Clear your browsing history in Chrome in three steps

Open Chrome and press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac. This opens your history page. In the left sidebar, click Clear browsing data. A window will pop up asking what time range you want to clear — choose All time if you want everything gone, or pick a specific range like Last hour or Last 7 days. Make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are checked, then click Clear data.

That's the complete process. Your history, cookies, and cached files are now deleted from Chrome. Websites you visit will no longer remember you were there, and you'll start fresh the next time you visit them.

Key Takeaways

  • Use Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+Y (Mac) to open your history, then click Clear browsing data in the left sidebar.
  • Choose All time to delete everything, or pick a specific time range like Last 24 hours if you only want recent history gone.
  • Check both Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files to remove what websites remember about you.
  • Clearing history does not delete your saved passwords unless you specifically check that box — uncheck it if you want to keep passwords saved.
  • You can also set Chrome to clear history automatically every time you close the browser by turning on Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome in Settings.

What gets deleted when you clear browsing data

Chrome removes several things at once when you use the clear browsing data tool. Your browsing history — the list of websites you visited — disappears from the history page. Cookies are small files websites store on your computer to remember you; deleting them means sites won't recognize you the next time you visit. Cached images and files are copies of pictures and code that Chrome saved to load websites faster; clearing them frees up storage space.

By default, Chrome does not delete your saved passwords when you clear data. If you want passwords deleted too, check the Passwords and other sign-in data box before clicking Clear data. You can also choose to clear autofill information (the addresses and payment methods Chrome remembers) by checking that box separately.

Clear history automatically when you close Chrome

If you want Chrome to delete your history every single time you close the browser, you can turn this on in Settings. Click the three-dot menu in the top right, select Settings, then go to Privacy and security in the left sidebar. Under Clear browsing data, toggle on Delete cookies and site data when you quit Chrome.

Once this is on, Chrome will clear your cookies, cached files, and browsing history the moment you close the last Chrome window. Your passwords stay saved unless you also toggle on Delete passwords when you quit Chrome. This is useful if you share your computer or use Chrome on a public device and don't want anyone to see where you've been.

Delete history from specific websites only

You don't have to clear everything. If you want to remove history from just one or two websites, open your history page with Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+Y (Mac). Search for the website name in the search box at the top, and a list of every page you visited on that site will appear. Click the checkbox next to each entry you want to delete, or check the box at the top to select all results from that site. Then click Delete.

This method removes only the history entries you select — it doesn't touch cookies or cached files from that site. If you want to remove cookies from a specific website too, you'll need to use the full Clear browsing data tool and clear by time range instead.

Clear history on Android and iPhone Chrome

On Android, open Chrome and tap the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Select Settings, then tap Privacy and security. Choose Clear browsing data, pick your time range, make sure the boxes you want are checked, and tap Clear data.

On iPhone, open Chrome and tap the three-dot menu at the bottom right. Select Settings, then Privacy. Tap Clear browsing data, choose your time range, and tap Clear browsing data again to confirm. The process is nearly identical to desktop Chrome, just with slightly different menu locations.

What clearing history does not remove

Clearing your Chrome history does not hide your activity from your internet service provider or your network administrator. They can still see which websites you visited because that information travels through their network. Clearing history only removes the record from your own computer.

It also does not delete files you downloaded. If you want to remove downloaded files, you'll need to delete them manually from your Downloads folder. And if you're signed into a Google account in Chrome, your browsing history may be synced to Google's servers; clearing it from Chrome doesn't automatically delete it from your Google account. To remove synced history, you'll need to go to myactivity.google.com and delete it there separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?

No. By default, clearing browsing data leaves your passwords untouched. If you want to delete passwords too, you must check the Passwords and other sign-in data box before clicking Clear data. This gives you control over what gets removed.

Can I recover history after I clear it?

Once you clear your browsing history in Chrome, it cannot be recovered from the browser itself. However, if your history was synced to your Google account, you may be able to view it at myactivity.google.com. Clearing Chrome history does not automatically delete the synced version.

Will clearing history speed up Chrome?

Clearing cached images and files may free up some storage space on your computer, but it won't noticeably speed up Chrome's performance. Clearing history and cookies has almost no effect on how fast the browser runs. The main benefit is privacy, not speed.

What's the difference between clearing history and incognito mode?

Incognito mode prevents Chrome from saving history in the first place — nothing is recorded while you're in an incognito window. Clearing history removes what's already been saved. Incognito is better if you want privacy before you browse; clearing history is what you do after the fact.

Does clearing history remove me from websites I'm logged into?

Yes. Clearing cookies logs you out of most websites because cookies are what keep you signed in. The next time you visit a site, you'll need to log in again. If you don't want to be logged out, uncheck Cookies and other site data before clearing.