Browser history is a collection of all sites visited by a user over a certain period of time. It allows you to see which pages a person has visited and when. There is a search by dates and keywords. It can be cleaned periodically, hiding information from prying eyes and freeing up memory space. You can clear history in Chrome on your computer using the Ctrl+Shift+Del combination. We’ll look at how to do this on a phone in this article.
Why do you need to clear your browser history?
When visiting sites, the user sees many sites that he has seen before. They store various data: addresses, user data, time of visit, etc. When viewing web pages, they are cached by the browser so that they are opened instantly when visiting them again.
By clearing your browser history, you not only get rid of traces of your visits and communications, you also prevent third parties from tracking your online activities.
How to view history in Google Chrome on Android
History is where all the information about the visited sites that a person used is stored. When a user visits a particular site, it is automatically imprinted in the history of the service, in its “book”. If the user does not want it to be stored, he needs to clean and delete it himself, but this is worth talking about further.
First, you need to figure out where the user can generally see the history, in which section of the browser it is located. To view the whole story, you need to:
- Open the browser itself by tapping on the icon;
- After this, the system start screen with a search bar will open. If something was open before, you need to go to the browser's home screen. Now you should click on the three dots that are located in the upper right corner of the system. You need to tap and select the section called “History”;
- As soon as the user clicks on this section, all those sites that he visited previously will automatically appear.
This is a fairly simple way to view your browser history. If the user needs to clean it and delete it, then they should refer to the next point.
For more information about the history of Chrome, watch this video
Where is history stored?
On Android smartphones, the history is stored in the internal memory. It is located at the address - Storage / Data / History. Depending on the Android OS version, the path may vary. For example, some smartphones had this path - Storage / Download.
Clear Google Chrome history on Android
Please note that history files are hidden. This is done to ensure that the potential user does not disrupt anything in the operation of his mobile device. You need to enable showing hidden files in the file manager settings. However, you can remove them without this.
Use Google's incognito mode
In Google, select File > New Incognito Window, or you can press Ctrl + Shift + N. This will open a new window that will turn dark gray and show a spy icon. Anything you do in Incognito mode is not saved in your history, and once you close the window, your search history will disappear.
While it's a great way to keep your search history clean, using incognito or private mode in your browser doesn't hide your IP address, it only prevents certain data from being saved on your device.
How to clear history on your phone
Let's look at how to delete history in Chrome on a phone with an Android or iOS operating system.
You can delete both individual records (for example, visits to a specific site) and the entire history for a specific period.
If you have several devices synced and you want to delete history from only one of them, then disable synchronization on it before deleting.
Individual entries
To delete individual entries on Android:
- Click the "More" button in your browser (three dots).
- Tap History (if the address bar is at the bottom, swipe up and tap the History icon).
- Click Trash next to the entry you want to delete.
To delete multiple entries, pinch one of them with your finger, then select all unnecessary entries and delete them using the trash can icon.
To delete a recording on an iPhone:
- Click "More" (three dots) in your browser.
- Select "History".
- Hold your finger on one of the entries until the Delete button appears.
To delete several entries, click “More” - “History” - “Edit” and check them.
Clear Google Chrome history on iPhone
History for a specific period
To completely clear history in Chrome on Android:
- Click "More" (three dots).
- “History” – “Clear history”.
- Specify the time range and mark the types of data to be deleted.
- Click "Delete data"
On iOS:
- Click the More button (three dots).
- Select “History” – “Clear history”.
- Specify the time range and data types.
In addition to your browsing history, you can also delete cookies, cache files, passwords, and autofill data.
How to delete Google history using apps
There are special programs with which the user can quickly optimize all his actions in the phone system. Many of them are similar to each other, it is worth considering the most popular - Ccleaner.
It is enough to download the program through official sources and run it. In the end, it will do everything for the user! The program works great on any phone, including Android. You need to find the special section “Cleaning history”, tap on it and wait until the utility does everything for the user.
Deleting history and actions in your Google account
When the Internet browser is set to synchronize with your account, all your actions are displayed in the browser. Therefore, if you want to completely clear the history, you need to delete the synchronization data:
- To do this, go to the Settings menu in the top left corner and switch to Google Assistant.
- Next, select the “Accounts” section and click on your Google account.
- In the window that opens, click on the “Delete data” button (top right).
- A pop-up window will open with options for deleting data.
Deleting history and actions in a Google account
If you are sure that the actions performed on your device will never be used by other users, then feel free to select the first option and click the delete button. This is how you can easily and simply clear the history on your Android phone.
If you do not want to delete all information, then select any other item and confirm your choice. Once confirmed, your web browser data will be deleted.
How to automatically delete history in Google Chrome
If the user is inconvenient to clear the history himself every time, then he can take advantage of such an opportunity as automatically deleting Google Chrome history. In order to activate this function, a couple of steps are required.
It is worth noting that this feature will allow the user to optimize some files so that the history is deleted automatically after a certain period of time has passed. This is convenient, since you can set both the shortest period and the longest.
To automate the deletion of stories, you must:
- First, you should open the settings on your phone. They are located on the main screen. Their icon looks like a gear on a transparent background;
- After this, you should click on the “Google” item, and through it go to “Accounts”;
- Now you need to click on the button called “Data and personalization”;
- After this, the user must tap on the “Application and Web Search History” item. This item is located right in the action tracking item;
- Now in the upper right corner, tap on the additional icon in the form of three circles and go to the “Data storage period” item;
- After this, select the required period and confirm it.
Some data is already deleted automatically. They can be deleted before the user-selected date.
After the period specified by the user, all data will be erased.
Setting up automatic data deletion
To automatically delete data, open your browser settings and go to the “Clear history and website data” menu. After this, you will see a list where you can add websites for automatic removal.
There you can also specify the period for which the history on the phone will be cleared. This period will depend on how much time you spend in the browser every day. If you frequently check your email or other account while traveling, then you may want to select the "All Time" option.
Delete Google History
In the past, it was quite difficult to keep track of what exactly Google knew about you. However, Google now offers a service called My Activity, a page where you can see everything Google has learned about you in one section. Essentially, it's like the history of a web browser.
Of course, you can delete Google history through your browser, and we'll explain how below, but My Activity shows a much broader and more informative view, and makes it easy to clear individual pieces of your Google history in a few clicks.
How not to save history
In order not to record history, you need to activate the checkbox next to the “Do not save in history” item. Once you turn it off, all history will be deleted from your mobile device. All data will disappear automatically. If you want the history not to be saved, you need to:
- Disable Google Chrome app on Android device.
- Uncheck the box next to the “Follow me” option.
- Reboot your device.
- Go to your smartphone settings.
- Open the “Confidentiality” section.
- In the “History” section, select “Settings” of the “Journal” item.
There you can set which sites you visit will not be saved in history.
If you can't delete your history
If the user is unable to delete the history, the balancing process fails, and as a result the browsing history remains untouched, then the user must first look at the update of the Play Store application. This often happens because the user simply did not update the program.
If the update does not help, then you need to contact the browser support, as these are their system errors.
Vyacheslav
For several years he worked in mobile phone stores of two large operators. I understand tariffs well and see all the pitfalls. I love gadgets, especially Android ones.
Ask a Question
Question to the expert
Where to go for help?
To the duty station on the official Chrome website. If you scroll to the very bottom of the main screen, you can see the technical service number.
Why delete history?
This not only takes up space on the phone, but also is a kind of compromising information on the user if he has accessed various personal sites.
Can other users see my story?
This is only possible by logging in from the user's personal account. In other cases, no.
4.3/5 — (20 votes)
↑ Why delete history from Google?
To prevent information from falling into the wrong hands, you need to periodically clear your browser history. Google Chrome offers a great opportunity to do this quickly and easily. The system offers the user the opportunity not only to completely get rid of the entire browsing history. But also remove your traces of your visit for a whole day, a week or even an hour. This is a big plus for this browser, since users often only need to remove a small part of the information. The main reason for periodically clearing history is to protect your identity from the collection of incriminating evidence.
How to clear Opera browser history on Android
The Opera browser is quite often used on phones using the Android operating system.
Deleting browsing history for individual sites proceeds as follows:
- Click on the red Opera button.
- In the open menu, select “History”.
- In the “History” window, highlight the entry about your site visit, and then touch the button with the image of a basket.
In order to delete your browsing history in Opera, you will need to go through several steps:
- After clicking on the “Opera” button, select the “Settings” menu item.
- In the settings window, go to the “Privacy” section.
- Click on the option “Clear browsing history...”.
- In the list of parameters, select “Browsing history”, and, if necessary, other options to delete unnecessary information.
- Click on the “Clear data” button.
Second way
In the first case, you can perform the actions in literally a few seconds, which will not cause problems for anyone. However, it also happens that for some reason it is not possible to use this method. Then you should move on to the second, it is more complex and may raise a number of questions for inexperienced users. Of course, for our active readers, this instruction is just another reason to verify your considerable knowledge of the Android operating system.
“This action will lead to the deletion of settings, accounts, and so on,” we were informed in black and white during the action. However, the next time you launch the Play Store, you will only be asked to accept the terms of use. After this action, you will not need to re-enter your account login and password.
Also note that clearing the cache, located just below clearing data, will not help get rid of the search history.
Source
Consequences of deleting and disabling Google search history
It's important to understand the consequences of deleting your Google search history.
By default, Google personalizes search results based on your search activity. So if you search for recipes and click on related links more often than on all other websites, Google will rank a specific link on the search results page every time you look at a recipe.
If you delete and disable your history, your search results will be broader and less specific to you.
How to turn off Chrome syncing
Please note that if you have previously signed in to your Google account on your smartphone and other devices, their data is synchronized with each other. In this case, deleting browser history, cookies, passwords and other information will be deleted from all devices at once. If you want the data to be deleted on only one device, turn off synchronization in the settings.
Chrome syncs all your data across all your devices
Synchronization is a very convenient thing, given that we can often start working on one device and then switch to another. The only thing this tool does not cover is cache files. The fact is that the cache is local data that the browser receives on a specific device. There will be one on a smartphone, another on a tablet, and another on a computer.
News, articles and publication announcements
Free communication and discussion of materials
I think I won't be wrong if I assume that you use Google Maps. This is one of the best navigation services today, so there is nothing surprising here. Google Maps is accurate, functional and extremely up-to-date, because Google continuously updates them and systematically makes the necessary changes to routes and establishments. However, if you are at all concerned about your safety, Google Maps is clearly not your choice. Even industry experts say this outright.
Taking photos and videos has long migrated from the professional industry to the mobile world. Since the widespread appearance of cameras on smartphones, all users have widely taken up mastering the art of mobile photography. As in any business, there are many nuances and pitfalls in mobile photography that you don’t think about when you start doing it. Some travel around the world and take pictures of beautiful views of nature, others use mobile photography as a working tool, photographing their products and services. No matter who you are, our selection of the best accessories for mobile photography is sure to please.
Should you delete Google history and data or keep it?
We understand a company that knows so much about you. We can assume that some of you will want to delete Google history due to privacy concerns. We can understand why! Having carefully studied my history, I understand that the search engine has all the information about my browser, location, application, YouTube and devices.
Important! All information collected by Google is available only to you and is not available to third parties.
But while deleting Google history may help you sleep better at night, it will also worsen your online experience while surfing. This is because the search giant uses all this data to make things more convenient for you.
Have you ever received a Google Now motion notification before you started working? Does Google Maps know where you work and live, making navigation easier? All this may disappear. Even simple things like search recommendations will become less accurate.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. All Google services work together to make your experience as simple and convenient as possible. But in truth, it's likely that the search engine is also using your data for things you don't exactly like. That is, it will not provide you with unnecessary information during the search. Now it's up to you whether you want to sacrifice convenience to ensure privacy.
It's easy enough to find out what Google knows about you!
How to clear Firefox browser history on Android phone
The Mozilla Firefox browser for mobile devices has built-in functionality to clear the history of visited web pages.
You need to do the following:
- Click on the button with three dots.
- Select "History" from the menu.
- Click on the three dots icon next to the unnecessary entry.
- Select "Delete" from the context menu.
- To clear all history, click on the “Delete History” button.
- Agree to the deletion of Internet surfing data.
Another option for removing unnecessary information:
- Go to Firefox settings.
- In the “Privacy and Security” section, click on the “Delete web surfing data” item.
- On the "Delete Web Surfing Data" screen, you can choose what you want to delete from the browser. We are interested in the item “Web surfing history and site data.”
- Click on the “Delete web surfing data” button.
History in the browser: what it is, how it works, what information is available
History in Google Chrome displays a list of sites that the user has visited. Browsing data is saved automatically unless this feature is disabled. The log displays the names of pages on the Internet, URL, and time of visit. In addition to sites, history contains information about search queries.
To ensure privacy, the browsing history in Chrome must be periodically cleared of collected data. This is also required because information about the pages visited takes up the device’s memory and negatively affects the performance of the phone, especially if we are talking about an outdated model.