how to check browser history on safari mac

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Computers and Electronics
• Internet Browsers
• Safari Browser

2 Easy Ways to Check Your Safari Search History

Last Updated: January 17, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly . Rain Kengly is a wikiHow Technology Writer. As a storytelling enthusiast with a penchant for technology, they hope to create long-lasting connections with readers from all around the globe. Rain graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Cinema. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 156,848 times. Learn more...

Do you need to check your Safari browser history? In a few simple steps, you can easily view all the websites you accessed in the past. You can also search for specific websites in your history and clear any website data you don't want. This wikiHow will teach you how to view and delete your Safari history on iPhone, iPad, and macOS.

Things You Should Know

• On iPhone and iPad, you can click the book icon, then the clock icon to find your Safari history.
• On macOS, you can click the "History" tab, then "Show History".
• You can search for specific websites and clear your history data.

Using iPhone and iPad

• If needed, you can change your General Settings .

• If you're signed in with the same Apple ID to you use to log into your Mac, your Mac's Safari history will appear in this list as well.

• You may have to swipe down on the History page to find it.
• The results will load as you type.

• Tap a time period to delete the history from just that time period. To delete the entire log, select All time .
• You can also swipe left on individual websites in your history, then click Delete .

Using macOS

• Be sure to update Safari.

• If you're logged into the computer with the same Apple ID you use on your iPhone or iPad, you'll also see sites you've visited on those devices.

• A list of matching results from your history will appear. Click a site to load it in Safari.

• Select a time frame from the drop-down menu, then click Clear History .
• You can also delete cookies from Safari .

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/search-your-browsing-history-ibrw1114/mac
• ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201265

About This Article

iPhone/iPad: 1. Open Safari . 2. Tap the book icon. 3. Tap the clock button. macOS: 1. Open Safari . 2. Click History . 3. Click Show All History . Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Is this article up to date?

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

Tips & Tricks

Troubleshooting, how to access & search safari history on mac.

Just about all modern web browsers default to maintaining a history log of your web browsing activity, and Safari for Mac is no different. This article will focus on how to access your Safari history on the Mac, and also how to search Safari browsing history for specific words, terms, and matches.

Accessing and searching through Safari browser history can be helpful for tracking down websites or articles that were previously visited on a particular topic but that you’ve since forgotten, retrieving previously visited websites, looking for a particular match, amongst many other valid uses for individual users, parents, public computers, information security, systems administrators, and much more.

Searching Safari web browsing history on a Mac is easy, here’s how it works:

How to Search Safari History on Mac

• Open the Safari web browser on the Mac if you have not done so already
• Pull down the “History” menu and choose “Show All History”

• You’ll now be presented with all stored Safari History of web browsing activity, with each browsing history session separated by date
• Click into the search box seen in the upper right corner of the History screen

• Type in any word, term, or phrase to search the Safari History for, any matches will be shown on screen

In the example here, we searched for the term “Chromebook” and Safari returned all matches for that term.

Safari History Search will find matches as far back as possible, searching through all Safari history for the current Mac user. Anything matching will be returned as a search result.

Searching browser history can be helpful for many reasons, whether you’re trying to recall something you were looking at some time ago, or you want to find a website or article about a particular topic you know you have visited before. Of course searching through web browser history can also be useful for forensic purposes and data auditing too, for those involved in fields where that can be necessary or relevant.

Safari will store browser history for as long as you have been using Safari, unless it has been cleared specifically. There are multiple options for clearing Safari history, and if you want to completely clear all history in Safari on the Mac that is possible. You can also prevent browser history from being stored in the first place by choosing to use Private Browsing mode in Safari for Mac , which doesn’t store local browsing session data or cookies.

Do keep in mind if you (or the target Mac) run multiple different versions of Safari, like Safari alongside Safari Tech Preview, then you’d need to check history in both Safari browsers, and likewise you’d want to clear history in both of them too if you were wanting to clear our history for whatever reason.

The capability to find and look through past browsing data is not unique to the Mac, you can also search Safari browsing history on the iPhone and iPad too, and virtually every other modern web browser also has the same capability, except for most TOR browsers and privacy centric apps like Firefox Focus.

Enjoy this tip? Subscribe to our newsletter!

Get more of our great Apple tips, tricks, and important news delivered to your inbox with the OSXDaily newsletter. 

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Related articles:

• How to Recover Deleted Safari History on Mac
• How to Delete Specific Safari History on Mac
• View Browsing History on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch from Safari
• How to Clear Google Maps Search History on iPhone & iPad

» Comments RSS Feed

My safari on my MacBook Pro is getting buggy and a lot of things aren’t working, like I can’t click on an email address to start an email from the mail program, I click and nothing happens. Now I am trying to find a web page from a few days ago, so I try to go to ‘show all history’ but nothing happens. I can’t get my history to show in the browser!! It does have recent history, it’s just that I can’t access my whole history like I should be able to. What gives?

I used to use history a lot when I created a search in Safari. After going to a website that lead to further exploration it would sometimes take clicking the back arrow several times to get back to the original search and it was quicker to go to history and just click on the original search. Since one of the recent updates I have been unable to find the original searches any more. I don’t know if I am just not seeing it or if it isn’t there. Anyone else have this problem?

I have asked this before but I’m asking it again. It is possible to make a guide on how to go to root and _delete_ the option “new private window” from the File dropdown menu? How to edit the nib file etc…

You can Enable Parental Controls on Mac and that can be used to disable Safari Private Mode.

Or this below, which I found on the web and would not recommend to anyone:

If logging isn’t practical or you want to be more proactive and prevent Private Browsing from being accessible in the first place, it is possible (though not a short process) to disable Private Browsing if you are willing to mess with Safari’s internal files.

Note that macOS 10.12+ will not allow you to modify, overwrite, or delete Safari. You can make the following modifications to a copy of Safari and put that version in the Dock, but the original Safari will still need to exist in the Applications folder.

Install the necessary files

Install Xcode (available in the App Store) Download a zip file of Nib-Decompiler from GitHub (or clone the repository if you know how to do that) Open the NibDecompiler.xcodeproj Xcode project in Xcode Compile the project. This will produce a file named NibDecompiler.action. You can now close the project. Copy NibDecompiler.action into ~/Library/Automator* From your download, copy NibDecompiler.workflow into ~/Library/Services* Remove the “New Private Window” option from the menu bar

Note that this involves editing the Safari internal files. You will need to redo these steps every time you update Safari.

Go to Safari in the Finder and right-click “Show Package Contents” This will open the app as if it were a folder. Go to Contents, then Resources, then Base.lproj folder. Find MainMenu.nib. Copy it outside of the package somewhere (like the Desktop). Right-click on the file and choose “NibDecompiler”. The file will be made editable. Open the file in Xcode (should be double-clickable) In the window with the Safari menu, choose “Safari” to expand it. Click on the “New Private Window” menu item. Hit the delete key to see it disappear. Save the file. Back in the Base.lproj folder of the Safari app, make a copy MainMenu.nib just in case something goes wrong and you need to restore it. Copy your edited MainMenu.nib to Base.lproj, overwriting the existing one. Open Safari to make sure that it still opens (if it doesn’t, restore your original MainMenu.nib file). (Optional) If everything works, you may delete the backup MainMenu.nib if you so choose. By removing the “New Private Window” menu item from the menu bar, they will not be able to enter private browsing. Additionally, keyboard shortcuts are tied to menu items, so that’s disabled too.

* ~ means your user home directory. Library is a hidden folder that isn’t visible when you navigate to the home directory. You can get to this folder in the Finder by going to the “Go” menu and choosing “Connect to Folder…”, then typing in ~/Library. You will then see the folders you need to copy files to.

Instructions copied from this MacRumors forum thread ( https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/how-to-disable-private-browsing-in-safari.175238/page-3#post-23387488 )

You can see things you wish you didn’t see by doing this on someone elses computer!

You can find cold things in their refrigerators, too, genius.

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Subscribe to OSXDaily

• - Fixing Apple Watch False Touch & Ghost Touch Issues
• - How to Connect AirPods to a Smart TV
• - How to Customize the Finder Sidebar on Mac
• - How to Uninstall Apps on MacOS Sonoma & Ventura via System Settings
• - How to Mute a Call on Apple Watch
• - Beta 3 of iOS 17.5, macOS Sonoma 14.5, iPadOS 17.5, Available for Testing
• - Apple Event Set for May 7, New iPads Expected
• - Beta 2 of iOS 17.5, iPadOS 17.5, macOS Sonoma 14.5, Available for Testing
• - Opinion: Shiny Keys on MacBook Air & Pro Are Ugly and Shouldn’t Happen
• - MacOS Ventura 13.6.6 & Safari 17.4.1 Update Available

iPhone / iPad

• - How to Use the Latest GPT 4 & DALL-E 3 Free on iPhone & iPad with Copilot
• - How to Bulk Image Edit on iPhone & iPad wth Copy & Paste Edits to Photos
• - What Does the Bell with Line Through It Mean in Messages? Bell Icon on iPhone, iPad, & Mac Explained
• - iOS 16.7.7 & iPadOS 16.7.7 Released for Older iPhone & iPad Models
• - Fix a Repeating “Trust This Computer” Alert on iPhone & iPad
• - Make a Website Your Mac Wallpaper with Plash
• - 15 Mail Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac
• - How to Use Hover Text on Mac to Magnify On-Screen Text
• - Fix “warning: unable to access /Users/Name/.config/git/attributes Permission Denied” Errors
• - How to Fix the Apple Watch Squiggly Charging Cable Screen

About OSXDaily | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Sitemap

This website is unrelated to Apple Inc

All trademarks and copyrights on this website are property of their respective owners.

© 2024 OS X Daily. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited.

How To See History Of Safari On Mac

• Software & Applications
• Browsers & Extensions

Introduction

Safari, the default web browser for Mac, is a powerful tool for navigating the vast expanse of the internet. Whether you're conducting research, shopping online, or simply browsing for leisure, Safari keeps track of the websites you visit, creating a record of your browsing history. This feature not only allows you to revisit previously viewed pages with ease but also provides insights into your online activities.

Understanding how to access and manage your Safari browsing history is essential for optimizing your browsing experience. By delving into your browsing history, you can retrace your steps, revisit valuable resources, and gain a deeper understanding of your online habits. Furthermore, being able to clear your browsing history can help maintain privacy and declutter your browsing experience.

In this guide, we will explore the various aspects of Safari history on Mac, including how to access, view, manage, and clear your browsing history. By the end of this article, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how to leverage Safari's history feature to enhance your browsing efficiency and privacy. Let's embark on this journey to uncover the hidden gems of your browsing history and learn how to navigate the digital landscape with finesse.

Accessing Safari History

Accessing your Safari browsing history on Mac is a straightforward process that allows you to delve into your past online activities. Whether you're looking to revisit a previously viewed website or gain insights into your browsing patterns, accessing your Safari history is the first step in unlocking a treasure trove of digital information.

To access your Safari browsing history, follow these simple steps:

Open Safari : Launch the Safari web browser on your Mac. You can do this by clicking on the Safari icon in the dock or by searching for Safari using Spotlight.

Navigate to History : Once Safari is open, look for the "History" option in the top menu bar. Click on "History" to reveal a dropdown menu containing various options related to your browsing history.

View History : Within the "History" dropdown menu, you will find the "Show All History" option. Click on "Show All History" to open the History window, which displays a comprehensive list of your browsing history.

Explore Your History : Upon accessing the History window, you will be presented with a chronological list of websites you have visited, organized by date and time. You can scroll through this list to locate specific websites or periods of browsing activity.

By following these steps, you can effortlessly access your Safari browsing history and gain valuable insights into your past online endeavors. Whether you're seeking to revisit a previously discovered article, track your online shopping activities, or simply understand your browsing habits, accessing your Safari history is the gateway to a wealth of digital information.

Understanding how to access your Safari history empowers you to harness the full potential of your browsing experience. It allows you to retrace your digital footsteps, uncover valuable resources, and gain a deeper understanding of your online interactions. With the ability to access your Safari history at your fingertips, you are poised to navigate the digital landscape with confidence and efficiency.

Viewing and Managing Safari History

Upon accessing your Safari browsing history, you are presented with a wealth of digital information that offers insights into your online activities. However, the value of your browsing history extends beyond mere observation; it encompasses the ability to manage and leverage this information to enhance your browsing experience. Viewing and managing your Safari history on Mac allows you to delve deeper into your online interactions, organize your browsing patterns, and optimize your digital journey.

Viewing Safari History

When viewing your Safari history, you are greeted with a chronological list of websites you have visited, meticulously organized by date and time. This comprehensive overview enables you to retrace your digital footsteps, revisit previously explored web pages, and gain a holistic understanding of your browsing habits. Whether you are seeking to recall a specific website, track your online research, or analyze your browsing patterns, the ability to view your Safari history provides a window into your digital endeavors.

Managing Safari History

In addition to viewing your Safari history, the browser offers tools to manage this wealth of digital data. By leveraging the features provided, you can effectively organize and optimize your browsing history to suit your preferences and privacy needs. Safari allows you to manage your browsing history through the following methods:

Search Functionality : Safari incorporates a search bar within the History window, enabling you to swiftly locate specific websites or keywords within your browsing history. This feature streamlines the process of navigating through extensive browsing records, allowing you to pinpoint relevant information with ease.

Organizing by Date : Safari enables you to organize your browsing history by date, facilitating the categorization of your online activities based on specific timeframes. This functionality empowers you to gain a clearer overview of your browsing patterns and easily identify websites visited during specific periods.

Deleting Individual Entries : Should the need arise to remove specific entries from your browsing history, Safari offers the option to delete individual items. This feature grants you control over the content of your browsing history, allowing for the selective removal of entries while retaining others.

Clearing Entire History : For a comprehensive approach to managing your browsing history, Safari provides the option to clear your entire history. This action effectively removes all recorded browsing data, offering a clean slate for your future online endeavors.

By actively managing your Safari history, you can curate a personalized browsing experience that aligns with your preferences and privacy requirements. Whether it involves organizing your browsing patterns, selectively removing specific entries, or clearing your entire history, the ability to manage your Safari history empowers you to navigate the digital landscape with confidence and efficiency.

Leveraging Safari History

Beyond the realm of management, your Safari history holds the potential to enhance your browsing efficiency and productivity. By leveraging the insights gleaned from your browsing history, you can:

Revisit Valuable Resources : Your browsing history serves as a repository of valuable resources and information encountered during your online activities. By revisiting previously viewed websites, you can access pertinent content, reference essential materials, and build upon your digital knowledge base.

Understand Browsing Patterns : Analyzing your browsing history provides insights into your online habits and preferences. This understanding can guide you in optimizing your browsing experience, discovering new interests, and streamlining your digital interactions.

Enhance Privacy : Actively managing your browsing history allows you to maintain privacy and control over your digital footprint. By selectively removing entries or clearing your history, you can safeguard sensitive information and maintain a clutter-free browsing environment.

In essence, viewing and managing your Safari history on Mac transcends the simple act of observing past online activities. It encompasses the ability to curate and leverage this digital repository to enrich your browsing experience, gain insights into your online interactions, and maintain control over your digital footprint. By embracing the functionalities offered by Safari and harnessing the potential of your browsing history, you are poised to navigate the digital landscape with finesse and purpose.

Clearing Safari History

Clearing your Safari history is a pivotal aspect of managing your digital footprint and maintaining privacy within the digital realm. Whether you seek to declutter your browsing experience, safeguard sensitive information, or ensure a fresh start for your online activities, the ability to clear your Safari history empowers you to take control of your browsing data.

To clear your Safari history on Mac, follow these simple steps:

Open Safari Preferences : Launch Safari and navigate to the "Safari" menu located in the top-left corner of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select "Preferences" to access the Safari Preferences window.

Access Privacy Settings : Within the Safari Preferences window, click on the "Privacy" tab. This section houses various privacy-related settings, including options for managing website data and clearing browsing history.

Clear Browsing History : Under the Privacy tab, locate the "Remove All Website Data" button. Clicking on this button will prompt a confirmation dialog, offering the option to remove all website data, including your browsing history, cookies, and cached files.

Confirm Clearing History : Upon selecting the "Remove All Website Data" button, Safari will present a confirmation dialog to verify your intent. You can choose to proceed with clearing your browsing history and website data by clicking "Remove Now."

By following these steps, you can effectively clear your Safari history and reset your browsing environment. This action ensures that your past online activities are removed from the browser, offering a clean slate for your future browsing endeavors.

Clearing your Safari history holds several benefits, including:

Privacy Protection : By clearing your browsing history, you can safeguard sensitive information and maintain privacy within your digital interactions. This action prevents others from accessing a detailed record of your online activities.

Decluttered Browsing Experience : Clearing your history eliminates the clutter of past browsing data, providing a streamlined and organized browsing environment. This can enhance the efficiency and speed of your browsing experience.

Fresh Start : Clearing your browsing history offers a fresh start for your online activities. Whether you are embarking on new research, conducting confidential tasks, or simply seeking a clean slate, clearing your history sets the stage for a renewed digital journey.

In essence, the ability to clear your Safari history on Mac empowers you to maintain privacy, declutter your browsing environment, and embark on new digital endeavors with confidence. By understanding and leveraging the functionality to clear your browsing history, you can curate a personalized and secure browsing experience that aligns with your preferences and privacy requirements.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Crowdfunding
• Cryptocurrency
• Digital Banking
• Digital Payments
• Investments
• Console Gaming
• Mobile Gaming
• VR/AR Gaming
• Gadget Usage
• Gaming Tips
• Online Safety
• Software Tutorials
• Tech Setup & Troubleshooting
• Buyer’s Guides
• Comparative Analysis
• Gadget Reviews
• Service Reviews
• Software Reviews
• Mobile Devices
• PCs & Laptops
• Smart Home Gadgets
• Content Creation Tools
• Digital Photography
• Video & Music Streaming
• Online Security
• Online Services
• Web Hosting
• WiFi & Ethernet
• Browsers & Extensions
• Communication Platforms
• Operating Systems
• Productivity Tools
• AI & Machine Learning
• Cybersecurity
• Emerging Tech
• IoT & Smart Devices
• Virtual & Augmented Reality
• Latest News
• AI Developments
• Fintech Updates
• Gaming News
• New Product Launches

Learn To Convert Scanned Documents Into Editable Text With OCR

Top mini split air conditioner for summer, related post, comfortable and luxurious family life | zero gravity massage chair, when are the halo awards 2024, what is the best halo hair extension, 5 best elegoo mars 3d printer for 2024, 11 amazing flashforge 3d printer creator pro for 2024, 5 amazing formlabs form 2 3d printer for 2024, related posts.

How To Delete Downloads On Safari

How To Clear Search History On Safari For Mac

What To Do If Safari Keeps Crashing

How To Clear Browser History On Safari

How To Clear History On Macbook Safari

How To Delete History On Mac Safari

Why Can’t I Clear Safari Search History

How To Turn On Incognito Mode Safari

Recent stories.

Fintechs and Traditional Banks: Navigating the Future of Financial Services

AI Writing: How It’s Changing the Way We Create Content

How to Find the Best Midjourney Alternative in 2024: A Guide to AI Anime Generators

How to Know When it’s the Right Time to Buy Bitcoin

Unleashing Young Geniuses: How Lingokids Makes Learning a Blast!

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

PowerUninstall

Weekly Sale

How to View and Clear Your Safari History on Mac

Written By Chloe Turner

Last updated: February 11, 2022

Technical Writing Specialist who creates different types of articles, from reviews to how-to types of articles for Mac.

We all spend a vast proportion of our time surfing, that’s why your Mac swarms with a list of sites you have browsed in the past. Safari uses iCloud to maintain the same browsing history across your Macs and iOS devices. You only need to have Safari toggled on in iCloud preferences. Macs preserve your browsing history for up to a year, while iOS devices keep it for a month.

You’ve to manage your browsing history to determine what goes to your Apple data download. However, erasing it will not give you a clean slate due to iCloud backups. So in this article, we will show you how to view history on Safari , and ways to delete them. Let’s get started.

Contents: Part 1. Understanding Search Browser History & Why You Need to Turn It off Part 2. How to View and Clear Safari History on Mac Manually Part 3. How to Clear Other Browser History Manually Part 4. Other Choices to Clear Browser History Part 5. Conclusion

Part 1. Understanding Search Browser History & Why You Need to Turn It off

Unpacking Search Browser History

Your browser memorizes every website you visit. To prevent this, enable Incognito Mode or Private Browsing. Otherwise, your browser stores all these pages systematically and they’re inextricably linked to your account. Sites you visit can pop up in autofill Google search forms if you track them. They stick out in violet in your search results.

Browsers also save information about the time when you surfed any page. Browsing history doubles as a website retrieval tool to home on any page from corpus items through the search bar.

Why would you mull over a nuked browsing history?

Sometimes, you wipe out this data for privacy, regulatory compliance, business secrecy, anxiety or simply spruce up your Mac. So, no website you opened will appear in your browser search results titled “ already visited ”.

When you want to sell or give away your Mac, failure to erase browser history could expose troves of your online data to prying eyes. Equally, clearing your history will throw a snooping eye off the scent if someone attempts to look up your surfing history.

Wipe Out Browser History in a Click with a Dedicated Removal Tool

Automate your way of handling histories with a versatile browser removal tool for clockwork accuracy. Privacy tool adds an extra layer of security in safeguarding your privacy with the total annihilation of surfed pages.

We recommend you use the module Privacy of iMyMac PowerMyMac to automatically wipe away history details, cookies, and other pieces of data regurgitated by browsers. This software works like stink to clear out various types of Apple data download records.

It also allows you to determine the cookies you wish to retain like the frequently-visited-sites. It boasts powerful algorithms that scan faster and delete in a single click. Try it out to wipe out your online footprint.

Part 2. How to View and Clear Safari History on Mac Manually

How to View Safari History on Mac

• Search the web browsing history in Safari on your Mac. You can search your browsing history to quickly find webpages you visited before.
• In the Safari app on your Mac, choose History > Show All History.
• Type in the Search field at the top-right corner of the window.

How to Clear Safari History on Mac

• Launch Safari from the dock.
• Click on history in the menu bar at the upper parts of your screen. You can pore over your recent browsing history by drifting the mouse over the latest date in this list of entries.
• Choose Show All History at the upper drop-down menu. This throws up the entire browser history exhibited by date. Use the keyboard shortcut ⌘Command+Y to launch the history in Safari.
• Click ▶ on the left of any date to extend the browser archives for that date in a complete list. You can wipe out the history by clicking on Clear history on the upper-right of the page.

Part 3. How to Clear Other Browser History Manually

Google chrome.

• Launch Chrome.
• Click on History from the menu bar on the crest of the screen. This spew up a collection of Recently Closed websites and an assortment of Recently Visited
• Click on Show Full History at the foot of the drop-down menu. This reveals a list of your Chrome browsing history.
• Scroll down to see your browser history. The pages appear incrementally and you can keep looking through to go back months earlier. You can discard your history by clicking on Clear browsing data at the top left of the window.
• Launch the Firefox browser.
• Click on the History tab at the top of the menu bar.
• Select “ Clear Recent History ”.
• Decide the time range you want wiping out (“Everything” will erase all history).
• Hover over the Details arrow, click it.
• Select “ Browsing and Download History ”.
• Un-check the other options.
• Select “ Clear now ” to wrap up.

Part 4. Other Choices to Clear Browser History

Icloud apple’s data.

You don’t have to panic about iCloud backups associated with browsing history. Turn on Safari iCloud syncing and clear out your history across your able devices. Follow the steps under Safari with iCloud sync enabled.

Sign Out your Accounts

Browsing without having social media, iTunes or Google account logged in prevents search engines from tying up pages visited you. However, these pages still exist in your browser history. But these pages will no longer appear as “already visited”. Alternatively, use the Incognito Mode or Private Browsing to dissociate listed pages with your accounts.

Third-Party Tool

Erasing browser history ensures your history doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Browser Cleanup Tool "Privacy" of PowerMyMac blazes the trail as dedicated software to securely and quickly wipe out browser history from Macs, from the first day. It provides a safe pair of hands to clean up browsers in a split-second. Download it for free so you won’t soil your hands with digital dirt.

Furthermore, Mac stores info on your internet activity with caches, logs, outdated files, and downloads. Privacy (Browser Cleanup) from iMyMac PowerMyMac offers a new broom to brush away all bits of your browser history.

How to clear cache on Mac in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox

Looking to tidy up the browser on your Mac or fix some issues you’re seeing with websites? Read on for how to clear cache on Mac, as well as history, and cookies in Safari , Chrome, and Firefox.

It’s a straightforward process to clear cache on Mac in Safari as well as third-party browsers like Chrome and Firefox. While the button in the menu bar for Safari is labeled “Clear History,” it also clears cookies and your cache.

For Chrome and Firefox, you get more detailed control of what data you’re deleting.

Whether you’re just wanting to do some regular maintenance or having some issues with browsing that you want to clear up, follow along below…

For how to clear your cache, history, and website data on iPhone and iPad, check out our tutorial here .

Table of contents

Google chrome, how to clear cache on mac.

• Open Safari
• In the menu bar (top left of your screen) click History
• You can also choose Safari > Clear History…
• Use the drop-down menu to pick what timeframe you want to clear history and cookies from Safari
• One last time, click  Clear History
• Keep in mind that means you may be logged out of websites, etc.

Now look at the bottom of the menu and click “Clear History…”

To fully clear your history, cache, and cookies, click the drop-down and select “all history.”

• For Google Chrome on Mac, click Chrome in the menu bar (top left corner)
• Choose “Clear Browsing Data”
• Pick a time range, or “All time”
• Choose what data to clear with the checkboxes
• Click Clear data
• For Firefox on Mac, click History in the menu bar (top left of your screen)
• Click Clear Recent History…
• Change the timeframe to what you’d like
• Choose what data to remove

Read more 9to5Mac tutorials: 

• Best USB-C and Thunderbolt displays for Mac
• Here’s how the new 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro compare to other MacBook models
• Find the battery percentage of your iPhone 13 (and earlier iPhones too )
• Here’s how Background Sounds work in iOS 15

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:

Apple’s Mac lineup consists of MacBook, MacBoo…

A collection of tutorials, tips, and tricks from…

Michael is an editor for 9to5Mac. Since joining in 2016 he has written more than 3,000 articles including breaking news, reviews, and detailed comparisons and tutorials.

Michael Potuck's favorite gear

Satechi USB-C Charger (4 ports)

Really useful USB-C + USB-A charger for home/work and travel.

Apple Leather MagSafe Wallet

My slim wallet of choice for iPhone 12

Manage push notifications

• PC & Mobile

How To View History in Safari on a PC, Tablet, or Mobile Device

Lee Stanton Lee Stanton is a versatile writer with a concentration on the software landscape, covering both mobile and desktop applications as well as online technologies. Read more July 19, 2022

Device Links

• Device Missing?

Safari for iOS provides a convenient way to keep track of your browsing history. You can use it to call up web pages quickly you’ve visited. You can easily go down the rabbit hole when performing searches online. This makes it difficult to remember exactly where you found a valuable piece of information. Reviewing your browsing history can retrace your steps, saving you the arduous task of finding the data from scratch. This article covers how to see your history in Safari. Check out how to do that below.

How to View History in Safari on an iPhone

Safari stores your browser activity, making it possible to revisit sites at a later date. You could either view your most recent history or check out the entire list of previously visited websites. This is how to do that.

You have now accessed your recent history on Safari.

If you would like to view your complete Safari browsing history, here’s how to do that.

You’ve now accessed your Safari browsing history.

How to View History in Safari on an iPad

Safari allows users to keep track of their browsing history. This feature can then be used to revisit sites that might be of interest. You could either view recent history or peruse all your browsing data. The steps listed here detail how to do that.

You have now viewed the recent history on your iPad.

To view your complete browsing data, follow the steps outlined here.

How to View History in Safari on a Mac

Your Safari browsing history allows you to revisit sites you viewed in the past. You can even use the search tool so that you don’t have to scroll through the entire list of results to find what you are looking for. Here’s how to view your browsing history on an iPhone.

• Click on it to open the page in your browser.

You can now see your history in Safari. If you signed in to your device using the same Apple ID that you use on your other Apple devices, that history would also be displayed on your Mac.

Can You View History From Private Browsing?

Private Browsing is a feature that prevents Safari from storing information on sites you have visited. It ensures there’s no record of your online activity, including passwords or autofill information. It also prevents iCloud from storing data on any tabs that you open. To provide an additional layer of privacy, Safari prevents sites and content providers from tracking you. Any cookies you might have picked up are deleted once you close the tab.

This means that Safari doesn’t store your browsing history when you activate Private Browsing. You will therefore be unable to view it in the future.

How to Clear History in Safari

If your Apple device is lagging or otherwise misbehaving, you might consider clearing your browsing data. This is how to do that.

Your browsing data will now be removed from your device.

Retracing Your Steps

Like many web browsers, Safari stores information on websites you’ve visited. This data can come in handy when you want to go back to a particular site. This guide shows you how to retrieve the browsing history stored on your Apple devices.

Have you viewed your browsing history on Safari? What did you think of the process? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Posts

Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.

Parth Shah February 29, 2024

Lee Stanton February 23, 2024

Lee Stanton February 19, 2024

Send To Someone

Missing device.

Please enable JavaScript to submit this form.

How To Check Browsing History in Safari

Sometimes there are instances where you need to go back and check browsing history in Safari. Maybe you are trying to remember some information you saw on the Internet. Perhaps you want to go back and bookmark a website in your Safari browser .

Whatever the reason may be, you can easily check your Safari history in just a few steps.

Let’s take a look at how to do that.

Check Browsing History in Safari

Launch the Safari browser on your desktop. It’s a blue and white icon with a compass.

Once the Safari browser is up and running select “History” from the menu on the top left and click on it. When the drop down menu appears, highlight and click on “Show All History.”

Once you have selected “Show All History” a separate window will appear with a full list of all the websites you have visited. These will be combined by dates with a drop down of each day being made available.

Note: If you are logged into your Apple ID on your desktop, you will be able to see websites you have visited on your iPhone and/or iPad as well.

You can scroll through this list and find what you need. You can use the drop downs to find sites you visited on specific dates.

Furthermore, you can use the “Search” box on the upper right side of the screen to search specific sites and pull them up in your Safari history.

You can also clear your entire Safari history or portions of it if you need.

That’s it! It is very simple and easy to check browsing history in Safari whenever the need arises.

Related Posts

How to clear your opera browser cache on pc, how to clear your safari browser cache on pc, leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

How to View Safari Private Browsing History on Mac

In case you’re not aware, Apple’s Safari browser, like other popular browsers, offers a Private Browsing mode . Simply put, when you use this feature while using Safari, the browser won’t log or save any of your activity. Other browsers call this Incognito Mode. The downside is that all your saved preferences for websites you frequently visited are disabled. Still, it won’t hurt to browse websites using the feature from time to time for some private browsing experience. But is there really no way to browse your Private Browsing history? Well, there is, and that’s what I’m going to show you in this guide on how to view Private Browsing history in Safari on your Mac.

How Does Private Browsing Work in Safari

When you opt to browse websites in Safari using Private Browsing, it opens up a new private window in your browser. As previously mentioned, when privately browsing in Safari, your activity will not be logged or saved. Although it’s not a foolproof way of browsing privately, the feature still offers some level of privacy. As such, Private Browsing in Safari won’t record your search engine history, webpages you’ve visited, browsing activity, and most especially passwords you used on different websites.

It should be noted that this feature doesn’t really prevent the websites you visited from knowing who you are and your browsing activity on the website.

How to Browse Privately in Safari on Your Mac

Before I discuss the procedure on how to view your Private Browsing history on Mac, let me walk you through the steps on how to browse privately. You can either do it one time or opt to always browse privately.

To browse privately in Safari one time:

• Open the Safari app on your Mac.

To always browse privately in Safari:

• Click General.

What is the Mac Terminal Archive?

Now that you know how to use Private Browsing in Safari on your Mac, it’s time for you to know that your Mac actually logs that browsing history. This can be found in your Mac’s Terminal archive. You’ll be surprised to know that this Terminal archive contains information about all of the websites you visited. That’s even when you use the Private Browsing feature. So, you can view Private Browsing history via the Terminal archive.

How to View Private Browsing History in Safari on Mac

Time needed:  1 minute

You will notice that the website names have been translated into their corresponding IP addresses. You won’t see the exact name of the websites. That’s because your Mac has consulted a DNS directory to translate the website names into IP addresses.

We think you might also be interested in how to clear browser cache on Mac for Chrome, Firefox and Safari .

Final Words: Is It Really Safe to Browse Privately in Safari?

According to Apple, when you browse privately in Safari :

• The browser won’t save the web pages you visit and your Autofill information.
• Safari won’t store webpages you open in iCloud.
• Safari won’t include your recent searches in the results list when you use the Smart Search field.
• Safari won’t include items you downloaded in the download list.
• Changes to your cookies and website won’t be saved.

Knowing all that, Private Browsing in Safari would seem safe. But then, when you browse privately, are you really browsing anonymously, or does the feature just hide your information from anyone who could access your Mac? However, if somebody gets physical access to your Mac and knows their way around, they can still see the websites you visited, since the information is stored in the DNS cache of your Mac.

Even worse is when you are using a public network. The network administrator can still see the websites you are visiting using your Mac. The bottom line is that advertisers can still track you even if you browse privately on your Mac, and then serve targeted ads. If you don’t mind that at all, then there’s no harm in always browsing privately in Safari on your Mac.

One thought on “ How to View Safari Private Browsing History on Mac ”

When it comes to private browsing, Utopia P2P ecosystem’s web proxy function is the gold standard. Its advanced encryption and anonymity features are unmatched by other solutions like VPNs and incognito modes.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Arnold Zafra

Personal Safety User Guide for Apple devices

• Personal safety at a glance
• What’s new in personal safety
• Use Safety Check to stop sharing
• How Safety Check works
• Additional considerations when using Safety Check
• Intro to review and take action
• Secure AirDrop and NameDrop
• Securely control whom you share content with from iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch
• Securely control whom you share content with from Mac
• Share or stop sharing your location
• Manage automatic ETA sharing in Maps
• Manage Location Services settings
• Stop and remove location metadata in Photos
• Stay safe with AirTag
• Safely manage how you forward content
• Reject unknown sign-in attempts
• Record suspicious activity
• Store your data securely in iCloud
• Delete suspicious content
• Manage Family Sharing settings
• Avoid fraudulent requests to share info
• Securely control your Home accessories
• How to erase all content and settings
• Restore the data you backed up
• Intro to privacy and safety tools
• Update your Apple software
• Set a unique passcode or password
• Secure your iPhone or iPad with Face ID
• Secure your devices with Touch ID
• Delete unknown fingerprints from iPhone or iPad
• Add or delete fingerprints on your Mac
• Keep your Apple ID secure
• Use two-factor authentication
• Help prevent being locked out of your device
• Keep your device, app, and website passwords secure on iPhone and iPad
• Manage shared password and passkeys
• App privacy features in Apple products
• Harden your devices against mercenary spyware
• Manage safety settings in Messages
• Use Check In for Messages
• Block calls and messages
• Receive warnings about sensitive images and videos on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
• Keep your browsing history private
• Make an emergency call or text on iPhone or Apple Watch
• Obtain evidence related to another person’s account
• See who has access to your iPhone or iPad
• How to stop sharing your iPhone or iPad content
• How to stop sharing your iPhone or iPad location

Keep your browsing history private in Safari and Maps

Reviewing and clearing search history and caches for browsers and other apps may be a good practice if you’re concerned someone has access to your device. Many apps store information about what you’ve searched for and what you’ve looked at so that it’s easy for you to rediscover it in the future. For example, when you use the Maps app, having a history of locations you’ve searched for or navigated to can make it easier to navigate back to a place you recently visited.

If you’re in an unsafe personal situation and need to look up safety strategies online but don’t want Safari to keep a record of what you’ve viewed, you can open a Private Browsing window on iPhone , iPad , and Mac . When you use Private Browsing, the details of your browsing aren’t saved, and they aren’t shared across your devices. Additionally, if you’ve updated your devices to iOS 17 , iPadOS 17 , or macOS Sonoma 14 , Safari locks Private Browsing tabs after a period of inactivity so that they can be opened only with your password, passcode, Face ID or Touch ID , protecting your privacy when you’re away from your device. You can clear your browsing history and open a Private Browsing window on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Clear your browsing history in Safari

If you’ve been looking up information about safety strategies online and are concerned someone may see your browsing history, you can remove all records that Safari keeps about where you’ve browsed.

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

A history of the webpages you visited

The back and forward list for open webpages

A list of frequently visited sites

Recent searches

Icons for webpages

Snapshots saved for open webpages

A list of items you downloaded (downloaded files aren’t removed)

Websites you added for a Quick Website Search

Websites that asked to use your location

Websites that asked to send you notifications

Clear recent directions and favorites in Maps on iPhone and iPad

Do one of the following:

Swipe a recent route left.

Tap More directly above the list, then swipe a recent route left; or to delete a group of routes, tap Clear above the group.

Clear recent directions and favorites in Maps on Mac

Below Recents, click Clear Recents.

If you want to remove a Favorite location, Control-click a location (in the sidebar below Favorites), then choose Remove from Favorites.

Open a Private Browsing window on iPhone

Open the Safari app.

The tab is automatically added to a Tab Group called Private. You can open multiple private tabs in the group.

You can easily confirm that you’re in Private Browsing Mode by checking that the search field bar is gray or that it displays the word Private.

Open a Private Browsing window on iPad

While Private Browsing Mode is on, the search field background is black instead of white and sites you visit don’t appear in History on iPad or in the list of tabs on your other devices. You can open multiple private tabs in the Private Tab Group.

Open a Private Browsing window on Mac

A window using Private Browsing has a dark Smart Search field with white text.

Browse as you normally would.

If you want to always open windows with Private Browsing on Mac

Click the “Safari opens with” pop-up menu, then choose “A new private window.”

If you don’t see this option, do one of the following:

To further enhance Safari privacy

In your Downloads folder, delete any items that were downloaded while you were using Private Browsing windows.

Close any other Private Browsing windows that are still open, to prevent other people from using the Back and Forward buttons to see pages you visited.

Download this guide as a PDF

How-To Geek

How to view and clear safari download history on a mac.

Dust away the breadcrumbs of your download history.

While using the Safari browser on Mac, it's easy to see a list of files you've downloaded in the past and to clear that download history if necessary. Here's how to do it.

First, open the Safari application on your Mac. In any Safari window, look to the right of the address bar for an icon that looks like a downward-pointing arrow in a circle. If you see it, click it or press Option+Command+L. (If you don't see the arrow icon, Safari does not have any download history to display.)

When the download list opens, you'll see a list of files you've downloaded recently. Somewhat confusingly, when you save certain media files such as images, songs, and videos in Safari on Mac, Safari does not include them in the download history list, so you won't see them there.

To reveal the location of a downloaded file in Finder , right-click the file in the list and choose "Show in Finder." Or simply click the small magnifying glass icon beside the file.

After that, a Finder window will pop up over your Safari window. In it, you'll see the downloaded file highlighted.

By default, Safari automatically unzips downloaded files and removes the original ZIP files. To turn this off, open Safari Preferences, click "General," and uncheck "Open 'safe' files after downloading."

To remove a particular file from the list, right-click it and choose "Remove From List." To clear the entire list of downloads, click the "Clear" button in the upper-right corner of the Downloads pop-up window.

Safari will wipe the Downloads list and the downloads (arrow) icon in the toolbar will disappear. Any time you need to see the downloads list again---if it hasn't been recently cleared---click the downloads icon or press Option+Command+L on your keyboard. Happy downloading!

Related: What Is Finder on a Mac?

• Data Recovery

3 Simple Ways to Recover Deleted Safari History on Mac

At Macgasm, we’re dedicated to bringing you insightful Apple-centric content that adheres to our comprehensive editorial guidelines whose purpose is to maintain the utmost accuracy, relevance, and impartiality in everything we publish. This commitment to preserving the integrity of our content is shared across our team, from expert writers to seasoned editors.

When most Mac users delete their Safari browser history, the last thing they want is for it to ever come back. But from time to time, users clear their browsing history on accident or realize that it contained an important website whose address they don’t remember anymore.

If you’re currently in the same situation, then this article will help you solve it because it describes the top 3 ways to recover deleted Safari history on Mac. But before we get to them, we need to briefly explain what Safari browser history actually is and where you can find it.

Table of Contents

What Is Safari History and How to Find It?

Safari history is a database containing previously visited websites. Just like most other web browsers, Safari keeps it automatically to make it easier for users to revisit familiar websites without having to enter their addresses over and over again.

To view Safari history: 

• Open Safari on your Mac.
• Choose the History option.
• Click Show All History

You should see a table with two columns and multiple rows. The first column from the left shows the names of previously visited websites, while the second column shows their addresses. Individual entries are grouped by date, so you can easily go back in time and view history on Safari Mac from a specific date. Alternatively, you can use the search bar in the top-right corner to find all history entries that contain specified keywords.

All the information that you can see when you click the Show All History button is stored on your hard drive, inside a file called History.db. This file is located in the ~/Library/Safari/ folder.

To find and open the History.db file: 

• Open Finder.
• Choose the Go option.
• Click Go to Folder.
• Enter the path to the Safari history file location in the textbox and click OK.
• Open History.db with TextEdit.

You will see a long text file that’s anything but easy to decipher. That’s because History.db is actually an SQLite database file, and it’s not intended to be viewed in a regular text editor. Instead, you should open it using a database browser like DB Browser for SQLite , which you can download for free right from its official website.

After installing DB Browser for SQLite, launch the app and click Open Database. Select the History.db file and switch to the Browse Data tab. Finally, select the history_items table.

How Can Safari History Be Deleted and When It Can Be Recovered?

Let’s take a look at some common reasons for deleting Safari history and whether it can be recovered:

• 🎯 Intentional deletion: Many Safari users like to keep their browsing history squeaky clean to prevent others from examining their online activity. That’s all fine and good until you need the address of a website you’ve visited a long time ago and can’t remember it.
• 🩹 Accidental deletion: All you need to do to delete your Safari history is click the Clear History button and confirm your decision. By default, Safari deletes only the last hour of browsing history, but you can also tell it delete all history in one go. What often happens is that users want to delete only the last hour but don’t notice that the option to delete all history is selected, causing their entire browsing history to disappear immediately.
• 🔐 Private Browsing: Safari allows you to open a Private Window (Command+Shift+N) that prevents your browsing history from being recorded. Safari users sometimes don’t realize that they’re browsing the web in the Private Window and wonder why their browsing history hasn’t been recorded.
• 🗃️ Formatting: When reinstalling macOS, it’s sometimes a good idea to first format the system drive to start with a clean slate. It goes without saying that formatting doesn’t erase just Safari history but also all other files stored on the hard drive.
• 👾 Hackers: Mac users are relatively safe from malware since most cybercriminals target Windows computers, but that doesn’t mean they are completely immune. From ransomware to remote desktop hacks, there are multiple cyber-threats that can cause Mac users to lose their entire Safari browsing history in the blink of an eye.

How to Perform Safari History Recovery?

There are three main methods for recovering Safari history on Mac, and we describe all of them in the same order we recommend you try them.

Method 1: Use Disk Drill

To restore deleted history of Safari browsing with Disk Drill: 

• Launch Disk Drill and select your main hard drive.

• Type “history.db” into the search field in the top-right corner and hit Return.

• Choose a safe recovery destination and click OK.

You can then view deleted Safari history in your favorite text editor or database browser. To view it in Safari, you need to copy the recovered History.db file to ~/Library/Safari and overwrite the file that’s currently in the location.

Method 2: Restore from iCloud backup

Here’s what you need to do: 

• Tap on your name.
• Select iCloud.
• Locate Safari and toggle the switch next to it until you’re prompted to merge your data.

This way, you force your iPhone to overwrite Safari browsing history in iCloud, which, in turn, allows you to recover deleted Safari history on Mac just by turning on the Safari option in iCloud settings (see the last section of this article for a step-by-step guide).

Method 3: Restore from Time Machine backup

To restore deleted history of Safari browsing using Time Machine: 

• Close Safari
• Open Finder and select Go -> Go to Folder.

• Scroll down until you find the History.db file and select it.

• Go back in time until you see a version of the History.db file that contains your lost Safari browsing history.

The next time you open Safari, your browsing history should be back. That’s how easy it is to retrieve deleted history of Safari browsing using Time Machine.

The only problem with this method is that it will work only if Time Machine was enabled prior to the data loss incident. If it wasn’t, then you won’t have any backup of the History.db file to recover.

How to Prevent Safari History Loss?

The best way to prevent Safari history loss is to turn on Safari in iCloud preferences. That way, iCloud will automatically back up your Safari data to the cloud, allowing you to keep it synchronized across your devices and easily retrieve it should anything happen to your Mac.

To back up your Safari browsing history with iCloud: 

• Open the System Preferences app on your Mac.

Your Safari browsing history will be automatically synchronized across all Apple devices that use the same Apple ID.

How can I recover deleted Safari tabs on iPhone?

Use this simple procedure to recover closed or deleted Safari tabs on an iPhone.

• Open Safari and tap the Tabs button in the bottom-right corner. (It’s two overlapping squares)
• Tap and hold the Plus (+) button at the bottom of the screen.
• A list of the recently closed tabs is displayed. Tap an item to open it in a new tab.
• Save the tab as a bookmark to ensure it never gets lost.

How do I recover deleted Safari history on iPad?

You can use the following procedure if you have backed up your iPad to iCloud.

• Select Settings > General > Reset on your iPad.
• Choose Erase All Content and Settings .
• Follow the setup prompts and select the Restore from iCloud Backup option in the Apps & Data screen.
• Sign in to iCloud and select a backup that has your deleted Safari history and use it to restore your device.

How to recover deleted Google Chrome history on iPhone?

You can use data recovery software like Disk Drill to recover your deleted Google Chrome history with the following procedure.

• Install Disk Drill on your Mac.
• Connect the iPhone to your computer.
• Launch Disk Drill and select the iPhone from the disk list.
• Click the Search for lost data button to scan the device.
• Preview the found files and look for a Google Chrome History and Preferences file.
• Select the file to be restored and click the Recover button.

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.

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 may want a fresh start with your web browsing — perhaps to get rid of some history that may bring up a memory you'd rather forget as you type in a website URL in the address bar.

Apple makes this feature very easy to access on both the iPhone and iPad by offering two ways to clear your history. So with this in mind, here's how you can do just that and make a fresh start in Safari .

Viewing your web history in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is very easy to do — and it's all done from Safari.

• 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.

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

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 , and an iPad Mini 6 for example.

• 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.

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.

Master your iPhone in minutes

iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!

It's great to have a feature like this in Safari — but it would be good to have this automated. To tell Apple's web browser to automatically clear history after 24 hours 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 everyday 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. 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.

• Bryan M Wolfe Staff Writer

The four products Apple is going to announce at its May 7 iPad event (and two it definitely isn't)

How to fix iPhone Face ID passcode prompts, HEIF on Android, and more: Your Genius Bar problems, solved!

New Apple Pencil report makes it sound like the PS5 controller - no, really

Most Popular

• 2 iPad Pro M3 (2024): Everything you need to know
• 3 Apple could be springing a big surprise with M4 chip debut on iPad Pro
• 4 Apple has realized what the iPad's best feature is after 14 years
• 5 Mimestream, my favorite Mac email app, is getting an iOS version

• Get One: Tornado Alert Apps
• The Best Tech Gifts Under $100

How to Manage Browsing History on Safari for iPad

Protect your privacy on your mobile device

What to Know

• Open Safari . Select the Bookmarks icon.
• Choose the Clock icon to open the History pane displaying the list of sites visited during the past month.
• Select Clear and indicate which entries to delete using one of the four options: The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, and All Time.

This article explains how to manage browsing history on Safari for iPad, including how to view and delete the iPad Safari history, cookies, and stored website data. This article applies to all iPad devices with iOS 10 or iPadOS 13 or later. The process for managing browser history in Safari on an iPhone is slightly different.

How to View and Delete Your iPad Browser History in Safari

Reviewing your iPad browser history is a straightforward process. Safari stores a log of websites you visit along with other related components, such as the cache and cookies. These elements enhance your browsing experience, but you may want to delete your browsing history for privacy reasons.

You can manage your web browsing history on the iPad in two ways. The easiest option is to do it directly in Safari:

Open the Safari web browser.

Select the Bookmarks icon (it looks like an open book) at the top of the screen. 

Select the clock icon to open the History pane. A list of sites visited over the past month appears.

To delete a single website from the browser history, swipe left on its name.

Select  Clear at the bottom of the panel to reveal four options: The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, and All time.

Select your preferred option to remove the browsing history from your iPad and all connected iCloud devices.

How to Delete History and Cookies From the iPad Settings App

Deleting the browser history through Safari doesn't remove all the data it stores. For a thorough cleaning, go to the iPad Settings app. You can also delete the browsing history and cookies from the Settings app. Clearing the history this way deletes everything Safari saved.

Select the gear icon on the Home screen to open the iPad Settings .

Scroll down and select Safari .

Scroll through the list of settings and select  Clear History and Website Data to delete the browsing history, cookies, and other cached website data.

Select  Clear to confirm, or select Cancel to return to the Safari settings without removing any data.

How to Delete Stored Website Data on iPad

Safari sometimes stores additional website data on top of a list of web pages you visited. For example, it can save passwords and preferences for frequently visited sites. If you want to delete this data but don't want to clear the browsing history or cookies, selectively delete specific data saved by Safari using the iPad Settings app.

Open the iPad Settings app.

Scroll to the bottom of the Safari settings screen and select Advanced .

Select  Website Data to display a breakdown of the data each website currently stores on the iPad.

Select Show All Sites to display the expanded list if necessary.

Select  Remove All Website Data  at the bottom of the screen to delete the site data at once, or swipe left on individual items to clear items one at a time.

Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day

• How to Clear Search History on iPhone
• How to Clear Private Data, Caches, and Cookies on Mac
• How to Manage Your Browsing History in Safari
• How to Clear Your Search Bar History
• Managing History and Other Private Data in Safari for macOS
• How to Delete and Clear Cookies on an iPhone
• How to Clear Cookies on iPad
• How to Manage History and Browsing Data on iPhone
• How to Reset Safari to Default Settings
• How to Clear the Browsing History in Chrome for iPad
• 3 Ways to Clear Cache on an iPad
• Manage Browsing History and Private Data in Firefox
• How to Control iPhone Safari Settings and Security
• How to Delete Cookies in Every Major Browser
• Manage Browsing History and Other Private Data in IE 11
• How to Clear Cookies and Cache in Chrome

Want to highlight a helpful answer? Upvote!

Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others!  Learn more about when to upvote >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Safari Browsing History

I’ve recently found out that the clock icon (on Ipad) shows only the links you’ve searched within 1 or 2 months. Where can I find my full browsing history in safari?

Posted on Aug 25, 2021 7:22 AM

Similar questions

• How to stop Safari from keeping track of your history? Is there a way to stop Safari from tracking your history without having to clear it every time? 238 1
• Browsing history on safari private I searched something up on safari once but it was on private. I was wondering if there is still a way to view all your browsing history again even if it was on private 993 2
• How to delete Safari history ? I cannot delete my Safari history because the "clear history" is not highlighted. I can see it but I cannot select it. Do I have to change some settings ? 2132 3

Loading page content

Page content loaded

Aug 26, 2021 7:29 AM in response to Nicsoul

Hello Nicsoul,

Welcome to Apple Support Communities!

We understand that you'd like to know how to check your browsing history in Safari on your iPad. We'd be happy to help.

You can access website history by tapping on the Book icon where you can then access your bookmarks, reading list, shared links and history.

If you're not seeing browsing history, did you recently Clear the history and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch ? Or did you Browse privately in Safari on iPad ? Browsing privately allows you to view sites without saving the history which might explain why you are not seeing previous months.