Clear your history in three steps from the Chrome menu
Open Chrome and press Ctrl + H on your keyboard (or Command + H if you use a Mac Chromebook). This opens your History page. On the left side, click Clear browsing data. A box will appear asking what you want to delete and how far back to go.
At the top of that box, you'll see a dropdown menu that says "All time" or shows a date range. Click it and choose how much history to remove — Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or All time. Then make sure the boxes next to Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are checked, along with Browsing history. Click the blue Clear data button at the bottom right.
That's the complete process. Your history, cookies, and cached files are now gone from that time period. Chrome will not show those websites in your address bar suggestions or in your History page anymore.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl + H to open your History page, then click Clear browsing data on the left side.
- Choose your time range from the dropdown menu — you can clear just the last hour or everything ever.
- Check the boxes for Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, and Cached images and files before clicking Clear data.
- Clearing history does not sign you out of websites or delete files you downloaded — it only removes the record of where you went.
- You can also set Chrome to clear history automatically every time you close the browser if you turn on the right setting.
What gets deleted when you clear history
When you click Clear data, Chrome removes three main things: the list of websites you visited (your browsing history), the small files websites store on your Chromebook to remember you (cookies), and temporary copies of images and files that Chrome saved to load pages faster (cached data). The box lets you pick which of these to delete, so you don't have to remove all three if you don't want to.
What does not get deleted: your downloaded files stay on your Chromebook, your passwords stay saved (unless you specifically check that box), and you stay logged into websites. If you were signed into Gmail or YouTube, you'll still be signed in. Clearing history just removes the record that you visited those sites.
Clear history automatically when you close Chrome
If you want Chrome to delete your history every single time you close it, you can turn on that setting. Click the three-dot menu in the top right corner of Chrome, then click Settings. On the left, click Privacy and security, then click Clear browsing data.
Check the box that says Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. From now on, every time you fully close Chrome (not just a tab), it will automatically delete your browsing history, cookies, and cached files. This is useful if you share your Chromebook with other people and don't want them to see where you've been.
Clear history from a specific website only
You don't have to clear all your history at once. If you want to remove just one website from your history, open your History page by pressing Ctrl + H. Find the website you want to delete, hover your mouse over it, and click the checkbox that appears on the left. You can select multiple websites this way. Once you've checked the ones you want gone, click Delete at the top.
This method only removes that website from your history list — it doesn't clear cookies or cached files from that site. If you need to do that, you'll need to use the full Clear browsing data box instead and search for that specific site's data.
Difference between clearing history and signing out
Clearing your history and signing out of websites are two separate things. When you clear history, Chrome forgets you visited those sites, but you stay logged in. When you sign out, you disconnect from your accounts, but Chrome still remembers you visited those sites.
If you want to fully disconnect from a website and remove all trace of visiting it, you should sign out first (by clicking your profile picture or account menu on that website), then clear your browsing data. This removes both your login and the record that you were there.
Recover deleted history
Once you click Clear data, Chrome does not keep a backup of your deleted history. You cannot undo the deletion or recover it from Chrome itself. However, your internet service provider (ISP) may keep records of websites you visited — clearing your Chromebook's history does not affect those records.
If you deleted something by accident and need to remember a website you visited, try searching your email for messages from that site, checking your read folder for files from it, or looking at your Google account activity if you were signed into Google during your visit.
Clear history on a shared Chromebook
If multiple people use the same Chromebook, each person has their own account and their own separate history. When you clear your history, it only clears your account's history — other users' histories stay intact. Each person logs in with their own username and password, and Chrome keeps their browsing separate.
If you're concerned about privacy on a shared device, you can also use Guest mode. Click your profile picture in the top right corner of Chrome and select Browse as guest. In Guest mode, Chrome doesn't save any history, cookies, or passwords at all, and nothing you do is recorded. When you close the guest window, everything disappears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?
No. By default, clearing history does not touch your saved passwords. If you want to delete passwords too, you need to check the box for Passwords and other sign-in data in the Clear browsing data box. Be careful with this option — you'll have to type your passwords in again the next time you visit those sites.
Will clearing history sign me out of Gmail or YouTube?
No. Clearing history removes the record of websites you visited, but it does not sign you out of your Google account. You'll still be logged into Gmail, YouTube, and other Google services. To sign out, you have to click your profile picture and select Sign out.
Can I clear history from just one day?
Yes. In the Clear browsing data box, click the dropdown that says "All time" and select Last 24 hours. This clears only the history from the past day. You can also choose Last hour, Last 7 days, or Last 4 weeks to be more specific.
What's the difference between clearing history and clearing cache?
History is the list of websites you visited. Cache is the temporary files Chrome saved to make those websites load faster. When you clear browsing data, you clear both at the same time by default. You can uncheck Cached images and files if you want to keep the cache but remove the history.
Does clearing history on my Chromebook clear it on my phone too?
No. Each device has its own separate history. If you use Chrome on both a Chromebook and a phone and you're signed into the same Google account, you can turn on sync to keep history the same across devices — but clearing history on one device does not automatically clear it on the other.