Delete your history in Firefox through the Settings menu

Open Firefox and press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac. This opens your History sidebar on the left. At the top of that sidebar, click Clear Recent History. A window will pop up asking what time range you want to clear — choose Everything if you want your entire history gone, or pick a specific range like "Last Hour" or "Last 24 Hours" if you only want recent visits removed.

Before you click the Clear Now button, check the boxes below the time range. By default, Firefox checks "Browsing & read History" and "Cookies and Site Data". You can also check "Cache", "Active Logins", "Site Preferences", and "Offline Website Data" if you want those cleared too. Most people leave the defaults as they are. Click Clear Now and the history disappears when ready.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+Y (Mac), then click Clear Recent History to open the deletion window.
  • Choose Everything to delete all history, or pick a time range like "Last 24 Hours" to delete only recent visits.
  • Firefox automatically checks "Browsing & read History" and "Cookies and Site Data" — you can add more categories if you want.
  • History deletion happens when ready and cannot be undone, so make sure you want the sites removed before clicking Clear Now.
  • You can also set Firefox to delete history automatically every time you close the browser through Settings > Privacy & Security.

Use the Settings menu if the keyboard shortcut does not work

If the keyboard shortcut does not open your history, you can reach the same clearing tool through the menu. Click the three horizontal lines (called the hamburger menu) in the top right corner of Firefox. Scroll down and click Settings. On the left sidebar, click Privacy & Security.

Scroll down to the section labeled History. You will see a button that says Clear Data. Click it and the same clearing window appears. The process from there is identical — choose your time range, check the boxes for what you want removed, and click Clear Now.

Set Firefox to delete history automatically when you close the browser

If you want Firefox to clear your history without asking every time, you can turn on automatic deletion. Go to the hamburger menu, click Settings, then Privacy & Security on the left. Under the History section, you will see a dropdown that says "Firefox will" followed by options.

Click that dropdown and select Use custom settings for history. Two new checkboxes appear: "Always use private browsing mode" and "Clear history when Firefox closes". Check the second box. Now Firefox will automatically delete your browsing history, cookies, and site data every time you close the browser completely. You can still choose what gets deleted by clicking the Settings button that appears next to that checkbox.

Understand what each deletion option removes

Browsing & read History removes the list of websites you visited and files you downloaded. This is what most people mean when they say "delete my history." Cookies and Site Data removes small files that websites store on your computer — these remember your login information, preferences, and shopping cart contents. Clearing cookies will log you out of most websites.

Cache is temporary data Firefox stores to make websites load faster the next time you visit. Clearing it frees up disk space but makes some sites load slightly slower on your next visit. Active Logins logs you out of every website you were signed into. Site Preferences removes settings you changed for individual websites, like allowing a site to use your location or camera. Offline Website Data removes content websites stored so they work without an internet connection.

Delete history for a single website instead of everything

If you only want to remove visits to one specific site, you do not need to clear your entire history. Press Ctrl+H or Command+Y to open the History sidebar. Find the website you want to remove — you can search for it using the search box at the top of the sidebar. Right-click on the site name and select Forget About This Site.

Firefox will remove all history, cookies, and cached data for that one website only. Your history for every other site stays intact, and you stay logged into other websites. This is useful when you want to keep your overall history but remove one or two sites you do not want recorded.

Know the difference between history deletion and private browsing

Deleting history removes records of sites you already visited. Private Browsing is different — it prevents Firefox from recording your visits in the first place. When you open a private window, Firefox does not save history, cookies, or site data while that window is open. Once you close the private window, nothing from that session is recorded.

You can open a private window by pressing Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows or Command+Shift+P on Mac. Private browsing is useful when you share a computer or want to browse without leaving a record. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see your activity — private browsing only hides it from other people using the same computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover history after I delete it?

No. Once you click Clear Now, Firefox permanently removes the history from your computer. There is no undo button or recovery option. If you are unsure whether you want something deleted, do not clear it — you can always delete it later.

Will deleting history log me out of websites?

Only if you check the box for "Cookies and Site Data" when you clear. If you only clear "Browsing & read History", you stay logged in. If you want to stay logged in but remove your visit records, uncheck the cookies box before clicking Clear Now.

Does clearing history in Firefox clear it on my phone too?

No. Firefox on your phone and Firefox on your computer keep separate histories. You have to clear history on each device separately. On Firefox for Android or iOS, swipe up from the bottom of the screen, tap the menu icon, and look for "Clear browsing data" or "Clear history".

What if I only want to delete history from today?

When you open the Clear Recent History window, click the dropdown that says "Everything" and select "Last Hour" or "Last 24 Hours" instead. Firefox will only delete visits from that time period and leave older history alone.

Does private browsing delete history automatically?

Yes. When you close a private browsing window, Firefox automatically deletes everything from that session — history, cookies, and cached data. You do not have to manually clear anything. However, downloads you made in private mode are still saved to your Downloads folder.