Delete your browsing history in Firefox through the History menu

Open Firefox and press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac. This opens your History sidebar on the left. At the top of that sidebar, click the trash icon or the three-dot menu and select "Clear Recent History". A box will pop up asking what time range you want to clear — choose "Everything" if you want all history gone, or pick a specific range like "Last Hour" or "Last 24 Hours".

Before you click "Clear Now", make sure the checkboxes match what you want deleted. By default, Firefox checks "Browsing & read History", "Cookies", and "Cache" — these are the main things that track where you've been. If you want to keep passwords saved but delete history, uncheck "Cookies" and "Active Logins". Then click "Clear Now" and it's done.

Key Takeaways

  • The fastest way is pressing Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+Y (Mac), then clicking the trash icon and selecting "Clear Recent History".
  • You can delete everything at once or choose a specific time range like the last hour or last 24 hours.
  • Unchecking "Cookies" and "Active Logins" lets you clear history while keeping passwords and login information intact.
  • Firefox also has an option to delete history automatically every time you close the browser if you want this to happen without asking.
  • Clearing history does not delete bookmarks or saved passwords unless you specifically check those boxes.

Use the keyboard shortcut to clear history faster

If you use Firefox regularly and want the quickest route, memorize Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. This opens the "Clear Recent History" box directly without opening the History sidebar first. It's one keystroke faster than the menu route and takes you straight to the clearing options.

This shortcut works from anywhere in Firefox — you don't have to be on a specific page or in a specific menu. Press it, choose your time range, confirm what you're deleting, and you're done. Many people who clear history regularly keep this shortcut written down until it becomes muscle memory.

Choose what gets deleted when you clear history

The "Clear Recent History" box shows several checkboxes, and you don't have to check them all. Browsing & read History removes the list of sites you've visited and files you've downloaded. Cookies removes login information and preferences that websites remember about you. Cache removes temporary files Firefox stored to make pages load faster next time.

If you want to stay logged into your email or banking site after clearing history, uncheck "Cookies" and "Active Logins". If you want to keep your passwords but clear everything else, uncheck "Passwords". Most people check all three boxes because they want a complete wipe, but the choice is yours depending on what you're trying to accomplish.

Set Firefox to delete history automatically when you close it

If you want Firefox to clear your history without you having to remember, go to the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner and select "Settings". Click "Privacy & Security" on the left sidebar. Under "History", find the dropdown that says "Firefox will" and change it from "Remember history" to "Never remember history".

When you choose "Never remember history", Firefox deletes your browsing history, cookies, and cache every time you close the browser completely. This happens automatically — you don't have to do anything. If you want more control, you can also choose "Use custom settings for history" and then check the box for "Clear history when Firefox closes", which lets you pick exactly what gets deleted each time.

Understand what clearing history does and doesn't do

Clearing your browsing history removes the list of sites you've visited from Firefox's records. It also removes cookies, which are small files websites use to remember you. But clearing history does not make you anonymous to your internet provider, your employer's network, or the websites you visited — those organizations have their own records of your activity that exist outside Firefox.

Clearing history also does not delete files you downloaded and saved to your computer — it only removes the read list from Firefox. If you want to delete an actual file, you have to find it in your file manager and delete it there. And clearing history does not undo anything you posted online or sent in an email — it only removes Firefox's local record that you visited those pages.

Delete history from a specific website only

If you want to remove history from just one site instead of everything, open the History sidebar with Ctrl+H or Command+Y. Find the site name in the list, right-click it, and select "Forget About This Site". Firefox will delete all history, cookies, and cache related to that one domain.

This is useful if you visited a site you don't want in your history but you want to keep history from everywhere else. Be aware that "Forget About This Site" is permanent — Firefox doesn't ask you to confirm, so make sure you're right-clicking the correct site before you click the option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing history in Firefox delete my saved passwords?

No, unless you specifically check the "Passwords" box in the "Clear Recent History" window. By default, Firefox only clears browsing history, cookies, and cache. Your saved passwords stay in place unless you uncheck them or use the "Forget About This Site" option, which removes everything tied to that domain.

Will clearing history make me invisible online?

No. Clearing your Firefox history only removes the record that Firefox kept locally on your computer. Your internet provider, your workplace network, and the websites you visited all have their own records of your activity that exist outside Firefox. Clearing browser history does not affect those records.

Can I recover history after I delete it?

Once you clear history in Firefox, it cannot be recovered from within Firefox. However, if your computer has file recovery software or backups enabled, a technician might be able to recover deleted files from your hard drive. For most users, deleted history is gone permanently.

What's the difference between clearing history and using Private Browsing?

Private Browsing prevents Firefox from saving history in the first place — when you close a Private window, nothing is recorded. Clearing history removes what Firefox already saved. Private Browsing is useful if you want to browse without leaving a record; clearing history is useful if you already browsed normally and want to remove the record afterward.

Does clearing cache make websites load slower?

Yes, slightly, the first time you visit a site after clearing cache. Cache stores temporary files that make pages load faster on repeat visits. When you clear cache, Firefox has to read those files again the next time you visit. The slowdown is usually just a second or two and only happens on your first visit to each site.