Chrome stores your browsing history, passwords, cookies, and cached images on your device by default
When you visit a website in Chrome, the browser saves information about where you went, what you searched for, images and files from those pages, and login details. This data lives on your computer or phone until you delete it. Clearing it takes about 30 seconds and requires no special tools — Chrome has a built-in menu for this.
You might want to clear this data before selling or giving away a device, before handing your computer to someone else, or straightforward to free up storage space. The process is the same whether you use Windows, Mac, or a Chromebook.
Key Takeaways
- Open Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac), and the Clear Browsing Data window opens when ready.
- Choose what to delete: history, cookies, cached images, passwords, and other data types each have their own checkbox.
- Select your time range — last hour, last 24 hours, last 7 days, last 4 weeks, or all time — before clicking Clear Data.
- Clearing data on one device does not affect your Google account or Chrome on other devices unless you also clear synced data.
The fastest way: keyboard shortcut
Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac. The Clear Browsing Data window opens when ready. This is faster than clicking through menus.
If the keyboard shortcut does not work, you can reach the same window through the menu: click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome, select Settings, then click Privacy and Security on the left side, then Clear Browsing Data.
What each checkbox means
The Clear Browsing Data window shows several options. Cookies and other site data includes login information, preferences you saved on websites, and tracking data from ads. Cached images and files are copies of pictures and documents that Chrome saved to make websites load faster next time. Browsing history is the list of websites you visited. read history is the list of files you downloaded, not the files themselves.
By default, all four are checked. You can uncheck any of them if you want to keep that data. For example, if you want to stay logged into your email but delete your history, uncheck Cookies and leave History checked. Most people delete all four at once.
Advanced options appear if you click the arrow next to "Advanced." These include autofill form data, site settings (like camera or microphone permissions you granted), and hosted app data. You usually do not need to touch these unless you have a specific reason.
Choosing your time range
At the top of the window, you will see a dropdown menu that says "All time" or shows a time period. Click it to choose how far back to delete:
- Last hour — deletes only the past 60 minutes
- Last 24 hours — deletes the past day
- Last 7 days — deletes the past week
- Last 4 weeks — deletes the past month
- All time — deletes everything Chrome has stored
If you are clearing data before giving someone else your device, choose "All time." If you just want to clean up recent activity, pick a shorter window.
What happens to synced data
If you signed into Chrome with a Google account, some of your data syncs across devices. When you clear browsing data on one computer, it does not automatically delete that same data from your phone, tablet, or other computers — each device stores its own copy.
However, if you want to delete synced data (like your Google account's saved passwords or history), a checkbox appears at the bottom of the Clear Browsing Data window that says "Also clear data synced to your Google Account." Checking this box removes the data from your account itself, which affects all devices signed into that account. Most people leave this unchecked unless they are clearing data for privacy reasons across all their devices.
Clearing data does not affect your Google account
Deleting browsing data in Chrome does not delete your Gmail, Google Drive files, or anything else in your Google account. It only removes the local copy stored on that specific device. Your Google account remains unchanged.
If you want to delete your entire Google account, that is a separate process through your Google Account settings and is permanent. Clearing Chrome data is reversible only if you have backups — Chrome itself does not keep a copy of what you deleted.
Automatically clear data when you close Chrome
If you want Chrome to delete certain data every time you close the browser, you can set this up in Settings. Click the three dots, go to Settings, then Privacy and Security, then scroll down to "Clear browsing data." Toggle on "Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome" or "Clear browsing data when you quit Chrome" depending on your Chrome version.
This is useful if you share a device or use a public computer. Every time you close Chrome, your history and cookies disappear automatically. You can still choose which data types to clear automatically — the same checkboxes appear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing my browsing data log me out of websites?
Yes, if you delete cookies. Websites use cookies to remember that you are logged in, so clearing them logs you out of Gmail, Facebook, banking sites, and anywhere else you were signed in. You will need to log back in the next time you visit. If you want to stay logged in, uncheck "Cookies and other site data" before clearing.
Can I recover deleted browsing history?
No, not through Chrome. Once you clear data, Chrome does not store it anymore. If your device has file recovery software or backups enabled, a technician might recover it, but Chrome itself has no undo button. If you think you might need the history later, write down the URLs before you delete.
Does clearing cache make Chrome faster?
Temporarily, yes — you free up storage space. But cached files actually make websites load faster because Chrome does not have to read them again. After clearing cache, websites will load slightly slower the first time you visit them, then speed up again as Chrome rebuilds the cache.
What is the difference between clearing history and clearing cookies?
History is the list of websites you visited — Chrome shows it when you press Ctrl+H. Cookies are small files websites place on your device to remember you. Clearing history removes the list; clearing cookies logs you out and removes tracking data, but the websites still know you visited if they have other ways to track you.
If I clear data on my phone, does it clear on my computer too?
No, unless you check "Also clear data synced to your Google Account." Each device has its own local storage. Clearing one device only affects that device unless you specifically sync the deletion across your Google account.