Where to find the clear history button in Chrome
Open Google Chrome and press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac. This opens your History page. On the left side, click Clear browsing data. A box will pop up with options for what to delete and how far back to go.
Alternatively, click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome, go to Settings, then select Privacy and security from the left menu. Click Clear browsing data and the same box appears.
The fastest route is the keyboard shortcut. The Settings route takes the same number of clicks but is useful if you want to change other privacy settings while you are there.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+Y (Mac) to open History, then click Clear browsing data on the left side.
- Choose what time range to clear: Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, All time, or a custom date range.
- Select which types of data to delete: Browsing history, Cookies, Cached images and files, and others — history alone is usually enough.
- Clearing history does not sign you out of websites or delete saved passwords unless you specifically check those boxes.
- Chrome can clear history automatically every time you close the browser if you turn on the setting in Privacy and security.
What each checkbox does
The clear browsing data box shows several checkboxes. Browsing history is checked by default and removes the list of websites you visited. Cookies and other site data removes login information and preferences websites remember about you — unchecking this means you stay logged into sites. Cached images and files removes temporary copies of web pages Chrome stored to load them faster next time.
The other options are less common. read history removes the list of files you downloaded but not the files themselves. Passwords and Payment methods delete saved login credentials and card information — these are unchecked by default because most people do not want to delete them. Autofill form data removes names, addresses, and phone numbers Chrome remembers for forms.
For most people, leaving only Browsing history checked is the right choice. If a website is not working correctly, clearing Cookies and other site data often fixes it, but you will have to log back in everywhere.
Choosing the time range
The dropdown at the top of the clear browsing data box lets you choose how far back to delete. All time removes everything Chrome has recorded. Last 4 weeks is the middle ground — it clears recent activity without touching older history. Last 7 days, Last 24 hours, and Last hour are useful if you only want to remove recent browsing.
You can also select Custom range and type in exact dates. This is helpful if you want to keep history from before a certain date but delete everything after it.
Setting Chrome to clear history automatically
If you want Chrome to delete your history every time you close the browser, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. Toggle this on. From that point forward, your browsing history, cookies, and cached files will be deleted automatically — you will not have to do it manually.
This setting does not delete passwords or payment methods by default. If you want those deleted too, click Sites that can always use cookies below the toggle and remove any sites you want to stay logged out of, then go back and check the Passwords box in the clear browsing data window one time to clear existing saved passwords.
One important note: if you use Chrome on a shared computer, turning on automatic clearing means everyone who uses that browser will be logged out of their accounts each time they close it. This is good for privacy but inconvenient if multiple people use the same profile.
Clearing history from other devices
If you are signed into Chrome with a Google account on multiple devices, your browsing history syncs across them. Clearing history on one device does not automatically clear it on the others. You have to clear it separately on each computer or phone where you used Chrome.
To check which devices have your Chrome history synced, go to Settings > Sync and Google services. If Sync is on, your history is being shared. You can turn off syncing for history alone by clicking Manage what you sync and unchecking History, but this stops syncing on all your devices at once.
What clearing history does not do
Clearing your browsing history does not sign you out of websites unless you also clear cookies. If you clear only browsing history, you will still be logged into Gmail, Facebook, and other sites. Clearing cookies logs you out everywhere.
Clearing history also does not delete files you downloaded. It only removes the list of downloads from Chrome's read page. The actual files stay on your computer in your Downloads folder or wherever you saved them.
Your internet service provider and the websites you visited can still see that you visited them, even after you clear Chrome's history. Clearing history is about privacy from other people using your device, not about hiding your activity from your ISP or the sites themselves.
Clearing history on Chrome mobile
On Chrome for Android, tap the three dots in the bottom right, go to Settings, then Privacy, then Clear browsing data. On Chrome for iPhone or iPad, tap the three dots in the bottom right, go to Settings, then Privacy, then Clear browsing data. The options are the same as on desktop.
Mobile Chrome does not have a keyboard shortcut, so the Settings route is the only way. The process takes the same number of taps as on desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing history delete my saved passwords?
No, unless you specifically check the Passwords box in the clear browsing data window. By default, only browsing history, cookies, and cached files are deleted. Your saved passwords stay unless you remove them separately.
Can I clear history for only one website?
Yes. Go to History > History again, and you will see a list of sites you visited. Hover over any site and a checkbox appears on the left. Check the boxes for the sites you want to remove, then click Delete at the top. This removes only those sites from your history, not everything.
Does clearing history on Chrome clear it from Google's servers?
No. Clearing Chrome history only removes it from your device. Google keeps a separate record of your activity in your Google Account if you are signed in. To delete that, go to myactivity.google.com, sign in, and delete your activity there. That is a different system from Chrome's local history.
What if I clear history by accident?
Chrome does not have an undo button for cleared history. Once it is deleted, it is gone from your device. If you need to recover it, you would have to check your Google Account activity at myactivity.google.com, but that only works if you were signed into Chrome when you visited those sites.
Does clearing cache speed up Chrome?
Clearing cached images and files removes temporary copies of websites, which frees up a small amount of disk space. It may make Chrome slightly faster if your cache folder was very large, but the difference is usually not noticeable. Clearing cache is more useful for fixing websites that are not loading correctly than for improving speed.