How to clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad

Clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad in a few simple steps

iPhone screen showing the Safari app icon in the center

You'll definitely want to know how to clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad . Know how to delete browsing history is part of basic user operation on all your devices, and is especially if you share devices with others. 

Luckily, deleting browsing history on Safari is easy and can be done in just a few taps, and is the same on iOS and iPadOS, so whether you're using an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPad Air , these steps will apply.

Remember, though, that deleting your browsing history only stops your activity being visible on that device. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will still be able to see the webpages you have visited. If you want to stop that, for ultimate privacy, you'll need to use one of the best VPN services .

The following screenshots were taken on an iPhone running iOS 17 . If you aren't running the latest version of your device's OS, we can show you how to update an iPhone or how to update an iPad .

  • In Safari, tap the book icon
  • Go to the history tab (clock)
  • Select how far back to clear

Read on to see full illustrated instructions.

1. In Safari, tap the book icon

A screenshot showing how to delete browsing history on Safari for iPhone and iPad.

Firstly, open Safari and tap the book icon in the bottom bar.

2. Select the history tab (clock icon) and tap Clear

A screenshot showing how to delete browsing history on Safari for iPhone and iPad.

Now select the history tab (clock icon) and tap Clear at the bottom.

3. Select how far back to clear and tap Delete

A screenshot showing how to delete browsing history on Safari for iPhone and iPad.

Now choose how far back you'd like to delete : last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time.

If you like, you can toggle on Close All Tabs , which will close every open tab that isn't in a tab group (we can show you how to use tab groups if you aren't sure).

Finally, when you're happy, hit Delete .

A screenshot showing empty browsing history on Safari for iPhone

As you can see in the screenshot above, if you now go back to the history tab, your history will have been deleted.

For more iPhone tutorials, check out our guides on how to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone , how to clear RAM on iPhone , how to delete multiple contacts on iPhone and how to rearrange the iOS 17 Messages '+' menu .

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Peter is Reviews Editor at Tom's Guide. As a writer, he covers topics including tech, photography, gaming, hardware, motoring and food & drink. Outside of work, he's an avid photographer, specialising in architectural and portrait photography. When he's not snapping away on his beloved Fujifilm camera, he can usually be found telling everyone about his greyhounds, riding his motorcycle, squeezing as many FPS as possible out of PC games, and perfecting his espresso shots. 

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How to Clear Safari Browsing History and Cache

Whenever you browse the web in Safari, the browser stores website data so that it doesn't have to download it again each time you revisit a site. In theory this should speed up your browsing experience, but there are some scenarios where you might want to clear the cache and start anew. Keep reading to learn how it's done on Mac, iPhone , and iPad .

safari macos icon banner

If a site you regularly frequent has elements that have stopped working, or if a site has stopped loading completely, there may be a conflict between an older version of it that Safari has cached and a newer one.

Or perhaps you simply want to protect your privacy by wiping the slate clean and removing all the data associated with websites you've visited. Either way, here's how it's done on macOS and iOS.

How to Clear Safari's Cache on Mac

There are two ways to clear Safari's cache on a Mac. The first method outlined below deletes everything relating to a website you've visited, including not only the cached versions of the site, but also cookies and any other related data. The second method described offers a more targeted approach and clears only Safari's cache, but it does involve enabling a hidden menu.

  • Launch Safari browser on your Mac.

safari

How to Clear Safari's Cache on iPhone and iPad

Note that the following steps clear all history, cookies and website data on your device, regardless of when the sites were accessed.

  • Launch the Settings app on your iOS device.
  • Scroll down and select Safari .
  • Scroll down and select Clear History and Website Data .
  • Choose the timeframe to clear ( Last hour , Today , Today and yesterday , or All history ), choose the profile or select All Profiles , then tap Clear History .

settings

For another way to protect your privacy while browsing the web, be sure to check out our guide on how to use Safari's Private Browsing Mode .

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How to clear browsing history on Safari on iPhone or Mac

William Gallagher's Avatar

You can clear your Safari browsing history on both iOS and Mac

delete from safari history

Last updated 3 years ago

As tracking goes, Safari keeping your browsing history is less about privacy-busting security and more about just being useful. It's your history that means Safari remembers where to go to when you choose forward and back within a site, for instance.

It's also how Safari is able to offer you a list of sites that you regularly go to, on account of how handy it is to be able to back to them with a click. History also does keep things you may not expect, though, such as a list of items you've downloaded.

If you don't want that, though, or you're just fed up of Safari going to site addresses you haven't looked at in years, you can wipe the whole browsing history.

On a Mac, you can also wipe, for instance, just the last hour's browsing history. So if you share Safari and it's someone's special birthday coming up, you can avoid them inadvertently finding out you plan to surprise them with dance lessons.

Go to History, Clear History, and then choose how far back you want your browsing cleared

How to clear search history on Safari on Mac

  • In Safari, choose the History menu
  • Select Clear History from the very bottom of the menu
  • In the dialog box that appears, choose from clearing the last hour , today , today and yesterday , or all history
  • Click on Clear History

Alternatively, within Safari you can press Command-Y and the current page will be replaced by a history list. There's a Clear History... button toward the top right.

Clicking on that gives you exactly the same dialog about choosing how far back you want to clear your browsing history. But this page does also give you one extra option — the ability to delete one specific item.

How to clear one item from Safari search history on Mac

  • In Safari, press Command-Y
  • From the long list, click once on a history item to select it
  • Right-click to bring up a menu, then choose Delete

Alternatively, if you select one, two, or more items in the history list, you can then press the Delete key to remove them all.

You can remove your takeaway habits from Safari, we're not judging you.

That kind of precision removal is only possible on your Mac, not on iOS . However, whether it's precision or wholesale clearing of your history, though, there is a way to replicate it on iOS.

If you have set iCloud to share your Safari history, then just doing this on your Mac also removes the history from your iPhone, and iPad.

Otherwise, you're stuck with going to your iOS device. And then with clearing the entire history.

How to clear search history on iPhone

  • Go to Settings on your iOS device
  • Tap on Safari
  • Scroll down to Clear History and Website Data
  • Tap that, then tap Clear History and Data to confirm

One important thing to note is that you can't selectively remove, say, today's browsing history on the iPhone or iPad . It's all or nothing, with iOS.

Clearing your Safari history is all or nothing on iOS

What you leave behind

Clearing your history like this does remove the list of sites and pages you've visited. It does mean you can't go back to that site you read last Tuesday, not without remembering what it was and going there yourself.

What it doesn't remove, though, is the information that gets used by something like AutoFill. If you have your address, for instance, and you're used to online forms being filled out with it, you've still got that feature.

You've also still got anything you downloaded. It's purely that Safari won't keep the list of downloads.

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delete from safari history

Clear your browsing history

You can remove all records that Safari keeps of where you’ve browsed during a period of time you choose. If your Mac and your other devices have the iCloud Safari feature turned on, your browsing history is removed from all of them. Clearing your browsing history in Safari doesn’t clear any browsing histories kept independently by websites you visited.

Open Safari for me

Choose History > Clear History and Website Data, then click the pop-up menu and choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared.

When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including:

History of webpages you visited

The back and forward list for open webpages

Top Sites that aren’t marked as permanent

Frequently visited site list

Cookies and website data saved while visiting webpages

Recent searches

Icons for open webpages

Snapshots saved for open webpages

List of items you downloaded (downloaded files aren’t removed)

Websites added for Quick Website Search

Websites that asked to use your location

Websites that asked to send you notifications

Websites with plug-in content you started by clicking a Safari Power Saver notice

Responses to requests to let websites use WebGL

How to view and clear your web browsing history in Safari on iPhone or iPad

Easily wipe your browsing history in Apple's Safari web browser in seconds.

iPhone 13 mini in hand

What you'll need

How to find your web-browsing history, how to clear your web browsing history.

Clearing your browsing history on iPhone and iPad in Safari has been a straightforward affair for years now.

Sometimes you want to clear your history to get rid of bloat and streamline your browsing experience. Other times, you're trying to hide a gift purchase from a loved one.

Apple makes it very easy to clear your browsing history on both the iPhone and iPad and we're here to show you how. Here's how you can make a fresh start in Safari and debloat your web browsing experience.

On the latest models, web browsing is smoother than ever before thanks to ProMotion in the iPhone 15 Pro and faster chipsets like the M2 found in the iPad Air 6 . If you're looking for a new Apple device, we highly recommend one of the following: 

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With an M2 chip and a 13-inch screen option, the new iPad Air 6 is one of the best iPads available right now. Normally $799, you can pick up the 13-inch model for nearly $50 off at the moment — don't miss out.

Viewing your web history in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is very easy to do, here's how:

  • In Safari, tap the Bookmarks button in the toolbar that's below the address bar.
  • Tap the History icon in the upper right corner. Here, you can view your entire web history.

To search for bookmarks, tap the Bookmarks button in the toolbar at the bottom of the app, then select the Bookmark icon.

  • Use the History search bar to find previously viewed pages.

To find History, tap the History menu. Then use the search to find previously viewed information.

If the time calls to wipe most or all of your web browsing history in Safari, here's how to do it on both iPhone and iPad.

To note, the below steps will be the same if you attempt to wipe your web browsing history on an iPhone 15 Pro Max or an iPad Mini 6 , all Apple devices require the same steps.

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  • In Safari, tap the Bookmarks button.
  • Select the History icon in the upper right corner.
  • Tap Clear and select how much history you'd like to clear: the last hour, the last day, 48 hours' worth, or all recorded history.

Safari iOS 17 Clear web history

One more thing… A feature no one talks about

Privacy on the web matters more than ever in these modern times. Websites store the pages you click on, especially when you sign into a page that can contain personal information about you.

It's great to have a feature like this in Safari — but it would be good to have this automated in iOS 18 . If Apple's web browser could automatically clear history after 24 hours it would be very useful, as you wouldn't leave a trail behind.

Regardless, it's still a good feature, and one you should use every week.

Daryl is iMore's Features Editor, overseeing long-form and in-depth articles and op-eds. Daryl loves using his experience as both a journalist and Apple fan to tell stories about Apple's products and its community, from the apps we use every day to the products that have been long forgotten in the Cupertino archives.

Previously Software & Downloads Writer at TechRadar, and Deputy Editor at StealthOptional, he's also written a book, ' The Making of Tomb Raider ', which tells the story of the beginnings of Lara Croft and the series' early development. His second book, ' 50 Years of Boss Fights ', came out in June 2024, and has a monthly newsletter called ' Springboard '. He's also written for many other publications including WIRED, MacFormat, Bloody Disgusting, VGC, GamesRadar, Nintendo Life, VRV Blog, The Loop Magazine, SUPER JUMP, Gizmodo, Film Stories, TopTenReviews, Miketendo64, and Daily Star.

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How to Manage Your Browsing History in Safari

Revisit websites or remove them from your Safari search history

delete from safari history

In This Article

Jump to a Section

  • Step-by-Step: Manage History on macOS
  • Use Private Browsing in Safari
  • Step-by-Step: Manage History on iOS Devices
  • Use Private Browsing on iOS

The Apple Safari web browser keeps a log of your search history and the websites that you visit. Learn how to manage your browsing history in Safari and how to browse privately.

Instructions in this article apply to Safari for Mac computers with OS X Yosemite (10.10) through macOS Catalina (10.15) and Apple mobile devices with iOS 8 through iOS 14.

How to Manage Safari History on macOS

Safari has long been the standard web browser for macOS . Here's how to manage Safari's history on a Mac:

Open the Safari browser and select  History  in the menu bar located at the top of the screen.

You'll see a drop-down menu with the titles of the web pages you visited recently. Select a website to load the respective page or select one of the previous days at the bottom of the menu to see more options.

To clear your Safari browsing history and other site-specific data that's stored locally, choose  Clear History  at the bottom of the History  drop-down menu.

If you want to keep website data (like saved passwords and other autofill information), go to  History  >  Show All History . Press Cmd + A  to select everything, then press  Delete to remove your browser history while retaining website data.

Select the period you want to clear from the drop-down menu. Options include the last hour , today , today and yesterday , and all history .

Select Clear History to delete the list of sites.

If you sync your Safari data with any Apple mobile devices using iCloud , the history on those devices is cleared as well.

How to Use Private Browsing in Safari

To prevent websites from appearing in the browser history, use Private Browsing. To open a private window in Safari, go to File > New Private Window , or use the keyboard shortcut Shift + Command + N .

When you close the private window, Safari doesn't remember your search history, the web pages you visited, or any autofill information. The only distinguishing feature of the new window is that the address bar is tinted dark gray. The browsing history for all tabs in this window remains private.

In Safari for Windows , select the settings gear and choose Private Browsing from the drop-down menu.

How to Manage History in Safari on iOS Devices

The Safari app is part of the iOS operating system used in the Apple iPhone , iPad, and iPod touch . To manage the Safari browsing history on an iOS device:

Tap the  Safari app to open it.

Tap the Bookmarks  icon at the bottom of the screen. It resembles an open book.

Tap the History icon at the top of the screen that opens. It resembles a clock face.

Scroll through the screen for a website to open. Tap an entry to open the page in Safari.

To clear the browsing history, tap  Clear  at the bottom of the History screen.

Choose one of the four options:  The last hour , Today , Today and yesterday , and  All time .

Clearing your Safari history also removes cookies and other browsing data. If your iOS device is signed into your iCloud account, the browsing history is removed from other devices that are signed in.

Tap  Done  to exit the screen and return to the browser page.

If you only want to remove individual sites from your Safari history, swipe left on the entry, then tap Delete .

How to Use Private Browsing in Safari on iOS Devices

You can also use Private Browsing in iOS to prevent your Safari search history and web data from being saved:

Open the Safari app and then press and hold the tabs icon (the two overlapping boxes) at the bottom of the screen.

Tap Private .

Tap the plus sign to open a private browsing window.

When you are in private browsing, the background of the URL address bar is black instead of light gray. Enter a URL or search term as usual.

When you are ready to go back to regular browsing, tap the tabs icon and then tap Private to turn off private browsing.

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  • How to Clear Search History on iPhone
  • Managing History and Other Private Data in Safari for macOS
  • How to Turn Off Private Browsing on iPad
  • How to Clear Private Data, Caches, and Cookies on Mac
  • How to Close All Tabs in Safari on the iPhone or iPad
  • Search History: How to View or Delete It
  • How to Manage Browsing History on Safari for iPad
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  • How to Turn On Private Browsing in Safari for iOS
  • How to Manage History and Browsing Data on iPhone
  • How to Reset Safari to Default Settings
  • How to Use Private Browsing on iPhone
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  • Manage Browsing History and Private Data in Firefox
  • How to Turn on Private Browsing on Your iPad

Clear the history, cache and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Find out how to delete your history, cookies and cache in Settings.

Delete your history, cache and cookies

Clear your cookies and the cache, but keep your history

Delete a website from your history, block cookies, use content blockers, delete history, cache and cookies.

Go to Settings > Safari.

Tap Clear History and Website Data.

ios-17-iphone-14-pro-settings-safari-clear-history-and-website-data

Clearing your history, cookies and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information.

When there’s no history or website data to be cleared, the button to clear it will turn grey. The button may also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

To visit sites without leaving history, turn Private Browsing on .

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.

Tap Remove All Website Data.

When there’s no website data to be cleared, the button to clear it will turn grey. The button may also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

Open the Safari app.

Bookmarks button

Tap the Edit button, then select the website(s) that you want to delete from your history.

Tap the Delete button.

A cookie is a piece of data that a site puts on your device so that site can remember you when you visit again.

To block cookies:

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced.

Turn on Block All Cookies.

ios-17-iphone-14-pro-settings-safari-block-all-cookies

If you block cookies, some web pages may not work. Here are some examples:

You'll likely not be able to sign in to a site even when using your correct user name and password.

You may see a message that cookies are required or that your browser's cookies are turned off.

Some features on a site may not work.

Content blockers are third-party apps and extensions that let Safari block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups and other content.

To get a content blocker:

Download a content blocking app from the App Store.

Tap Settings > Safari > Extensions.

Tap to turn on a listed content blocker.

You can use more than one content blocker. If you need help, contact the app developer .

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

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How to Clear Safari's Browsing History on an iPhone or Mac

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Navigating the digital world creates a footprint similar to how our steps leave marks in real life. These digital traces, from sites visited to search queries, can pose privacy risks. So, it's essential to know how to clear your browsing history.

Whether you aim to clear search history on your iPhone or Mac, delete history from a specific timeframe in Safari, or fully clear your browsing history, Apple offers streamlined solutions. Let's take a look.

How to Delete Your Safari Browsing History on an iPhone or iPad

If you're looking to clear Safari's browsing history from within the Safari app on the iPhone or iPad, you're looking in the wrong place. Apple puts such options in the Settings app, and this is how to find them:

  • Open the Settings app. Then, scroll down and tap on Safari .
  • Scroll down to the Privacy & Security section and tap Clear History and Website Data .
  • When a sub-window pops up, choose a timeframe and tap Clear History .

If you find yourself needing to delete your history in short timeframes, consider using private browsing (or incognito mode) in Safari instead of heading to the Settings app to do this often.

How to Clear Your Browsing History in Safari on a Mac

Unlike on an iPhone or iPad, you'll find all you need to clear Safari's history within the app. There's no need to open System Settings. Here's how to do it:

  • Launch Safari using Spotlight search ( Command + Space ) or any other desired method.

There are still a few other things you would have to do if you want to reset Safari to default settings . But this method is all you need to delete your Safari browsing history on a Mac.

Safari Keeps Your History Private

Do not be worried if you suspect Apple is selling your browsing data; that is far from the truth. Apple has built a reputation for prioritizing privacy and security and even goes the extra mile to protect you from advertisers and third parties.

In fact, Safari might be safer to use than Google Chrome since Google doesn't offer the same commitment to privacy as Safari does. Use Private Browsing if necessary or delete your history if you still want to keep it from prying eyes.

  • Safari Browser

delete from safari history

How to clear the cache on your iPhone (and why you should)

How many tabs are open on your mobile browser right now? Go ahead, check -- you might be surprised by what you find.

Americans spend over five hours a day on their smartphones. That's over five hours of your phone potentially accessing, retrieving, and saving cache and cookies, which can negatively impact your iPhone's storage space .

What is cache?

Cache is the temporary storage of some data, like parts of a website from the last time you visited it, for example. Browser cache is content from a website that is stored on your phone during a browser session to help the browser execute faster the next time you visit that page.

Also:  How to clear Google search cache on Android

Cache data can slow down your phone's overall browsing performance, however, since it takes up storage space on your device, so it's good to clear it out regularly. In this article, we mainly focus on clearing web browser cache on an iPhone, but you should know that other types of cache include mobile app cache and CPU cache.

How to clear cache on iPhone

What you'll need: Everything you need to clear your browser cache is within the iPhone's settings app or the Safari app, so grab your iPhone to get started.

Keep in mind that clearing the cache can clear private data, which can close all open tabs in Safari. This is also likely to log you out of all your websites, prompting you to sign in again the next time you open them. 

How do I clear the cache from Chrome on iPhone?

If Google Chrome is your preferred browser, it may have a substantial amount of data stored on your device, which could also slow down performance. 

To clear the cache in Chrome, open the Google Chrome app and follow these steps:

  • Tap  Settings .
  • Go to  Privacy and Security .
  • Select  Clear Browsing Data .
  • Select the time from which to delete the data (if you want to delete all your browsing history, choose All Time ).
  • Go through the items you'd like to delete, like your Browsing History, Cookies and Site Data, Cached Images and Files, Saved Passwords , and Autofill Data.
  • Confirm by tapping  Clear Browsing Data  at the bottom of the screen.
  • Tap Done when you've deleted the Chrome cache.

Also: Apple releases iOS 17.4 with podcast transcripts, new emojis, and EU app store changes

Clearing the browsing and cache data in Google Chrome doesn't close all open tabs, but it will refresh each tab and log you out of websites. Once you tap on one of the tabs you want to access, you'll have to log back in.

How can I browse on Safari without history?

If you're learning how to clear cache on an iPhone, you may also be wondering if there's a way to use Safari without saving any browsing history. You can turn on Private Browsing by following these steps:

  • Open  Safari .
  • Tap on  Tabs .
  • Choose Private .

You can also enable private browsing by going to your iPhone Settings, finding Safari, and toggling on the private option. 

How do I clear my app cache on my iPhone?

To clear the app cache from your iPhone Settings app, you can either delete the app and reinstall it, offload it, or try to clear the cache from within the app. Unfortunately, iOS apps don't have consistent settings across the board that would allow you to clear the cache of every app.

Also: Apple warns: Don't put your wet iPhone in rice. Do this instead

Apps like TikTok and CapCut, for example, have options to Clear Cache within their respective settings. Amazon lets users delete their browsing history, while the Reddit app can clear local history. It all depends on what the app's settings let you do. 

Is "clear cache" the same as offloading?

Not exactly, though app offloading can help if your phone is slowed down by low storage. To offload an app  means to uninstall an app without deleting any documents or data associated with it. 

Also: Apple secures iMessage against threats from the future

To offload an app, go to  Settings , then  General , choose  iPhone Storage  and select the app to offload, then tap  Offload App . If you ever download it again, you'll pick up where you left off for that app.

Are cookies and cache the same thing?

Cookies and cache are not the same. Cookies are data files that websites send to your phone, including things like saved passwords to keep you logged into an account or even the website preferences from the previous time you visited. 

Also: I tested the best Mint alternatives, and this is my new favorite money app

Though they do sound harmless, cookies can also track how you browse the internet. They monitor patterns in your browsing and search history, even seeing what you clicked on or what your mouse hovered over. Ever made an innocuous search on Amazon only to find ads for it on all the apps you use? Cookies likely made that possible.

Can I block cookies on my iPhone?

While you can block cookies on Safari, the ranks are divided on whether you should. Blocking cookies entirely means that websites won't be able to get information from you, but it also means that some websites may not even work correctly on your browser. A lot of users actually enjoy a more personalized browsing experience, so cookies are a good thing for them.

 If you'd like to block cookies in Safari, follow these steps:

  • Go to  Settings  and select  Safari .
  • Tap on the toggle next to  Block All Cookies .

There are also third-party extensions that help you block cookies and trackers in Google Chrome, like Ghostery and Disconnect .

How do I check iPhone storage?

On an iPhone, Settings can show you what's taking up most of your media storage, like photos, videos, and music. You can also see what each particular app's storage consumption is, which includes temporary data. To view the details of your iPhone's storage space, follow these steps:

  • Go to the iPhone Settings .
  • Tap on General .
  • Select iPhone Storage .
  • Scroll through to find the app you're looking for.
  • Tap on the app to view storage status and options.

Unfortunately, you can't clear your iPhone cache for third-party apps by going into your Settings app, but this gives you a visual of your iPhone's storage and the option to delete or offload apps.

Also: Here's the fastest way to declutter your iPhone and free up Gigabytes of space

When you look at your device's storage space, you'll probably see recommended steps you can take to optimize your iPhone's storage, like offloading unused apps.

  • How to better organize text messages on your iPhone, thanks to iOS 17
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How to clear the cache on your iPhone (and why you should)

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How to Delete an Individual Website from Safari’s History instead of All Websites

delete from safari history

It is easy to clear the history from Safari on iPhone, iPad or Mac. When you tap the Clear History and Website Data in Settings on your iPhone, all of your history will be gone. However, clearing all of the history, cookies and cache may not be ideal. For example, this creates a lot of login headaches, as you won’t be able to automatically log in to websites, like when you want to check your email. You will have to re-enter your username and password and probably complete other authentication steps, which may be annoying.

What if you just want to remove a few websites from your history? Sometimes, you may not want to see a particular website appear as a suggestion when you enter a URL in Safari. Or you may have accidentally visited a questionable website, and you want to remove that from Safari. The good news is that you can just remove that website while keeping all of your other history.

Safari keeps a record of what URLs you visit to give you a history list, which makes it easy to go back to previously visited pages. If you browse the web in Private Mode, Safari does not record your history. Lastly, when you clear the history, it won’t affect your autofill information.

Remove a website from History in Safari on iPhone or iPad

  • Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad.
  • Tap the Bookmarks button in the toolbar at the bottom, which looks like an open book.

Safari bookmark icon

  • Tap the History tab, which looks like a clock.

Safari History tab

  • From the bottom-left corner, tap Edit . Then, select the websites you want to remove. You probably have a lot of websites. You can scroll down to reveal the search bar, which you can use to find the websites you want to delete.

Delete history mobile Safari option

  • Then tap the red Delete button, and the selected websites will be deleted. Tap Done when you are done.

Remove a website from your history on Mac

  • Open Safari on your Mac.
  • From the top menu bar, click History and Show All History .

show all history in safari on Mac

  • All of your history will show up. Again, scroll up or down to find the website you want to delete. You can also use the search field, which is located at the top-right of your screen.

Mac History Search

  • Once you find the website, right-click (or Control -click) it and select Delete . You can choose multiple websites by selecting the websites while pressing the Command key.

Delete option in Mac Safari

You should note that if you are using multiple devices with the same Apple ID and if iCloud is enabled for Safari, then deleting a history item on one device means your deletion will sync across your other devices.

What about cookies and cache

Please note that when you delete a website’s history, its cache and cookies won’t be deleted. If you want to delete an individual website’s cookies and cache, follow these steps:

  • On iPhone and iPad : Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data . You can use the search field to find the website you would like to delete, and once you find it, swipe left and tap Delete .
  • On Mac : In Safari, click Safari > Settings > Privacy , then click the Manage Website Data button. Using the search field, find the website and then click Remove .

Related articles

  • How to Clear the Browser Cache in Safari on Mac
  • How to enable Cookies on iPhone
  • What is Website Data on iPhone, iPad & What Happens If you Clear It

delete from safari history

Dr. Serhat Kurt worked as a Senior Technology Director specializing in Apple solutions for small and medium-sized educational institutions. He holds a doctoral degree (or doctorate) from the University of Illinois at Urbana / Champaign and a master’s degree from Purdue University. He is a former faculty member. Here is his LinkedIn profile and Google Scholar profile . Email Serhat Kurt .

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Categories:

auldsport

Disable "clear history" from safari?

I want to disable the "clear history" feature from my iPhone. How can I do this?

I have an iPhone SE. Thanks

iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Posted on Aug 29, 2023 5:06 AM

John Galt

Posted on Aug 29, 2023 9:42 AM

The short answer is it can't be done, but it might help if you were to explain your need to do that. For example, perhaps Private Browsing will meet your requirements: Browse privately in Safari on iPhone - Apple Support

When you use Private Browsing, "Safari won't remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information." — Turn Private Browsing on or off on your iPhone - Apple Support

Similar questions

  • Clear history Why i cannot clear my safari history ?because my history at iphone still connect at my ipad even I already clear many time .how to remove 254 2
  • How to clear the Safari history on my iPhone? I have a iphone 7 and I would like to clear all the history from it. Is there an easy way to do this? [Re-titled by Moderator] 146 3
  • Safari How do I clear my history on safari on ios13? 204 1

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Aug 29, 2023 9:42 AM in response to auldsport

Aug 29, 2023 12:16 PM in response to John Galt

I have one device, and it is shared among three. Two of the three are minors and they keep deleting history to hide whatever they are up to and it is screwing up my saved settings on my phone. Here is a silly example - it clears my history from Wordle and I can't see how many 3s I have accumulated :) - I am glad for wordle because that is how it came to my attention. I do not wish to deprive them of any device use, but my entreaties to stop deleting history have gone unheeded. I have limit adult content set up on my phone already, so either it doesn't work or they are hiding something that doesn't count as adult content. Luckily they don't know about private browsing.

Aug 29, 2023 1:28 PM in response to auldsport

auldsport wrote:
I have one device, and it is shared among three.

You are asking for trouble by doing that. Do not share your Apple ID. One person = one Apple ID:

Make sure that each family member has a unique Apple ID - Apple Support

Keep Apple IDs separate from one another. From https://appleid.apple.com/faq:

Can I share an Apple ID with someone else?

Your Apple ID should not be shared with anyone else.

There is no need to deprive anyone of anything. Use Family Sharing: Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support

Aug 29, 2023 3:53 PM in response to John Galt

Oh well, two more devices are not in the cards so they have to share mine for now.

Aug 29, 2023 5:32 PM in response to auldsport

There's alway another birthday coming up.

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IMAGES

  1. How to delete specific pages from your Safari history

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  2. How to delete specific pages from Safari history

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  3. How to clear your browser history on iPhone and iPad

    delete from safari history

  4. How to delete your Safari web browsing history for specific days

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  5. How to Clear Safari History and Cookies on Your iPhone

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  6. How to clear Safari history in a few clicks

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VIDEO

  1. How to Delete/Clear Safari Search History on iPhone Tutorial (2024) Full Guide Simple process

  2. How to Delete Search History in Safari on iPhone

  3. How to Delete Documents and Data/History in Safari

  4. How to delete safari browsing history on iPhone

  5. How to Clear Safari History on iPhone (2 Methods)

  6. How To Clear Safari History On Iphone iOS17

COMMENTS

  1. Clear the history, cache, and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad

    Clear cookies and cache, but keep your history. Delete a website from your history. Block cookies. Use content blockers. Delete history, cache, and cookies. Go to Settings > Safari. Tap Clear History and Website Data. Clearing your history, cookies, and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information. When there's no history or ...

  2. Clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac

    In the Safari app on your Mac, choose History > Clear History, then click the pop-up menu. Choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared. When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including: History of webpages you visited. The back and forward list for open webpages.

  3. How to clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad

    In Safari, tap the book icon. Firstly, open Safari and tap the book icon in the bottom bar. 2. Select the history tab (clock icon) and tap Clear. Now select the history tab (clock icon) and tap ...

  4. How to Clear History in Safari: Mac and iOS

    Open Safari and click the "History" menu. 2. Select "Show History". You can also press ⌘ Command +⌥ Option + 2 to open the Show History window. 3. Find the entry that you want to delete. You can use the search bar in the upper-right corner, or expand the dates to browse through all your entries. 4.

  5. How to Clear Recent History in Safari on iPhone and iPad

    On an iPhone, it's at the bottom of the screen. In the pop-up that appears (on the left side of the screen on iPad and over the whole screen on iPhone), tap the History tab (which looks like a clock face), and then tap the "Clear" button. (Don't worry. It won't clear anything yet.) After you tap "Clear," another pop-up will give you yet another ...

  6. How to Clear Safari's Browsing History and Cookies on macOS

    If you simply want to clear part of your history, you can click "Show History" ("Command + Y"). Click on the site or use the "Command" key to select several sites, then press the "Delete" key. You can also click "Clear History" in the upper right corner to remove everything all at once. You can also right-click a history entry to delete it.

  7. How to Clear Safari Browsing History and Cache

    Scroll down and select Safari. Scroll down and select Clear History and Website Data. Choose the timeframe to clear ( Last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, or All history ), choose the profile or ...

  8. How to clear browsing history on Safari on iPhone or Mac

    In Safari, choose the History menu. Select Clear History from the very bottom of the menu. In the dialog box that appears, choose from clearing the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all ...

  9. Clear your Safari browsing history

    Choose History > Clear History and Website Data, then click the pop-up menu and choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared. When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including: Remove all records that Safari keeps of where you've browsed during a period of time you choose.

  10. How to Delete Specific Website History From Safari on ...

    Open Safari and tap on the "Bookmarks" icon at the bottom of the screen (it looks like an open book). A pop-up will appear with three tabs for your Bookmarks, Reading List, and History. Tap on the clock icon to see your history. You can now swipe left on any entry in your history and tap "Delete" to remove it for good.

  11. How to Clear Safari Search History: iPhone, iPad, and Mac

    Click Clear History…. 4. Choose a timeframe you want to clear. You can choose: the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history. 5. Click Clear History. This will remove all history, cookies, and other browsing data from Safari. 6. On the top toolbar, click Preferences.

  12. How to delete Safari history on Mac, iPhone, iPad

    On a Mac: Open a Safari browser. From the top toolbar, select History > Show All History. Or, you can use the keyboard shortcut Command + Y.; Select the website entry that you wish to delete.

  13. How to view and clear your web browsing history in Safari on ...

    In Safari, tap the Bookmarks button. Select the History icon in the upper right corner. Tap Clear and select how much history you'd like to clear: the last hour, the last day, 48 hours' worth, or all recorded history. To clear History, tap the Bookmarks button, then choose the History icon. Tap Clear than select how much history you'd like to ...

  14. How to Manage Your Browsing History in Safari

    Here's how to manage Safari's history on a Mac: Open the Safari browser and select History in the menu bar located at the top of the screen. You'll see a drop-down menu with the titles of the web pages you visited recently. Select a website to load the respective page or select one of the previous days at the bottom of the menu to see more options.

  15. Clear the history, cache and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad

    Clear your cookies and the cache, but keep your history. Delete a website from your history. Block cookies. Use content blockers. Delete history, cache and cookies. Go to Settings > Safari. Tap Clear History and Website Data. Clearing your history, cookies and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information. When there's no ...

  16. How to Clear Safari's Browsing History on an iPhone or Mac

    Here's how to do it: Launch Safari using Spotlight search ( Command + Space) or any other desired method. Once in Safari, mouse up to the menu bar and click History. Then, choose Clear History from the dropdown. A dialogue box will appear. Select the timeframe using the Clear dropdown menu and click Clear History when you've decided.

  17. How to clear the cache on your iPhone (and why you should)

    How to clear cache on iPhone. What you'll need: Everything you need to clear your browser cache is within the iPhone's settings app or the Safari app, so grab your iPhone to get started. Keep in ...

  18. How to View and Search Your Safari History: 2 Simple Ways

    Open Safari. It's the blue compass icon with a red and white dial inside. You'll usually find it on the home screen. 2. Tap the sidebar icon in the top left. This will open a sidebar with a number of options. 3. Tap the History button. The History option has a blue clock icon next to it.

  19. I can't clear my history on Safari!

    My safari history won't clear I wanted to clear my safari history, as it gets in my nerves when it isn't clear. I went to clear it, however the button is greyed out, and I can't press it. When I go to settings the clear history button doesn't work either. Please help. 3433 10;

  20. Can't Clear the Browsing History in Safari on Your iPhone or iPad

    Remove everything, including the read items, from your Safari Reading List. Then clear the Safari history and browsing data from your iPhone or iPad again. How to delete items from the Safari Reading List on an iPhone or iPad: Open Safari on your iPhone or iPad. Tap the book icon at the bottom of the screen.

  21. How to Delete an Individual Website from Safari's History instead of

    Open Safari on your Mac. From the top menu bar, click History and Show All History. All of your history will show up. Again, scroll up or down to find the website you want to delete. You can also use the search field, which is located at the top-right of your screen. Once you find the website, right-click (or Control -click) it and select Delete.

  22. Clearing Safari history on Childs iPhone/…

    We'd also recommend attempting to clear history and storage from the iPhone storage page and the help of the steps here: How to check the storage on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. You can also check Settings > Safari > Advanced to check and clear data. How to See and Remove All The Data Websites Have Saved on Your iPhone or iPad. Best! View ...

  23. Disable "clear history" from safari?

    The short answer is it can't be done, but it might help if you were to explain your need to do that. For example, perhaps Private Browsing will meet your requirements: Browse privately in Safari on iPhone - Apple Support When you use Private Browsing, "Safari won't remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information."— Turn Private Browsing on or off on your ...

  24. After Nvidia's Stock Split and 150% First-Half Gain, Will It Soar in

    Let's move on to the idea of stock splits and what history shows. A stock split, through the issuance of new shares to current holders, lowers the price of each individual share -- but without ...