What Clearing History Does and Why You Might Want To
Clearing your history in Chrome removes the record of websites you have visited, searches you have made, and files you have downloaded. Chrome stores this information so it can suggest sites when you start typing in the address bar and so you can find pages you visited before. Clearing it does not log you out of websites or delete saved passwords — those are separate.
You might clear your history to free up storage space on your device, to remove a record of sites you visited on a shared computer, or straightforward to start fresh. The process takes less than a minute and you can choose exactly what time period to clear — just today, the last week, the last month, or everything ever.
Key Takeaways
- Open Chrome, press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac to open the History menu, then click "Clear browsing data" on the left side.
- Choose your time range from the dropdown at the top — "All time" clears everything, while "Last hour" clears only the most recent activity.
- Check the boxes next to "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files" along with "Browsing history" to remove all traces of your activity.
- Clearing history does not log you out of saved passwords or remove autofill information unless you specifically check those boxes.
Opening the Clear Browsing Data Window
The fastest way is to use the keyboard shortcut. On Windows, press Ctrl+H. On Mac, press Command+Y. This opens your History page. On the left side, you will see a button that says "Clear browsing data" — click it.
If you prefer using the menu, click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome, then scroll down to "History" and click it. A submenu will appear. Click "History" again (or "Clear browsing data" if it appears directly). Either way, you end up at the same window.
Choosing What Time Period to Clear
At the top of the Clear Browsing Data window, you will see a dropdown menu that says "Time range". Click it to see your options. "All time" removes everything Chrome has recorded. "Last hour" removes only activity from the past 60 minutes. "Last 24 hours", "Last 7 days", and "Last 4 weeks" are also available.
Choose based on what you need. If you are clearing history on a shared computer and only want to remove what you did today, pick "Last 24 hours". If you are selling the computer or giving it to someone else, pick "All time". The choice does not affect anything else on your device — it only changes how far back Chrome looks when deleting.
Selecting What Data to Remove
Below the time range dropdown, you will see checkboxes for different types of data. "Browsing history" is checked by default and removes the list of websites you visited. "Cookies and other site data" removes login information that websites stored on your device — unchecking this means you will stay logged into sites. "Cached images and files" removes copies of web pages Chrome saved to load them faster next time.
For most people, checking all three is the right choice. If you want to stay logged into your email or banking sites, uncheck "Cookies and other site data". If you want to keep faster loading times, uncheck "Cached images and files". The other options — "read history", "Passwords", "Autofill form data" — are usually left unchecked unless you have a specific reason to remove them.
Completing the Clear and What Happens Next
Once you have chosen your time range and checked the boxes you want, click the blue "Clear data" button at the bottom right. Chrome will process the deletion in a few seconds. The window will close and you will return to your History page, which will now show fewer entries or be empty if you cleared "All time".
Your browsing will feel exactly the same. Sites will load at normal speed (they may load slightly slower the first time after clearing cache, since Chrome has to read images again). You will still be logged into sites where you left "Cookies and other site data" unchecked. Passwords you saved will still be there unless you specifically checked that box.
Clearing History Automatically When You Close Chrome
If you want Chrome to clear certain data every time you close the browser, you can set this up in Settings. Click the three dots, then "Settings". On the left, click "Privacy and security", then "Clear browsing data". Check the box that says "Clear cookies and other site data when you quit Chrome".
This is useful on a shared computer where you want to make sure no one sees what sites you visited. You can choose which data types to clear automatically by clicking "Cookies and other site data" and adjusting the checkboxes. Browsing history will still be visible in your History page unless you also enable "Clear browsing history when you quit Chrome" in the same menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?
No. Passwords are stored separately and are not deleted unless you specifically check the "Passwords" box in the Clear Browsing Data window. Even then, you can recover them by going to Settings > Passwords and checking your saved list before you clear.
Will clearing history log me out of websites?
Only if you check "Cookies and other site data". If you leave that box unchecked, you will stay logged into Gmail, Facebook, banking sites, and anywhere else you were signed in. Clearing only "Browsing history" and "Cached images and files" will not affect your login status.
Can I clear history for just one website instead of everything?
Not directly from the Clear Browsing Data window. However, you can visit a site, right-click on it in your History page, and select "Delete" to remove just that entry. For bulk deletion of one site, you would need to clear by time range and accept that other sites are cleared too.
What is the difference between clearing history and clearing cache?
History is the list of websites you visited. Cache is the copies of images and files Chrome saved to make those sites load faster. Clearing history removes the list but keeps the cached files. Clearing cache removes the files but keeps the history. Checking both boxes removes both.
Does clearing history on Chrome clear it on my phone too?
No. Chrome on your phone and Chrome on your computer are separate. You must clear history on each device individually. However, if you are signed into the same Google account on both, your browsing activity may sync between them — clearing on one does not affect the other's stored data.