives.

Previously Software & Downloads Writer at TechRadar, and Deputy Editor at StealthOptional, he's also written a book, ' The Making of Tomb Raider ', which tells the story of the beginnings of Lara Croft and the series' early development. He's also written for many other publications including WIRED, MacFormat, Bloody Disgusting, VGC, GamesRadar, Nintendo Life, VRV Blog, The Loop Magazine, SUPER JUMP, Gizmodo, Film Stories, TopTenReviews, Miketendo64 and Daily Star.

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Clear the history, cache and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Find out how to delete your history, cookies and cache in Settings.

Delete your history, cache and cookies

Clear your cookies and the cache, but keep your history

Delete a website from your history, block cookies, use content blockers, delete history, cache and cookies.

Go to Settings > Safari.

Tap Clear History and Website Data.

Clearing your history, cookies and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information.

When there’s no history or website data to be cleared, the button to clear it will turn grey. The button may also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

To visit sites without leaving history, turn Private Browsing on .

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.

Tap Remove All Website Data.

When there’s no website data to be cleared, the button to clear it will turn grey. The button may also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

Open the Safari app.

Tap the Edit button, then select the website(s) that you want to delete from your history.

Tap the Delete button.

A cookie is a piece of data that a site puts on your device so that site can remember you when you visit again.

To block cookies:

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced.

Turn on Block All Cookies.

If you block cookies, some web pages may not work. Here are some examples:

You'll likely not be able to sign in to a site even when using your correct user name and password.

You may see a message that cookies are required or that your browser's cookies are turned off.

Some features on a site may not work.

Content blockers are third-party apps and extensions that let Safari block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups and other content.

To get a content blocker:

Download a content blocking app from the App Store.

Tap Settings > Safari > Extensions.

Tap to turn on a listed content blocker.

You can use more than one content blocker. If you need help, contact the app developer .

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Related topics

Contact Apple Support

Need more help? Save time by starting your support request online and we'll connect you to an expert.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Clearing Safari history on Childs iPhone/iPad

How do I clear history and website data in Safari settings on my child's iPhone/iPad? I have taken off content restrictions as described in several Apple support posts. Clear history is still greyed out. There is a big data usage number for Safari due to this and I can't clear it out. I don't really want to do a reset when this appears to be a simple solution, I just don't know what the solution is! I put restrictions on my my kids' phone and iPads so that they wouldn't look or see inappropriate websites, know this is crippling their device because the storage is full and I can't clear the Safari history.

Posted on Jan 25, 2022 9:21 PM

Posted on Jan 27, 2022 7:11 AM

Hi nicki271,

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities. It sounds like you're having an issue with clearing Safari history on a device with restrictions enabled. We're happy to provide some information to assist.

As you mentions and it states in the article here: Clear the history and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch "When there's no history or website data to clear, the setting turns gray. The setting might also be gray if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time."

We'd also recommend attempting to clear history and storage from the iPhone storage page and the help of the steps here: How to check the storage on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

You can also check Settings > Safari > Advanced to check and clear data. How to See and Remove All The Data Websites Have Saved on Your iPhone or iPad

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• Clear history from Safari Trying to clear Safari history on my son’s iPhone 8. “Clear” is grayed out. According to all articles I read, this is tied to Content & Privacy Restrictions. I have turned those off and Clear is still grayed out. Have also gone into content restrictions and web content to set “Unrestricted Access” and still grayed out. Since we have family sharing set up, I have tried from the master device and still grayed out. All devices are on iOS 12.3.1. Son also has an iPad associated with him and I have tried all the above via that too. Clear is still grayed out. What to do? 2273 1
• Clear iOS Safari Browsing History but KEEP Website Data? Hello. Is there a way to clear Safari browsing data but KEEP the website data on iPad or iPhone? On a Mac, you can clear browsing history by choosing History > Clear History. But if you hold the Option key before selecting Clear History, you can clear history and keep website data. Is there a similar option for iOS? Thanks. 844 2

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Jan 27, 2022 7:11 AM in response to nicki271

• Clear Safari cache on Mac
• Clear Safari cache on iPhone or iPad
• How to save passwords when clearing your cache

How to clear your Safari browser cache on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad

• You can clear your cache on Safari in just a few steps on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
• Clearing your cache, as well as history and cookies, can help resolve your device's performance issues.
• Clearing your cookies will clear your passwords as well, unless you save them with keychain.

A cache is a store of data. When you visit a website on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad, the Safari browser keeps a snapshot of the pages you view.

If you go back to that website, Safari loads the cached page in an instant, instead of taking the time to retrieve the page from the internet again.

But an overloaded cache can take up storage space and cause your device to run inefficiently — and it could use a periodic clearing.

Here's what you need to know to clear your cache on Safari, as well as your cookies and browsing history.

How to clear Safari cache on Mac

You can either clear just your cache or your cache, history, and cookies. 

Clear your cache

1. Click on the Safari tab at the top left of your screen and choose Preferences from the dropdown menu.

2.  Click the Advanced tab of the menu that pops up.

3.  At the end of the tab, select the Show Develop menu in menu bar box and close the Preferences menu.

4. Click the Develop tab from the Safari menu at the top of the page.

5. Click Empty Caches from the dropdown menu.

Clear your cache, history, and cookies

You may also want to clear your browsing history and cookies in addition to emptying your cache. Here's how to do that.

1. Choose the History tab at the top of your screen.

2. At the very bottom of the dropdown menu, choose Clear History.

3.  A box pops up with a choice to clear the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history. Choose your time frame and click the Clear History button.  

Once you clear the history, it will also clear the cache and cookies associated with that time period.

How to clear Safari cache on iPhone or iPad

To clear your cache and browsing history:

1. Open the Settings app.

2. Tap Safari .

3. Tap Clear History and Website Data .

4. On the screen that pops up, choose Clear History and Data .

To clear your cache but not your browsing history:

3. Tap Advanced .

4. Tap Website Data .

5. Choose Remove All Website Data .

What happens to saved passwords when you clear your cache

When you clear your cache, history, and cookies, you may discover that Safari has logged you out of your favorite websites.

While clearing Safari's cache alone will not delete your passwords, clearing your history and cookies can. That's because when you empty your cookies, you will lose their password data saved in Safari as well. And keep in mind that clearing your history also clears its associated cookies.

Luckily, Apple has a solution to this problem. If you use iCloud, check your iCloud settings on your phone or computer.

Make sure that you've checked the box for Safari. As long as this box is checked, any passwords you save through your browser will stay safe in your keychain .

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2 Simple Ways to Clear History in Safari

Last Updated: January 4, 2024

This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido . Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 124,979 times.

You can delete all of your web browsing history or specific entries on both the OS X and the iOS versions of Safari. This can come in handy if you're on a public computer, or need to remove a certain website from your browsing history. No matter what system you're using, it will only take a few moments.

OS X (All History)

• If you're using an older version of Safari, click the "History" menu instead and select "Clear History".

• Note that this will delete history across all devices connected to your iCloud account.

OS X (Single Entries)

iOS (All History)

• If you want to delete a single entry, click here .

iOS (Single Entries)

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://osxdaily.com/2014/11/28/clear-recent-web-history-safari-mac-os-x/
• ↑ http://osxdaily.com/2014/11/21/delete-specific-history-safari-ios/

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How To Delete History On IPad Safari

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Introduction

When it comes to browsing the web on your iPad using Safari, your browsing history can reveal a lot about your online activities. Whether you want to maintain your privacy, free up storage space, or simply declutter your browsing experience, knowing how to delete your browsing history is essential. By clearing your history, you can remove traces of the websites you've visited, searches you've conducted, and cookies stored on your device. This not only helps protect your privacy but also ensures that your browsing experience remains smooth and efficient.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of deleting your browsing history on Safari for iPad . Whether you're using an iPad, iPad Mini, or iPad Pro, the process remains consistent across these devices. By following these simple instructions, you can easily clear your browsing history and maintain a clean, private, and optimized browsing experience on your iPad.

Now, let's dive into the specifics of how to delete your browsing history on Safari for iPad, ensuring that you can navigate the process with ease and confidence.

Step 1: Open Safari

To begin the process of deleting your browsing history on Safari for iPad, you'll first need to open the Safari app . The Safari icon, which resembles a compass, is typically located on your iPad's home screen. Tapping on this icon will launch the Safari browser , allowing you to access its various features and settings.

Upon opening Safari, you'll be greeted by the browser's interface, which includes the address bar at the top where you can enter website URLs or conduct searches. Additionally, you'll find the navigation buttons, bookmarks, and tabs that enable seamless browsing.

Once Safari is open, you're ready to proceed to the next step of accessing your browsing history and initiating the deletion process. By navigating through the browser's settings and options, you can effectively manage your browsing history and maintain the privacy and efficiency of your online activities.

With Safari now open on your iPad, you're one step closer to clearing your browsing history and ensuring a clean and optimized browsing experience. This simple yet crucial step sets the stage for the subsequent actions that will enable you to take full control of your browsing history and privacy settings.

Now that Safari is open, let's move on to the next step of accessing your browsing history and initiating the deletion process. This will allow you to effectively manage your browsing history and maintain the privacy and efficiency of your online activities.

Step 2: Access the History

Once Safari is open on your iPad, accessing your browsing history is a straightforward process. At the top of the Safari interface, you'll notice the address bar, where you typically enter website URLs or conduct searches. To access your browsing history, you'll need to tap on the address bar, which will prompt a menu to appear. This menu will display your frequently visited sites, favorites, and a list of your browsing history.

Upon tapping the address bar, you'll see a list of your frequently visited websites, which provides quick access to your most-visited online destinations. Additionally, you'll find your favorites, allowing you to easily navigate to websites you've designated as favorites for convenient access. However, for the purpose of deleting your browsing history, you'll want to focus on accessing the full history list.

To access your complete browsing history, simply scroll down within the menu that appears after tapping the address bar. As you scroll, you'll notice the "History" option, which, when selected, will reveal your entire browsing history in chronological order. This comprehensive list includes the websites you've visited during your browsing sessions, enabling you to review and manage your browsing history effectively.

By accessing your browsing history through this menu, you gain visibility into your recent online activities and can proceed with the next crucial step of clearing your history. This seamless access to your browsing history empowers you to maintain control over your online privacy and ensure that your browsing experience remains optimized and clutter-free.

With your browsing history now accessible within Safari, you're ready to proceed to the next step of clearing your history and safeguarding your privacy. This simple yet essential action will enable you to maintain a clean and efficient browsing experience on your iPad, ensuring that your online activities remain private and secure.

Step 3: Clear Browsing History

After accessing your browsing history within Safari on your iPad, the next crucial step is to clear this history effectively. By clearing your browsing history, you can remove traces of the websites you've visited, searches you've conducted, and cookies stored on your device. This not only helps protect your privacy but also ensures that your browsing experience remains smooth and efficient.

To clear your browsing history, you'll need to navigate to the history section within Safari. Once you've accessed your browsing history, tap the "Clear" button located at the bottom right corner of the history list. Upon tapping this button, a prompt will appear, presenting you with various options for clearing your browsing history.

In this prompt, you'll have the option to clear your browsing history for specific time periods, such as the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time. This flexibility allows you to tailor the deletion process to your specific needs, ensuring that you can remove the desired browsing history while retaining any relevant information from other time periods.

Selecting the time period for which you'd like to clear your browsing history is a simple and intuitive process. By choosing the appropriate option from the prompt, you can effectively remove the specified browsing history from your iPad, maintaining your privacy and optimizing your browsing experience.

Once you've selected the desired time period, tap the "Clear History" option to initiate the deletion process. Safari will then proceed to clear your browsing history based on your selection, ensuring that the specified browsing data is permanently removed from your device.

By clearing your browsing history in this manner, you can confidently manage your online privacy and maintain a clutter-free browsing experience on your iPad. This straightforward process empowers you to take control of your browsing history, ensuring that your online activities remain private and secure.

With your browsing history now cleared, you've successfully taken a proactive step towards safeguarding your privacy and optimizing your browsing experience on Safari for iPad. This simple yet essential action enables you to maintain a clean and efficient browsing experience, ensuring that your online activities remain private and secure.

Step 4: Confirm Deletion

After clearing your browsing history in Safari on your iPad, it's important to confirm the deletion to ensure that your browsing data has been effectively removed. This confirmation step provides peace of mind, assuring you that your privacy has been safeguarded and your browsing experience remains optimized.

Upon clearing your browsing history and selecting the desired time period for deletion, Safari will prompt you to confirm the action. This confirmation message serves as a final checkpoint before the deletion process is initiated, allowing you to review your decision and ensure that you're comfortable with the removal of your browsing history.

When prompted to confirm the deletion, you'll typically encounter a message that outlines the specifics of the deletion action. This message may include details such as the time period for which the browsing history will be cleared and a reminder of the implications of this action. It's important to review this information carefully to verify that the intended browsing history will be removed.

Once you've reviewed the confirmation message and are ready to proceed with the deletion, simply tap the "Clear History" or "Clear Browsing Data" option, depending on the specific prompt presented by Safari. By confirming this action, you signal to Safari that you are committed to removing the specified browsing history from your device.

Upon confirming the deletion, Safari will proceed to clear your browsing history based on your selection, ensuring that the specified browsing data is permanently removed from your iPad. This seamless process provides reassurance that your privacy has been upheld and that your browsing experience remains free from unnecessary clutter.

By confirming the deletion of your browsing history, you complete the essential process of managing your online privacy and optimizing your browsing experience on Safari for iPad. This final step solidifies your proactive approach to maintaining a clean and efficient browsing experience, ensuring that your online activities remain private and secure.

With the deletion of your browsing history confirmed, you can navigate the web with confidence, knowing that your privacy has been prioritized and your browsing experience remains streamlined. This simple yet crucial action empowers you to take control of your browsing history, ensuring that your online activities remain private and secure.

In conclusion, managing your browsing history on Safari for iPad is a fundamental aspect of maintaining your online privacy and optimizing your browsing experience. By following the step-by-step process outlined in this guide, you've gained valuable insights into how to delete your browsing history effectively, ensuring that your online activities remain private and secure.

Clearing your browsing history on Safari empowers you to remove traces of the websites you've visited, searches you've conducted, and cookies stored on your device. This proactive approach not only safeguards your privacy but also contributes to a clutter-free and efficient browsing experience on your iPad.

By opening Safari and accessing your browsing history, you've taken the first crucial steps towards managing your online privacy. Navigating through the browser's settings and options has allowed you to gain visibility into your recent online activities, providing you with the necessary foundation for initiating the deletion process.

Clearing your browsing history within Safari is a seamless and intuitive process, offering flexibility in choosing the time period for which you'd like to remove your browsing data. Whether you opt to clear the history for the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time, the process is designed to cater to your specific needs, ensuring that you can maintain relevant information while removing unnecessary browsing history.

Confirming the deletion of your browsing history serves as a final checkpoint, providing reassurance that your privacy has been upheld and your browsing experience remains optimized. This essential step solidifies your proactive approach to managing your online privacy, ensuring that your online activities remain private and secure.

By following these steps, you've successfully taken control of your browsing history, maintaining a clean and efficient browsing experience on Safari for iPad. This proactive approach not only protects your privacy but also contributes to a seamless and clutter-free browsing experience, allowing you to navigate the web with confidence.

In essence, the ability to delete your browsing history on Safari for iPad empowers you to maintain control over your online privacy and ensure that your browsing experience remains optimized. By following these simple yet essential steps, you've demonstrated a proactive commitment to safeguarding your privacy and maintaining a streamlined browsing experience on your iPad.

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Browser history on ipad: how to see it and how to clear it.

Browser and search history is a record of the websites you’ve visited and the searches you’ve conducted while using a web browser. This history is stored locally on your iPad, allowing you to revisit previously visited sites and view past search queries.

By default, browsers will save all your browsing and search history unless you have changed the settings.

This feature is handy when you can’t remember the website you visited. You can just check the history. It also comes in handy if you want to visit websites and want to keep them private(I would recommend Incognito Mode for this purpose).

In this article, I’ll demonstrate how to review your search history on iPad in both Safari and Google Chrome browsers, and, of course, I’ll show you how to delete or remove specific queries.

How To View iPad Browser History (Safari)

• Open ‘Safari’ web browser
• Tap on the ‘Tabs’ button at the top left corner
• Tap on ‘History’

You can even search for a specific website in the search history.

There, you will be able to see all the websites and searches that are made in Safari. If you’re using multiple devices within the same iCloud account and have enabled sync across devices, you will also see browser history from other devices.

For example, if you have searched on Google from your iPhone for “best iPads” you will also see that on your iPad.

Delete Browsing History

• Swipe left on the entries/websites you want to delete and tap on ‘Delete.’ Or tap on edit and select the entries you want to delete. You can even delete an entire day.

By deleting the website or search query, you erase it from your history, ensuring no one discovers your specific online activities on Safari.

Delete All History

You can also delete all the browsing, search history, cookies, and cache at once in the Safari browser.

• Open ‘Settings’
• Scroll down and tap on ‘Safari’
• Scroll down and tap on ‘Clear History and Website Data’

A warning will pop up, and you have to confirm that you want to delete your history. Once you tap on Clear , your history, including your Google searches, will be gone from your device. It will remove cookies, too. Just remember that you can’t recover your data after you delete everything.

How To Block Cookies

• Tap on ‘Safari’
• Tap on ‘Advanced’ at the bottom
• Toggle ‘Block all Cookies’ on

How To View iPad Browser History (Google Chrome)

See the websites you have visited from the iPad. Or see what websites your kids or spouse have visited.

• Open the ‘Google Chrome’ app
• Tap on the ‘three-dots’ at the top right corner
• Tap on the ‘History’

And voila! You can browse all the sites you have visited. You can check today’s history, yesterday’s, last week’s, etc. You can even type in the websites and find specific dates when the website was visited.

You can also delete your browser’s history if necessary, and here’s how you can do it.

• Tap on ‘Edit’ and select the websites you want to delete.
• Or you can tap on ‘Clear Browsing Data’.

By selecting ‘Clear Browsing Data’ you can select what you want to delete. For instance, you can clear your browsing history only and leave all your cookies and other files. You have to confirm that you want to delete the browsing data, and that’s it!

How To View iPad Browser History (Mozilla Firefox)

• Open ‘Firefox’ app
• Tap on the menu ‘three-lines’ in the top right corner

Here you will see all the website you have visited in Mozilla Firefox browsers and all the search queries you have made.

• Open ‘Mozilla Firefox’ app
• Tap on the ‘Recycle bin’ after that you will be offered to delete Today, Today and Yesterday or Everything.

You can also find the specific entry you want to delete by scrolling or searching for it in the search bar and swipe left on it and it will offer ‘Delete’ option.

You might be interested in seeing the best browsers for iPads .

How To View App History on iPad

You can track the usage of apps on your iPad, including the duration of use, but specific activities within those apps are not visible, this is how you can see it:

• Tap on ‘Screen Time’
• Tap on ‘See All Aapp & Website Activity’

There you will be able to see which app have been opened and for how long. Unlike browser history this can’t be deleted.

Final Words

This should tutorial should have helped you view and delete history on iPad. It will work for all iPads: iPad, iPad Mini, iPad Air and iPad Pro.

Does search history sync across all Apple devices?

iCloud syncs your Safari history across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This means you can see what you have browsed on your iPhone from your iPad.

Can you see browsers hsitory on iPad after it’s deleted?

No, you can’t see the browsers history after it has been delted.

Related Posts:

Incognito Mode on iPad How To Change Search Engine on iPad

Ernests Embutnieks

I'm a writer and editor in iPads & Android Tablets, Windows Tablet section. I'm passionate about technology, especially about tablets. I'm on a mission to assist people in discovering their ideal tablets. In addition, I'm dedicated to producing helpful how-to guides and sharing top-notch tips and tricks. In my early carrier I founded and became and editor at worldoftablet and have been a guest author at many other tech blogs. In wolfoftablet I'm focusing on iPads, Tablets, Apple Pencil, Apps, Reviews, Buyers Guides and Tablet Accessories. In free time I like to play games on my PS5 or iOS.

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How to clear history and private browsing on iphone and ipad.

January 9, 2020 Matt Mills Tips and Tricks 0

Clear Safari history on iPhone and iPad

In the past we had to have yes or yes a computer to be able to surf the internet and even perform simple searches on Google. However, the paradigm has changed and now from devices such as an iPhone and an iPad can be done, provided that WiFi or data connection is available. The case is that both devices have Safari, Apple ‘s browser. Although iOS and iPadOS are now two different operating systems, the truth is that they continue to share similarities like those in this browser.

Therefore, to be able to eliminate the browsing history of an iPhone or an iPad, the same steps must be followed, which as you will see are tremendously simple:

• Open Safari on the iPhone or iPad.
• Click on the book-shaped icon.
• You will see that three tabs appear now: bookmarks, reading list and history. Click on the latter.
• Click on “Delete” now .
• You now have the possibility of deleting a certain part of the history or deleting it whole , being able to choose between deleting the last hour, today, today and yesterday or always.

Once you delete the history you will see that your trail has been completely removed from the browser, unless you have chosen to delete a certain part and the search during that time does not appear. In any case, it should be noted that passwords saved in the iCloud keychain will not be deleted , but some preferences such as those of cookies will be deleted .

Browse privately on iOS and iPadOS

A very interesting function that most browsers have is to be able to search and dive into web pages without leaving a trace on your device. That is, your steps are not recorded in the history and you can navigate quietly without having to delete the history later. This function is also extremely useful if you don’t want websites to store your browsing data and offer you personalized advertising based on your searches.

To access private browsing in iPhone or iPad Safari you must click on the window display button (lower right of the iPhone and upper right of the iPad) and click on «Nav. private ». This will open a new tab that, as you will see, is in black and means that you are browsing privately.

It should be noted that private browsing does not mean that web pages are not aware that you have visited them or that Google does not store your searches. As we said before, what it does is turn your session into something private regarding your device and the processing of web data for tracking purposes, although this function already found something similar in Settings> Safari.

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Home › Privacy basics › How to delete your search history

How to delete your search history

Posted on April 18th, 2024 by Douglas Crawford in Privacy basics .

Your search history is a window into your inner life . Anyone with access to it knows what your hobbies and interests are, your sexual orientation and preferences, the things that worry you (for example your medical concerns), your political affiliations, your financial situation, and much more. 

In this article, we’ll explore why it’s important to delete your search and (closely related) browsing history and how to do it, but also the limitations of deleting your search and browsing history. Unfortunately, you can’t delete everything that’s out there.

However, moving forward, you can take steps to prevent others from seeing and logging your search and browsing history in the first place. We’ll also discuss these. 

Why you should delete your search history

• How to delete Google search history on your desktop
• How to delete Google search history on mobile apps

How to delete search history in Play Store

How to delete youtube search history, how to delete google maps search history, how to delete gmail search history, how to delete search history in firefox, how to delete search history in chrome, how to delete search history in edge, how to delete search history on iphone and in safari.

• How to delete search history on Samsung Internet

Search history you can’t delete

Does turning off personalized ads prevent google from tracking me.

• Prevention is always better than a cure

As we noted above, your search history and browsing history reveal a great deal about you. This highly personal information is extremely valuable for the purposes of surveillance and influencing your behaviors.

Targeted advertising

The more advertising and analytics companies know about you, the more successfully they can target you with ever more personalized ads. Our analysis found that your data may be worth over $600 a year for advertising purposes alone.

Alphabet (Google’s parent company) is now worth over $1.9 trillion , a staggering fortune, made by offering services that are almost entirely “free” to use, but which it monetizes by selling your search queries to advertising and analytics companies.

Google so dominates the search engine landscape that searching for anything online is now commonly referred to as “googling”, and its search services form the backbone of the other services it offers, such as Google Maps, Gmail, Google Calendar, and more.  

Government mass surveillance

In 2013, Edward Snowden exposed the stupefying scale and ambition of the United States and United Kingdom’s mass surveillance programs, which operated on a “ collect it all ” principle to harvest data from almost everyone on the planet. Little has changed in real terms since then, and in many ways, things are now worse . 

And it’s not just NSA and its 5 Eyes, 9 Eyes, and 14 Eyes allies that spy on your search history. Almost all governments have some form of mass surveillance system, even if it’s only legislation that requires internet service providers (ISPs ) to log their customers’ browsing histories and store this data where it can be accessed by government agencies for a certain amount of time. 

How to delete Google search history

You can tell Google to delete your search history. Whether it really deletes it is hard to know, but doing this probably prevents Google from using past search history to directly target you with ads or selling it to third-party advertising and analytics companies. It’s anybody’s guess whether governments can still access this “deleted” data.

How to delete Google search history on your desktop 

The easiest way to delete your entire Google search history across all apps and devices is using a desktop browser. To do this:

1. Visit myactivity.google.com/myactivity and sign in with your Google account. You can now review the information Google keeps about you. When you’re ready, click Delete .

2. Select All time (or whatever time range you prefer)

3. Click Select all (or select which apps you wish to delete your search history from). You can delete the search history from all Google apps here, including Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Play, and more. Click Next when you’re ready.

4. Click Delete to confirm you’d like to delete your activity.  

How to delete Google search history on mobile apps 

On mobile devices, each individual Google app allows you to delete your search history. In some cases, doing this only deletes your search history for that app, while in others, you can delete your search history for that app across all your devices. 

In some apps, you get taken to the My Google Activity page, where you can manage and delete your search history for all Google apps and services you use. For example:

Deleting your search history in the Google Play Store only deletes your search history on the Play Store app on the current device.

Open the Play Store app on your Android device or Chromebook. Tap your profile picture and go to Settings →  General → Account and device preferences → Clear device search history .

Deleting your YouTube search history deletes your YouTube search history (only) across all your apps and devices. 

On Android, iOS, and iPadOS, open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture → Settings → Manage all history → Saving your YouTube history → Turn off .

On Android, iOS, and iPadOS, open the Google Maps app and tap your profile picture → Settings → Maps history → Delete → Delete all (or select whatever timescale you prefer). From here, you can also tap the Controls tab to manage your Google search history across all apps. 

On Android, deleting your search history in the Gmail app only deletes your search history for the Gmail app on the current device. Open the Gmail app and go to ☰ → ⚙ Settings → General settings . Tap ⋮ at the top right corner → Clear search history .

On the Gmail app for iPhone and iPad, you effectively get access to the full My Google Activity web app. Open the app and go to  ☰ → ⚙ Settings → Account → tap on your account → Your info, privacy, and security → Data and Privacy tab → History settings → Web & App Activity → Turn off .

How to delete your browser search history

Of course, it may not just be Google and your government that you’d rather not see your search history. Deleting your browser search history prevents friends, family, and colleagues who have physical access to your device from seeing what you’ve been up to online. 

In this section, we’ll look at how to delete your search history in a selection of popular browsers on different platforms. Please be aware, though, that much like using incognito/private mode , deleting your browser history does nothing to prevent anyone on the internet from seeing your search history , such as your ISP or the websites you visit. 

Learn about browsers that are good for your privacy

On the desktop, open Firefox and go to ☰ → Settings → Privacy & Security → History → Clear History… → T ime range to clear → select Everything from the dropdown menu (or whichever time range you prefer) → Clear now .

You can also set Firefox to automatically delete your search history every time you close the app. To do this, go to ☰ → Settings → Privacy & Security → History → ensure Clear history when firefox closes is selected . 

On Android, open the Firefox app and tap ⋮ → History → Settings → Privacy and security → Delete browsing data .

On an iPhone or iPad, open the Firefox app and go to ☰ → Settings ⚙ → Privacy → Data Management → Clear Private Data .

On your desktop, open Chrome and go to ☰ → Clear browsing history → select All time from the dropdown menu (or whichever time range you prefer) → Clear data .

On Android, open the Chrome app and tap ⋮ → Clear browsing data → select All time from the dropdown menu (or whichever time range you prefer) → Clear data .

On an iPhone or iPad, open the Chrome app and go to  … → History → Clear Browsing Data… → select All time from the dropdown menu (or whichever time range you prefer) → Clear Browsing Data .

Open Microsoft Edge in Windows and go to … → ⚙ Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data → Clear browsing data now → Choose what to clear → select All time from the dropdown menu (or whichever time range you prefer) → Clear now .

You can also set Edge to automatically delete your search history every time you close the app. To do this, go to  … → ⚙ Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data → Choose what to clear every time you close the browser . Toggle Browsing history and any other data you’d like deleted between sessions on . 

On macOS, open Safari and go to the macOS menu bar → History → Clear History…. → Clear → select All History from the dropdown menu (or whichever time range you prefer) → Clear History .

On an iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app (not the Safari app) → Safari → Clear History and Website Data → Clear Timeframe → select All History (or whichever time range you prefer) → Clear History .

How to delete search history on Samsung Internet 

On your Android device, tap ☰ → History → ⋮ → Clear history (to delete all your search history).

You can ask Google to delete your search history from its apps, and you can delete any search history stored locally on your devices. However, your ISP can see every website you visit online, and almost all ISPs log this information (in many countries, they are required to do so by law). 

In some counties (such as the United States), ISPs are permitted to sell customer data to advertisers . In almost every country, they will hand over the data at the request of law enforcement or government agencies.  

No ISP will delete your browsing history just because you ask it to, so there’s little you can do about the data it already has. However, moving forward, you can prevent your ISP from seeing what you do by subscribing to a VPN service such as Proton VPN. 

A VPN routes your internet connection from your device to a VPN server run by a commercial VPN service such as Proton VPN. The connection between your device and the VPN server is securely encrypted so that no one sitting between your device and the VPN server can see the contents of your data. 

DNS queries , which translate human-friendly URLs into computer-friendly numerical values, are usually handled by your ISP. But when you connect to a VPN, it routes these DNS queries through the encrypted VPN tunnel and handles them itself. 

Learn more about how a VPN works

Your ISP can see that you’re connected to an IP address belonging to the VPN server but can’t see which websites you connect to after that.

This means that connecting to a VPN prevents your ISP from seeing what you do online. And because most government mass surveillance programs rely on requiring ISPs to log their customers’ browsing activity, a trustworthy VPN is effective at preventing governments from collecting your search history through untargeted surveillance. 

[ Protect your browsing history with Proton VPN ]

To prevent Google from using your browsing history to serve you personalized ads, head over to Google’s My Ad Center , sign in with your Google account, and toggle the Personalized ads switch off . 

Please be aware, though, that turning off personalized ads in Google’s settings doesn’t stop Google from tracking your browsing history . But it does change how that data is used. When you opt out of personalized ads, Google will no longer use your browsing history to serve you ads based on your interests and behavior. Instead, you’ll receive ads based on factors like your general location or the content of the site you are visiting.

However, Google may still collect and use your data for other purposes, such as improving its services, developing new features, or ensuring the security of its systems. This data collection can include your search history, the videos you watch on YouTube, and your interactions with other Google services.

Final thoughts: Prevention is always better than a cure

Asking Google (and other online services) to delete your search history from within its apps is probably better than doing nothing at all to protect your privacy. But a far better way is to use apps and services that don’t collect your search history in the first place. For example:

• Use Proton apps. When you search for emails in Proton Mail, events in Proton Calendar, or files in Proton Drive, the search is performed locally on your device . Just as our zero-access encryption ensures no one but you can access your data stored on Proton services, we also have no access to your search history. 
• Use your browser’s private or incognito mode . While your browser’s private or incognito mode will do nothing to prevent anyone on the internet from knowing what you do online, it will at least protect your online privacy from others who share your devices. 
• Use a privacy-focused search engine — Alternative search engines to Google, such as DuckDuckGo, don’t log your IP address or record your search history.
• Block third-party cookies to prevent websites from tracking you across the internet. 
• If you must use Google, don’t search while signed in to your Google Account, and use a VPN so Google can’t link your IP address to your searches. 

It’s not easy to stay private on the internet, but with some common sense and the help of privacy-focused services such Proton, it is possible to avoid most online tracking. 

Douglas Crawford

Starting with ProPrivacy and now Proton, Douglas has worked for many years as a technology writer. During this time, he has established himself as a thought leader specializing in online privacy. He has been quoted by the BBC News, national newspapers such as The Independent, The Telegraph, and The Daily Mail, and by international technology publications such as Ars Technica, CNET, and LinuxInsider. Douglas was invited by the EFF to help host a livestream session in support of net neutrality. At Proton, Douglas continues to explore his passion for privacy and all things VPN.

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