how to erase safari history on macbook

How-To Geek

How to clear safari's browsing history and cookies on macos.

To clear your history on Safari, click the "History" button at the top, then select "Clear History.

Quick Links

How to delete your browsing history in safari, how to automatically delete your browsing history on safari, how to clear your cookies on safari, key takeaways.

To clear your history on Safari, click the "History" button at the top, then select "Clear History." You can also set Safari to clear your browsing history automatically by going to Preferences > General, then set "Remove History Items" to the time frame you want.

You may not have anything to hide when we surf the Internet, but you still may want to clear your history every now and then. Here's how you can clear your browsing history in Safari on MacOS.

On Safari, all you do is click the "History" button at the top of the screen then select "Clear History" at the bottom of the list.

Once you do this, you will be given a choice: you can select "the last hour," "today," "today and yesterday," and "all history" from a drop-down menu. Once you've decided, click the "Clear History" button and the history will be clear per your preference.

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.

Related: How to Clear History, Cache, and Cookies in Safari on iPhone or iPad

You can also set Safari to automatically clear your history every so often. When you open up the Safari preference ("Command + ,"), click the "General" tab, and select the "Remove History items" option.

You can decide when or if your history is automatically deleted after one day, one week, two weeks, one month, one year, or you can keep your history indefinitely by selecting the manual option.

To clear cookies in Safari, while you're in Safari's preferences, click on the "Privacy" tab and click "Manage Website Data."

On this page, you will see all the cookies stored on your Mac. You can right-click a specific cookie and select "Delete" to remove it, or you can hold the "Command" button and select several at once.

If you want to remove all of your cookies, click "Remove All" at the bottom of the window.

You will be asked to confirm you want to "remove all data stored by websites on your computer."

Keep in mind that, if you do this, any websites you might have personalized will be removed, and you will be logged out of all websites (though it should be easy to log back in if you've saved your username and password).

Related: How to Block Third-Party Cookies in Every Web Browser

Clearing your history and cookies isn't necessarily sneaky. It's good to be privacy-conscious because there are often times when someone will ask to use your computer for a minute. You may not be looking at anything untoward or scandalous, but then again, you don't necessarily want just anyone knowing what you've been looking at or reading.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

How to clear browsing history on Safari on iPhone or Mac

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Keep up with AppleInsider by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, and follow us on YouTube , Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos.

Top Stories

Amazon's latest Apple deals make perfect Mother's Day gifts (and prices start at just $24)

Apple's macOS 15 to get rare cognitive boost via Project GreyParrot

How to use Delta to emulate retro games on your iPhone

New HomePod part leak shows off glossy display cover

Apple Notes in iOS 18 looks to up the ante with Microsoft OneNote

When to expect every Mac to get the AI-based M4 processor

Featured deals.

Grab Apple's new M3 MacBook Air for $999

Latest comparisons.

M3 15-inch MacBook Air vs M3 14-inch MacBook Pro — Ultimate buyer's guide

M3 MacBook Air vs M1 MacBook Air — Compared

M3 MacBook Air vs M2 MacBook Air — Compared

Latest news.

EU's antitrust head is ignoring Spotify's dominance and wants to punish Apple instead

Antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager still wants to favor the dominant music streaming service in the EU, and says that Apple must allow Spotify's latest iOS antisteering update immediately.

Limited supply: Apple's latest 14-inch MacBook Pro is $200 off

Apple resellers are competing for your business with a $200 price cut on the current 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro chip, 18GB RAM and 512GB of storage.

Game emulators, iPad Air screens, and Elgato's new range on the AppleInsider Podcast

As China seems poised to get the Apple Vision Pro, we've had a whole range of new Elgato devices randing from game capture to webcam, plus the iPad Air may cost more than we think — and the M4 Macs will be here before we know it.

Provenance plans to bring Sony & Sega console emulation to the App Store

Retro game players may soon have more options to emulate old game consoles on the iPhone, with Provenance aiming to support systems from Sony and Sega as well as Nintendo.

Exclusive: Apple has been working on the most significant update to its Calculator app in years and the version being tested in early betas of macOS 15 sports brand-new features and exciting enhancements to the unit conversion system.

Senator Warren doesn't have a plan to break up Apple, but still wants to pretty badly

Senator Elizabeth Warren has posted a call for Apple's "stranglehold monopoly" on the smartphone market to be broken up, despite the iPhone peaking at only half the US population.

Tim Cook leaves Singapore after week-long Asia tour

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been posting an account of his last few meetings with officials, users, and students from his Singapore visit.

Everything you need to know about emulating retro games with Delta for iPhone

Your iPhone can play retro games originally released for the Gameboy, Nintendo 64, and more, thanks to the Delta app. Here's how to get started.

Latest Videos

All of the specs of the iPhone SE 4 may have just been leaked

The best game controllers for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV

Latest reviews.

Ugreen DXP8800 Plus network attached storage review: Good hardware, beta software

Espresso 17 Pro review: Magnetic & modular portable Mac monitor

Journey Loc8 MagSafe Finder Wallet review: an all-in-one Find My wallet

{{ title }}

{{ summary }}

• Editorial Process
• Why Trust Us?
• Affiliate Linking Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

Weekly Must-Reads View All

7 things to do if you spilled water on your macbook.

Quick steps to save your MacBook from water damage

How to Boot Your Mac Into Verbose Mode: 4 Best Ways

Boot your Mac into Verbose Mode with this step-by-step guide

How to Fix Your Mac Shutting Down Randomly: 16 Fixes to Try

Troubleshoot random shutdowns on Mac with effective solutions

How Much Space Does macOS Take On Your Mac?

Understand macOS size and analyze your Mac's storage usage

Popular Topics

• What to Do With Your Old MacBook? 13 Useful Ways to Reuse an Old Mac
• What Is the MacBook Flexgate Issue and How to Fix It
• What Is the MacBook Flexgate Issue
• Uninstall Java
• Safely Transfer Files from Mac to Mac
• Safari Bookmarks Disappeared on Mac: 10 Best Ways to Restore Them
• Repairing disk permissions
• Old MacBook

Trending Now View All

• Mac Security and Privacy

How to Delete Safari History on Your Mac

Hashir Ibrahim

Reviewed by

Last updated: September 11, 2023

Expert verified

Navigating the digital world often leaves a trail in the form of browser history. While this history can be useful for quick access to frequently visited websites, it can also pose privacy and security risks.

If you’re a Mac user who relies on Safari as your go-to web browser, you may be wondering how to effectively delete your browsing history to protect your personal information. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the simple steps to delete Safari history on your Mac and browse the web with peace of mind.

Before We Begin

Deleting your browser history is just one method for enhancing your online privacy and security. Another option is to use MacKeeper’s Private Connect VPN, which safeguards both your personal data and your location when you’re online.

How to Clear All Safari History Manually

Clearing your Safari history manually is a straightforward process that you can accomplish in just a few steps. Doing so can protect your privacy and even speed up your browsing experience.

Here’s how to delete Safari history on your Mac manually and in one go:

• Launch the Safari application by clicking its icon in the Dock or by finding it in the Applications folder.

• Once Safari is open, navigate to the menu bar, click History , and select Clear History… from the dropdown. It’s at the bottom of the menu and you may have to scroll down.

• A dialog box will appear asking you to specify the time range for which you want to delete history. You can select last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history.

• Select all history from the menu and click the Clear History button. This will also clear your browser cache and cookies for the specified time range.

• For the changes to take effect, close all Safari windows and relaunch the application.

How to Clear Specific Pages From Safari History

If you prefer to delete specific items rather than clear your entire history, Safari also allows you to do that. Here’s how to delete Safari history on your Mac for specific pages:

• Once Safari is open, navigate to the menu bar, click History and select Show All History .

• A window will display your entire browsing history. Simply right-click the individual site(s) you wish to remove and select Delete .

• Alternatively, you can click the Clear History button and it will open the window to select a time range and you can clear all Safari history.

Remember, clearing your history will also log you out of any websites where you’ve signed in, so you’ll need to log back in the next time you visit those sites.

How to Clear Safari History and Cookies Automatically

Automatically clearing your Safari history and cookies can be a real time-saver and adds an extra layer of privacy and security to your browsing experience. By setting this up, you won’t have to manually clear your history each time you exit Safari.

Here’s how to clear Safari history and cookies automatically on your Mac:

• Launch Safari by clicking its icon in the Dock.
• Click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen and select Settings .

• Select the Privacy tab and check the box for Block all cookies next to Cookies and website data.

Note that doing so might cause some websites to not work correctly.

Another way to automatically clear history and cookies on Safari is to use Private Browsing mode. To enable this, open Safari, go to the File menu, and select New Private Window .

While in this mode, Safari won’t save your browsing history or cookies.

Using Private Browsing mode or blocking all cookies can affect the functionality of some websites. You might not be able to log in or access certain features in such cases.

How to Clear Cookies and Cache in Safari

Clearing cookies and cache in Safari can improve your browsing speed, solve website issues, and enhance your privacy and security. Here’s how to clear cookies in Safari:

• Start by launching the Safari application from your Dock or your Applications folder.
• Select the Privacy tab and click the Manage Website Data button.

• Click Remove All to clear all website cookies completely.

• If you choose to remove all cookies, you’ll be prompted to confirm. Click Remove Now to proceed.
• Alternatively, you can select individual websites and tap Remove .

• Click Done when you have deleted all cache files.

To delete Safari cache on your Mac, follow these steps:

• First, you’ll need to enable the Developer menu if it isn’t already. Go to Safari in the menu bar and select Settings .
• Select the Advanced tab and check the box next to the Show Develop menu in menu bar if it is unchecked.

• Once the Develop menu is enabled, you’ll find it in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Click Develop in the menu bar and select Empty Caches from the dropdown menu.

This will clear all your Safari cache on Mac.

After you’ve cleared cookies and cache, it may be a good idea to close and relaunch Safari for the changes to take full effect.

Why Can’t You Delete Your History on Safari?

If you’re unable to delete your history on Safari, there could be several reasons for this issue. Below are some common factors and their potential solutions:

• 🚫 Restrictions or Parental Controls : If your Mac has been set up with parental controls or other user restrictions, these settings might disable the ability to clear Safari history. You would need administrative access to change these settings. Go to System Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy to make changes.
• 🚹 Corrupted User Profile : Sometimes, a corrupted user profile may lead to issues with Safari, including the inability to delete the history. Create a new user profile to see if the issue persists. If it doesn’t, you may have to transition to the new profile entirely.
• 🐞 Software Glitch : Occasional glitches can also cause this issue. Quitting and reopening Safari, or restarting your computer, might solve the problem.
• 🛡️ Third-Party Software Interference : Some third-party software, like security or parental control applications, can interfere with Safari’s normal operation. Disable or uninstall the third-party software temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.
• ⌛ Outdated Safari Version : Using an outdated version of Safari may result in various operational issues, including the inability to delete history. Update Safari to the latest version via the App Store.
• ☁️ iCloud Syncing : If you’re using iCloud to sync Safari data across devices, there might be syncing issues causing the problem. Go to System Settings > Apple ID > iCloud and toggle off Safari syncing, then try to clear history again. You can toggle it back on afterward.
• 🔒 Lack of Administrative Privileges : In some cases, the logged-in user might not have the administrative rights necessary to clear browsing history. Log in as an administrator and try to clear the history.
• 🦠 Malware : It’s rare but possible that malware could be preventing you from deleting your history. Run a full virus scan on your Mac using reputable antivirus software and remove any threats detected.

Additional Privacy Tips for Safari Users

For Safari users who are keen on enhancing their online privacy, there are multiple ways to better protect your information and browsing habits. Here are some additional tips for boosting your privacy while using Safari:

• 🕶️ Use Private Browsing Mode : When you enable Private Browsing, Safari doesn’t save your search history, AutoFill information, or open tabs. To activate, simply open Safari, and go to File > New Private Window .
• 🍪 Manage Cookies and Website Data : Navigate to Safari > Settings > Privacy , where you can choose to block all cookies or manage data for specific websites.

• 🚫 Enable “Prevent Cross-Site Tracking” : This feature blocks advertisers from collecting your browsing data across websites. Enable it from Safari > Settings > Privacy .

• 🌐 Use a VPN Service : Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) mask your IP address, making your online actions virtually untraceable. Many reputable services offer Safari extensions.
• 📝 Disable AutoFill : To keep personal information like usernames and credit card numbers safe, disable AutoFill by going to Safari > Settings > AutoFill .

• 🔒 Customize Website Permissions : Control permissions for camera, microphone, and location for individual websites. Go to Safari > Settings > Websites to make adjustments.

• 🔍 Turn Off Search Engine Suggestions : Disable this feature to prevent search engines from gathering your search queries. Navigate to Safari > Settings > Search to turn it off.

• 🧩 Examine Browser Extensions : Not all browser extensions are secure. Make sure to review and manage your extensions by navigating to Safari > Settings > Extensions .

• 🔑 Review and Manage Saved Passwords : Regularly update and manage saved passwords. Access this via Safari > Settings > Passwords .

• ⚠️ Enable Fraudulent Website Warning : This feature warns you when you attempt to open a website that’s suspected of phishing. Turn it on by going to Safari > Settings > Security .

Browse Safely With MacKeeper Private Connect

Browsing safely online is essential for protecting your privacy and sensitive data. MacKeeper Private Connect VPN (Virtual Private Network) provides additional security and privacy while surfing the web.

Here are the steps to use MacKeeper’s Private Connect VPN:

• Download and install MacKeeper on your Mac.
• Open the MacKeeper app on your Mac and click Private Connect under the Privacy section.

• Select a server location from the list provided. You can choose a server in your country for faster browsing or another country to bypass geo-restrictions.

• Click Turn On to activate Private Connect VPN.

• Once connected, you should see a notification indicating your VPN connection is active. You can also check your IP address online to confirm the change.

Start browsing the web safely and securely. Your internet connection is now encrypted, and your online activities are private. When you’re done browsing, disconnect the VPN by clicking the Turn Off button.

What Else Can MacKeeper Do?

Besides providing a VPN, MacKeeper is a multifunctional utility software that offers various features necessary for online security. You can use MacKeeper to block annoying ads on your Mac , delete junk files , clear login items , and disable pop-ups on your Mac . If you want to learn more about its features, read my detailed MacKeeper review .

Delete Safari History on Your Mac

Now that you know how to delete Safari history on your Mac, you can declutter your browser and boost its performance. For an even better online experience, consider these additional suggestions:

• If you also use Firefox, learn how to delete Firefox history on your Mac .
• If Safari is crashing on your Mac , you should clear Safari cache , disable unnecessary plugins and extensions, and update the app.
• Sometimes the issue is not your browser, but a particular website. You can block websites on Safari to prevent them from crashing your browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should i clear my safari browsing history.

You should clear your Safari browsing history to enhance online privacy by removing traces of websites you’ve visited. It also boosts browser performance by freeing up memory and storage space. Additionally, clearing history helps protect sensitive information, like login credentials or search queries.

How often should I clear my Safari history?

The frequency of clearing your Safari history depends on your personal needs and security concerns. Some users prefer to clear it daily for maximum privacy, while others do it weekly or monthly to balance convenience and security. Regularly clearing your history helps maintain privacy and optimizes browser performance.

Will clearing my Safari history make my Mac run faster?

Clearing your Safari history can improve browser performance by freeing up memory and reducing clutter. While it may not significantly speed up your entire Mac system, it can make your web browsing experience smoother and more efficient, especially if you haven’t cleared your history for an extended period.

I'm Hashir, a tech journalist with a decade of experience. My work has been featured in some of the top tech publications like MakeUseOf and MakeTechEasier. I have a bachelor's degree in IT, a master's in cybersecurity, and extensive knowledge of Apple hardware, specifically MacBooks. As the senior writer at MacBook Journal, I write in depth guides that help you solve any issues you have with your mac and unbiased reviews that help you make the right buying decisions.

Hi there! I'm Ojash, a tech journalist with over a decade of experience in the industry. I've had the privilege of contributing to some of the world's largest tech publications, making my mark as a respected Mac expert. My passion lies in exploring, using, and writing about MacBooks, and I enjoy sharing my expertise to help others make informed decisions and get the most out of their MacBook experience. Join me as we delve into the fascinating world of MacBooks together!

You May Also Like

iforgot.apple.com Phishing Scam: How to Protect Against It

Written by Hashir Ibrahim Reviewed by Ojash Last updated: October 13, 2023

How to Remove Windows Defender Security Warning on Mac: 3 Best Ways

How to Disable Pop-Ups on Safari: 3 Effective Solutions

Written by Hashir Ibrahim Reviewed by Ojash Last updated: September 6, 2023

How to Allow Pop-Ups on Safari: 3 Quick Methods

• 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 Simple Ways to Clear History in Safari

Last Updated: January 4, 2024

This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido . Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years. This article has been viewed 124,911 times.

You can delete all of your web browsing history or specific entries on both the OS X and the iOS versions of Safari. This can come in handy if you're on a public computer, or need to remove a certain website from your browsing history. No matter what system you're using, it will only take a few moments.

OS X (All History)

• If you're using an older version of Safari, click the "History" menu instead and select "Clear History".

• Note that this will delete history across all devices connected to your iCloud account.

OS X (Single Entries)

iOS (All History)

• If you want to delete a single entry, click here .

iOS (Single Entries)

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://osxdaily.com/2014/11/28/clear-recent-web-history-safari-mac-os-x/
• ↑ http://osxdaily.com/2014/11/21/delete-specific-history-safari-ios/

About This Article

• 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

Keep up with the latest tech with wikiHow's free Tech Help Newsletter

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 clear Safari cache, history, and cookies on Mac

You may want to clear Safari history, cache, and website data on Mac to prevent others from seeing what you were browsing. Removing these helps make the browser responsive . It also comes handy when Safari lags or takes ages to load webpages. The steps to delete website data of Safari in macOS is easy. Let us see how.

Consequences of clearing Safari History and Website Data

• Records of visited web pages are deleted.
• A list of the frequently visited sites is also cleared.
• It may reduce tracking by websites. (a good thing)
• You may be logged out of websites.
• Records of blocked or allowed location access, notification, etc. are also reset. So, if you visit a website, it will again ask your permission for these.
• The download list is deleted. (Actual downloaded files are not.)
• If you have several Apple devices that sync via iCloud, the changes will reflect on all.

How to clear Safari history on Mac

You can choose to clear all history in a few clicks. Or choose to delete them date-wise or by specific pages. Let me show you how.

• Open Safari on Mac.
• Click on History from the top menu bar

• Dropdown menu will show all history . Click on it if you want to select another option, like the last hour, today, today, and yesterday.

Now, if you don’t want to clear the entire history but just a few specific pages, here’s what you need to do.

How to delete specific webpage from Safari history on Mac

• From the top menu bar, click on History .

• Or, click on the tiny triangle arrow ▶ to expand.

How to clear Safari cache and cookies on Mac

To clear cache and cookies of your existing Safari profile, you need to delete all of its Website Data. Here’s how you can do that:

• Launch the Safari browser .

The above-mentioned method will only delete website data for a particular profile in Safari.

If you’re like me and enjoy using multiple profiles on Safari to maintain a separation between your personal and professional activities, then I’d like to notify you about something.

However, if you wish to clear the cookies and cache for all your Safari profiles, then you must employ the following method.

How to clear cache of all Safari profiles on Mac

• Launch Safari → Click Safari in the menu bar → Select Settings .

How to block all cookies for Safari on Mac

Cookies are tiny data packets that a website saves on your device. It helps the site know that you are revisiting it. (If this is your first visit to iGeeksBlog, you might have seen a banner at the bottom asking for your cookie consent.)

When you clear history and website data, cookies are also deleted. However, here is how you can remove cookies (cache, etc. too) individually and how you can block them from accumulating further.

• Launch Safari browser → Click Safari in the menu bar → Select Settings .

No, clearing your Safari history will not lead to the removal of your bookmarks or saved passwords.

Yes, clearing cookies will log you out from websites and services where you were previously signed in. This process removes stored login credentials.

Yes, clearing cache, history, and cookies might have a temporary impact on your browsing experience. Websites could a bit slowly.

If you want to remove the Safari cache, history, and cookies on your Mac, just follow the instructions above. Furthermore, I’d highly recommend our complete guides if you’re thinking of changing your default search engine for normal and private windows in Safari.

Did you find this guide helpful? Let me know in the comments!

• How to create Safari profiles on iPhone, iPad and Mac
• How to flush your DNS cache on Mac
• How to fix Safari crashing on Mac

🗣️ Our site is supported by our readers like you. When you purchase through our links, we earn a small commission. Read Disclaimer .

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.

How to Clear Safari History on a Mac in 4 Simple Steps

When you visit a website, your browser records your visit in the browser history. It also saves elements like the page’s URL, text, images, and lists of IP addresses in the browser cache.

This speeds up the loading time for that website the next time you visit it. What’s more, if you ever need to find that site again, you can just look in your browser history rather than searching for it on Google.

Apple makes it easy to retrieve links from your history with Safari — if you use iCloud on your devices, you can access your history from any device signed in to your iCloud account.

Similarly, deleting your Safari history will make it disappear on all of your connected devices. You can clear the whole of your Safari history or specific parts of it for a selected period of time or for all time.

However, clearing your Safari history still leaves the cache taking up precious disk space. You need to delete your Safari cache separately on each device.

You can find out how to delete your Safari search history, cookies, and cache from a Mac with the detailed guide below. We’ll cover:

• Clearing your entire Safari history
• Deleting specific pages from your history
• Removing the cookies and cache from your Mac
• Browsing privately in Safari

Before we start   One of the most popular reasons for clearing your history in browsers is that your Mac is running slow. However, it’s more effective to clean up your entire Mac with dedicated cleaning software. Download MacKeeper to remove all junk, useless apps, and duplicate files in just a couple of clicks.

• How to clear all your Safari history

You can remove your Safari history for a range of dates starting from the last hour and going up to your complete browsing history.

Here are simple steps:

1. Launch Safari . If you keep it in the Dock, simply click on the browser icon. Otherwise, go to Launchpad and find it there

2. In the menu at the top of the screen, click History

3. A drop-down menu will open. At the bottom of the menu, click Clear History

4. In the pop-up window, select the period of time for which you want to clear your Safari history

5. Click Clear History

• How to delete specific pages from your Safari history

What if you only need to delete one link from your Safari history? Luckily, there is an option on your Mac to erase particular pages rather than everything.

Here is your step-by-step guide:

• Launch Safari
• Open the History menu at the top of the screen
• Select Show All History from the drop-down menu
• Right-click on the desired page from the list that appears
• Click on Delete in the drop-down menu
• You can search for the website’s name by typing it into the search bar in the top-right corner of the pop-up window
• How to clear the cookies and cache in Safari

Cookies and cache files are essential for the optimal functioning of most websites. They allow pages to load much faster when you revisit them in the future.

Unfortunately, they can also contain a lot of personal information such as your location, username and password, language preferences, email, and other data. In this way, cookies in particular make your internet usage easily traceable.

How to delete cookies and cache in Safari:

1. Open Safari

2. Open the Safari menu at the top of the screen

3. Click Preferences

4. Go to the Privacy tab

5. Click on the Manage Website Data button

6. A window appears listing all the websites Safari is storing your cookies, cache, and other types of data for. You can delete all of them by clicking on the Remove All button, or you can select specific websites and click on the Remove button instead

Bear in mind that your browser will slow down when you delete your cache. If you’re not sure about the results, we suggest creating a backup before you start the cleanup.

How to clear the cache automatically with MacKeeper

When you visit websites, pieces of text, images, and other data downloads to your Mac. This information is called the cache and its purpose is to speed up the loading of a website on future visits.

Similarly, apps on your Mac and the system as a whole generate a cache, too.

With time, the cache piles up and starts taking up too much of your storage space, rather than just helping you browse or load apps faster.

With Safe Cleanup in MacKeeper, you can remove all types of cache data in just a few clicks, along with other junk files — leaving your Mac clean and free of junk.

We’ve created a separate article in case you want to learn more about clearing the cache on your Mac.

• How to browse privately

When you use Safari in Private mode, the usual data acquired when you visit a website isn’t saved in your browser history. Therefore, it won’t be synchronised with your other Apple devices that use the same iCloud account.

This is useful when you don’t want the history and cookies for your browsing session recorded but don’t have time to delete them manually afterwards. Take a look at our guide to learn more about how to browse in Safari Private mode .

For an even more private connection, use MacKeeper’s VPN Private Connect. This tool will help you hide your online activity and conceal what you browse while keeping your identity a secret from the websites you visit.

• How to clear history on Chrome on a Mac
• How to delete Firefox history
• Safari bookmarks disappeared: what to do
• How to remove unwanted browser toolbars

You’ll love exploring your Mac with us.

Oops, something went wrong.

Try again or reload a page.

• Delete unnecessary system files and caches
• Free up GBs of storage space
• Easily find and delete duplicate files

Mac works slowly? Feel the benefit of removing digital junk from it.

MacKeeper - your all-in-one solution for more space and maximum security.

We respect your privacy and use cookies for the best site experience.

Privacy Preferences Center

We use cookies along with other tools to give you the best possible experience while using the MacKeeper website. Cookies are small text files that help the website load faster. The cookies we use don’t contain any type of personal data meaning they never store information such as your location, email address, or IP address.

Help us improve how you interact with our website by accepting the use of cookies. You can change your privacy settings whenever you like.

Manage consent

All cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary for enabling basic website functionality (including page navigation, form submission, language detection, post commenting), downloading and purchasing software. The website might malfunction without these cookies.

Download MacKeeper when you're back at your Mac

Please enter your email so we can send you a download link

Check your email on your Mac

Install MacKeeper on your Mac computer to rediscover its true power.

Run Application

Click Continue

Click Install

Your macOS version is lower than OS 10.11. We’d like to offer you MacKeeper 4 to solve the cleaning, privacy, and security issues of your macOS.

How to delete your Safari history on Mac, iPhone, or iPad

• Clearing your Safari history removes cookies and reduces online tracking.
• The process for deleting web history is different for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
• You can use Private Browsing Mode to prevent web history from being saved.

From accessing your bank account on a shared computer to Googling embarrassing queries, there are a number of reasons to want to clear out your search history. Deleting your history on Safari removes your trail of web browsing, but the process also does more than clear out potentially embarrassing websites.

Clearing your history will also remove associated cookies from the web browser, reducing the number of ways you are being tracked online. While clearing your web history only removes cookies from Safari and not third-party websites that already have your data, it can still be helpful to reduce online tracking. Clearing the related cache can also sometimes fix bugs.

Deleting a web history from Safari isn't a terribly complicated process, but the steps are a bit different if you are using a MacBook , iPad , or iPhone . The steps for clearing several web pages and a single website are also different. Some privacy settings can also prevent you from deleting any web history, leaving the buttons you need grayed out.

How to close all Safari tabs on iPhone at the same time

There are also a few tricks that can make the process simpler. For example, if you turn on iCloud for Safari, when you delete the history from your Mac, it will automatically be deleted from your phone and tablet too. If you know you want to delete your web history before you make a single click, you can use Private Browsing Mode instead.

Whether you are a murder mystery writer looking to eliminate search queries that would raise the eyebrows of any detective, or you want to reduce the number of cookies tracking you, this guide will tell you how to delete Safari history in a few simple steps.

How to delete Safari history on a Mac

Safari allows you to delete a lot of web history from a Mac or MacBook at once by allowing you to choose the dates for which you would like to erase. If you want to clear websites from the last hour, last day, last two days or all of your web history, this is the process to use.

• Open Safari
• From the top toolbar, click on History , then click Clear History.
• In the pop-up window, use the drop-down menu to select the time period you want to clear from your history.
• Click Clear History .

How to delete Safari history on an iPhone or iPad

The steps for clearing out your Safari history on an iPhone is quite different from using a Safari browser on a Mac. But, the process is the same across both iPhones and iPads, so these steps below work for both your phone and tablet.

• Open the Settings app.
• Select Safari.
• Scroll down to the Privacy & Security section and select Clear History and Website Data.
• On the next page, tap the time frame that you would like to delete the history for.
• Optional: If you also want to close out of all open websites, tap the toggle for Close All Tabs.
• Tap Clear History.

How to delete a single website from Safari history

Safari allows you to easily delete websites from the last hour, day, two days, or your entire web history easily. But, if you only want to remove a single website, you'll instead have to access your history, and then select the individual page to remove.

• 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. If that site was not visited today, you will need to tap on the date that you visited the website to find it or use the search bar at the top.
• Right-click on the website entry and select delete.

On an iPhone or iPad:

• Tap the Bookmark icon on the bottom (it looks like an open book).
• Tap the Clock or History icon at the top of the page.
• Locate the website that you wish to delete from your history -- your history is organized by the date you visited.
• On the website you wish to delete, swipe left, then tap on the red trash icon.

How to use Bing Chat on Safari

How to use private mode in safari.

If you know that you'll want to delete the website that you are about to visit from your history, try using Private Browsing Mode instead. This mode does not save any website history, including search history and autofill information. That means you can do your online banking without going back and deleting your web history when you are done.

To use Private Browsing Mode on a Mac:

• Open Safari.
• On the top toolbar, go to File > New Private Window.
• Use this new private window for browsing. You can quickly see if a Safari browser is Private because the field to type in the URL is dark gray instead of white.

To use Private Browsing Mode on iOS:

• Tap the tab icon in the bottom left corner.
• At the bottom of the screen, tap Private (swipe to see all the toppings in this toolbar if you do not see the Private option.)
• Private browsing will have a dark gray URL field instead of white. To return to regular browsing, repeat the steps but this time swipe back to your open tabs.

How to use picture-in-picture mode in Safari on Mac

How to instantly clear your web history from multiple devices.

With iCloud , Safari can save your web browsing across all the devices that you use with your Apple ID. While that's helpful for quickly recalling a website no matter what device you first opened it with, it also syncs any deletions to the web history across your devices . That means if you delete a web page from your history on a Mac, it will automatically be deleted from your iPhone too -- as long as both devices are logged into the same Apple ID and iCloud for Safari is enabled.

iCloud for Safari can be enabled during the setup process for a new device, but it can also be turned on and off from the Settings app:

• Tap on your Apple ID or name at the top.
• Tap on iCloud.
• Under Apps Using iCloud, select Show All . (If you are running iOS 15 or earlier, you may not see the full list already instead of the Show All option, in which case you can jump to the next step.)
• Toggle on Safari from the list.

Why can't I clear my Safari history?

In some cases, the buttons that you need to tap to clear your Safari history are gray. But why can't you delete your Safari history, and how do you fix it? Here are a few common reasons why the Safari history options are grayed out:

• You've already deleted your history and there are no more websites to clear out.
• Web content restrictions are turned on. Some parental control settings prevent kids and teens from deleting their web history, while other content restrictions can also prevent you from deleting. To access the content restriction options, open the Settings app and go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
• You are using Private Browsing Mode. This mode does not save your web history, so you have nothing to delete.

14 Safari tips and tricks you absolutely need to know

Can you permanently delete safari history.

Deleting your Safari history makes it difficult for the average person to recover the past websites that you have visited. However, if you are connected to your work or school network, in some cases the network administrator can still see your website access. Deleting your website history also may not fool a trained digital forensics expert during an investigation.

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.

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

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

Delete history, cache, and cookies

Clear cookies and cache, but keep your history, delete a website from your history, block cookies, use content blockers.

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 website data to clear, the button to clear it turns gray. The button might also be gray if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

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

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.

Tap Remove All Website Data.

When there's no website data to clear, the button to clear it turns gray. The button might also be gray if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

Open the Safari app.

Tap the Edit button, then select the website or websites 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.

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

You will likely not be able to sign in to a site even when using your correct username and password.

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

Some features on a site might 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.

Related topics

Contact Apple Support

Need more help? Save time by starting your support request online and we'll connect you to an expert.

Tips & Tricks

Troubleshooting, how to delete specific safari history on mac.

Did you know that you can delete any specific Safari history item from the web browsers history stored on a Mac? While many Mac Safari users likely already know they can clear Safari history for the past hour, day, two days, or clear all history from the browser , far fewer users know that it’s possible to selectively delete specific browser history items from Safari on the Mac.

Removing items from Safari history is useful for many obvious reasons, whether you’d like to remove a secret from browser history, delete an embarrassing webpage visit or browsing session, or even if you want to correct an

The ability to delete specific items and history from Safari History is fairly easy, and is largely version agnostic, so as long as the Mac is vaguely new and running anything other than an ultra antiquated version of software, the version of Safari and Mac OS or Mac OS X should support specific history removal.

Do note deleting an item from Safari history on the Mac is permanent, at least until that site(s) or webpage(s) have either been visited again, or unless a backup of the Mac has been restored to the computer. You can not undo removal of Safari history items.

How to Delete Specific History from Safari on Mac

You can selectively remove any item found within Safari history on a Mac by following these instructions:

• Open the Safari web browser if you haven’t already
• Pull down the “History” menu, then select “Show All History”

• Locate the specific Safari browser history item you want to remove (either through the list view or by searching Safari history for word matches )
• Select the item you want to delete from Safari history
• Hit the “Delete” key on the Mac keyboard, or right-click and choose “Delete” from the pop-up menu

• Repeat with other items you want to remove from Safari history on the Mac

You can delete any individual search history from Safari this way.

This tip is particularly useful when combined with the Safari History Search feature, since you can find specific keywords, terms, webpages, websites, and topics within History if you want to selectively delete the history within the browser for any found occurrences.

You can also go for the drastic option of clearing all web history data in Safari from the Mac , though obviously wiping everything clean isn’t going to be targeted in the same way that deleting particular items from Safari History would be.

If you find yourself frequently wanting to delete specific Safari history items, you may be better off preemptively using Private Browsing mode in Safari for Mac , which does not leave any browser history when active.

It’s worth mentioning that whether you delete Safari history or use private browsing mode or not, your browsing sessions are not going to be truly anonymous or private because of the nature of how browsers, DNS, ISPs, and the internet in general work. While removing local history will remove traces of a website visit from a particular computer and perhaps hide the visit from yourself or another person, that local data removal has no impact on the various remote servers or the underlying infrastructure used to access websites or the internet in the first place, which separately will track all internet data like website visits and browsing sessions (and they may sell that data too). If you do want to attempt a more anonymized web browsing experience, you’d need to turn to anonymous web browsing apps like TOR or a privacy-conscious VPN service, though even those are not infallible nor perfect.

As usual, iOS users are not left out either, as you can delete specific history items from Safari on iPhone and iPad too using a similar method. And it’s worth mentioning these browser history tricks apply to most other browsers like Chrome and Firefox too, though we’re obviously focused on Safari here.

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
• View Browsing History on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch from Safari
• How to Turn off & Delete Google Location History on iPhone & iPad
• How to Automatically Delete Google Maps Search History on iPhone & iPad

» Comments RSS Feed

If you don’t have the time to delete every item individually just hit

fn + arrow pointing to the left under the start/close button

I have one website (Shutterfly) that will not delete from History. Whether I’ve use all history or tried to get rid of it individually. yes, I’ve done what is listed here. Can you advise me? Thanks!

Hi Paul, Thanks for sharing your great tips again. I use Safari always in private Modus, it’s a best way to get my Browser like invisible, I open in tabs every using Website and if it’s to much, just delete all in Settings. Thanks again and have a great day! Friendly Greetings from 🇳🇿

This stuff, even with a step by step guide is way too complicated for me!

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Subscribe to OSXDaily

• - 15 Mail Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac
• - How to Use Hover Text on Mac to Magnify On-Screen Text
• - How to Bulk Image Edit on iPhone & iPad wth Copy & Paste Edits to Photos
• - How to Use Apple Watch as Viewfinder & Remote for iPhone Camera
• - How to Hide the Sidebar in Microsoft Edge
• - Opinion: Shiny Keys on MacBook Air & Pro Are Ugly and Shouldn’t Happen
• - MacOS Ventura 13.6.6 & Safari 17.4.1 Update Available
• - Using M3 MacBook Air in Clamshell Mode May Reduce Performance
• - First Beta of iOS 17.5, macOS Sonoma 14.5, iPadOS 17.5 Released for Testing
• - iOS 16.7.7 & iPadOS 16.7.7 Released for Older iPhone & iPad Models

iPhone / iPad

• - What Does the Bell with Line Through It Mean in Messages? Bell Icon on iPhone, iPad, & Mac Explained
• - Fix a Repeating “Trust This Computer” Alert on iPhone & iPad
• - Create a Resume with Pages on Mac, iPhone, iPad
• - The Best Way to Clean a MacBook Air Keyboard: Microfiber Cloth & KeyboardCleanTool
• - How to Check Disk Health on Mac with smartctl
• - Fix “warning: unable to access /Users/Name/.config/git/attributes Permission Denied” Errors
• - How to Fix the Apple Watch Squiggly Charging Cable Screen
• - NewsToday2: What it is & How to Disable NewsToday2 on Mac
• - Why Did My iPhone Alarm Stop Automatically & Turn Itself Off?

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.

Home > How to Tips

How to Clear Browsing/Search History on Mac(Safari/Google/Firefox)

Updated on Monday, April 8, 2024

Approved by

Complete Guide on Clearing Search/Browsing History on Mac

Summary:  This post elaborates on how to clear browsing/search history on Mac. With the detailed steps, you can delete a specific page from history or all history pages in Safari, Google Chrome, and Firefox on your Mac.

You visit webpages by using Safari, Google, or Firefox browser on your Mac, and you leave footprints of all your activities including the history of the search box, the history of every page you visit, etc. Besides, the browser also loads caches, cookies, images, and so forth. This way, it speeds up the loading time when you visit the same page the next time.

However, you may not want the browser to record the search and browsing history on the Mac to block others from knowing what websites you visited and accessing your sensitive data,  free up space on Mac , etc. Then, this post is right for you, it will guide you on how to clear browsing/search history on Mac .

Table of Contents:

• 1. How to clear search history on Safari Mac 
• 2. How to clear browsing history on Google Mac
• 3. How to delete search history on Firefox Mac 
• 4. Conclusion 

How to clear search history on Safari Mac 

Safari is Apple’s default browser, designed to seamlessly run on MacBook Air/Pro/iMac. Let’s see how to remove search history on Safari.

1. Launch Safari on your Mac. 

2. To delete certain search history on Safari: 

• On the Safari menu bar, choose History > Show All History . 
• Find the page you want to remove on the prompt windows, control-click it, and choose Delete in the drop-down menu. 

3. To remove all history from Safari: 

• On the top toolbar, click Safari next to the Apple logo, and choose Clear History... , or click History from the toolbar > Clear History...  
• Click in the time range and choose all history or other options. 

4. To set Safari automatically remove history items: 

• Click Safari in the menu bar and choose Preferences . 
• Choose the General tab and locate Remove history items . 
• Expand the drop-down menu to choose a time range.

How to clear browsing history on Google Mac

 As one of the most popular browsers, many Mac users prefer Google Chrome to the built-in Safari. If so, you can know how to clear browsing history on Google with the following info. 

1. Open Google Chrome on your MacBook Air/Pro/iMac. 

2. To remove certain browsing history on Google: 

• On the menu bar of Chrome, click on History > Show Full History . 
• Check the box next to the page you want to delete and click on the Delete button in the top-right corner. Then tap Remove to confirm. 

3. To delete all browsing history on Chrome: 

• On the menu bar of Chrome, click Chrome and choose Clear Browsing Data... Or, tap the three-dots button in the top-right corner of the Chrome interface, then choose Settings > Security & Privacy > Clear Browsing Data... 
• On the new window, click the Time Range label and choose All Time . 
• Tick Browsing history , you can also choose other two options to clear cache and cookies. 
• Click on the Clear data button to delete all browsing history.

In addition to the browsing history, Google chrome also records what you have searched for in the search box and it will automatically show up when you try to type something in the box. And such a situation may dissatisfy you.

“[Help] I really hate every search I've ever made on any website coming up whenever I type something in on a search box. Especially if I've searched for something embarrassing or personal and don't want to risk someone seeing it”

Therefore, it is also necessary to clear history of google chrome search box , here’s how: 

1. Go to Settings of Chrome and choose Security & Privacy > Clear Browsing Data... 

2. On the pop-up dialogue, click the Search history link. 

3. Find the page you want to delete, and click the x icon on the right side. 

4. Click Delete > Delete All Time to remove all history of the search box. You can also delete recently searched history right in the search box by clicking the x icon behind it.

How to delete search history on Firefox Mac 

If you are using the Firefox browser on your Mac, you can read this part to know how to delete browsing history on Firefox Mac. What’s more, Firefox allows you to set the browser not to remember history, a convenient feature. Stay tuned to know more. 

1. Launch the Firefox browser on your Mac computer. 

2. On the guide toolbar, click History . 

3. To delete specific page from history on Firefox: 

• On the drop-down menu, you can choose Show All History . 
• All history pages will be grouped by date, find the page you want to delete, control-click it, and choose Delete Page .  

4. To delete all search history on Firefox:  

• Click History > Clear Recent History...   
• Or, on the Firefox menu bar, click Firefox > Preferences /click the top-right three-line button on the webpage, and choose Settings , then tap Privacy & Security on the left sidebar. Find History and click on Clear History...  
• In the time range of the new window, choose Everything . 
• Uncheck everything except for B rowsing & download history . 

In the History label of Privacy & Security, you can click on the box next to Firefox will and choose Never Remember History > Restart Firefox now to make the browser not record the browsing history. Besides, uncheck the box of Browsing history under the Address bar to block it from showing the previously visited page when using the address bar.

Conclusion 

For the sake of personal privacy, more available disk space, etc., you may want to clear browsing history on Mac. Whether you want to delete specific pages from history or all history, you can make it with the tutorial in this post. Generally, you can clear search history from any browser by using the menu bar and Settings.

Amanda is one of the main columnists at iBoysoft. She loves exploring new technologies, focusing on macOS, Windows OS, data recovery, data security, disk management, and other tech-related issues. She takes delight in providing technical and informative articles to help people out of problems and get the utmost out of their devices.

Jessica Shee is a senior tech editor at iBoysoft. Throughout her 4 years of experience, Jessica has written many informative and instructional articles in data recovery, data security, and disk management to help a lot of readers secure their important documents and take the best advantage of their devices.

No. 308, 3/F, Unit 1, Building 6, No. 1700, Tianfu Avenue North, High-tech Zone

Copyright© 2024 iBoysoft ® . All Rights Reserved.

We do not use any AI writing tools. All our content is written by humans, not robots. See our editorial process .

Why Can’t I Clear My History on Safari Mac

Clearing your browsing history can be beneficial for several reasons, including (but definitely not limited to) protecting your privacy and clearing some storage space on your Mac. But what can you do if you can’t clear your history on Safari on your Mac?

As an Apple computer tech, I’ve seen this issue come across my desk several times. The good news is that there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to get Safari working again and clear your history.

Let’s get to it.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Fix 1: clearing your history, fix 2: restart your mac, fix 3: update macos, fix 4: content restrictions, fix 5: turn off icloud syncing, fix 6: delete manually , fix 7: keep your mac free from junk, final thoughts.

• Typically, clearing the history for Safari is a very easy and streamlined process. Simply open the history menu and click Clear History . You can also try updating macOS and restarting your Mac in order to make Safari cooperate.
• Apple has (somewhat) recently added a content restriction feature that, if it is set with the right combination of settings, can prevent you from clearing your history. The Clear History option will appear grayed out. I’ll show you which settings to turn off when you need to clear your history. 
• iCloud Syncing with your other Safari-enabled devices can also create trouble when clearing your history. You can try to clear history, but all websites and cookies may not be removed .  We’ll show you how to turn off iCloud sharing in order to allow yourself to fully clear your history. 
• If all else fails, you can still manually clear your browsing history from Safari.

7 Fixes for When Safari Won’t Clear History

If you are finding that you are trying to clear your search history and you can’t seem to figure out why it isn’t working, I’m here to help! I will give you several reasons as to why your Safari history is not clearing and walk you through the ways to fix them.

First, in order to know that we are unable to clear our history on Safari, you need to know how to do so. Take the following steps:

With Safari Open, Click the History Menu at the top of your screen and hit Clear History from the drop-down menu.

In the pop-up, decide which time frame you would like to delete the history for: the last hour, today, yesterday, or even all of your history.

Click Clear History to confirm.

Your Safari may be frozen, hung up on a stuck process, or otherwise unable to access its own storage space. If this is the case, the easiest way to fix this is by restarting your Mac . 

Restarting your Mac allows for all the current processes that are running to stop and allows for the computer to access your Safari history again.

Using the Apple Menu, Click Restart.

Let your Mac restart automatically, then try clearing your history again. If that does not work, proceed to the next step.

Another reason why you may not be able to clear your history on Safari is that there could be a problem with the software. If that is the case, then updating macOS might be helpful because Safari is an application that is managed and updated through macOS. 

If Apple is aware of a specific problem and released a fix for it, then macOS will be your way to get it resolved. To update your system, take the following steps:

In the Apple Menu at the top of your screen, choose System Settings.

In the General tab on the left, Navigate to Software Update. If a software update is found, follow the onscreen instructions to complete the macOS update.

If you are attempting to clear your history using the instructions above, but the items appear “grayed out,” then you may have some content restrictions set up that do not allow you to clear your history. 

Content Restrictions are a relatively new feature on MacBooks, and one of the features restricts the ability to clear history . This is to provide higher safety for children and teens who may be using your Mac. 

To disable these content restrictions, take the following steps: 

In the Apple Menu, Select System Settings.

Navigate to Screen Time and Content & Privacy under the Restrictions Section.

If this is turned on, choose Content Restrictions.

The Access to Web Content setting being set to “Allowed Websites Only” appears to disallow the user from clearing the history for many people.

If you have children or teens using your MacBook and you choose to have these restrictions turned on, you will need to change it to Unrestricted Access or turn off the restrictions completely in order to clear your history.

If you do not have a need for restrictions, I recommend turning Content and Privacy off Completely.

Another feature that may cause interference in your ability to delete your history on Safari is iCloud Syncing. iCloud Syncing with Safari can be a very helpful tool, but can prevent your Mac from being able to delete your Safari history. 

By turning off iCloud Sync for Safari momentarily, you may be able to clear your history. To do this, take the following steps:

Using the Apple Menu, click on System Settings.

Next, choose your Name on the Left and select iCloud.

Under Apps Using iCloud, Choose Show All.

Finally, turn off iCloud for Safari by clicking on the blue switch. This will disallow Safari to sync over iCloud.

Attempt to clear your history again and, if desired, turn iCloud for Safari back on. 

Lastly, if all else fails, you can also try to delete your Safari history manually. Your Mac stores your history in 4 primary files, which are titled History.db, History.db-lock, History.db-shm, and History.db-wal. 

Note : You may not be able to see all 4 files—this is ok! You might not have all of them. You also don’t need to worry about replacing the files manually. When you delete these files, you are deleting the history, and the files will be recreated when you open Safari again. 

With Finder open, click Go from the menu at the top of your screen and select Go to Folder from the drop-down.

Type ~/Library/Safari to find the folder that contains the files for Safari history

Select the 4 files that are named “History” . Drag and Drop them into the trash. To select all 4 files at the same time, press the shift key and click on each file.

Voila! You should now have a clear browsing history on Safari.

If you want to prevent unexpected issues, such as not being able to clear your history on Safari, from happening again, you should keep your Mac’s software as optimized as possible . There are many ways to do this, but the most convenient way is to use a comprehensive Mac cleaner and maintenance suite.

One of my favorite apps for keeping an eye on the health of my Mac is CleanMyMac X . This app has tons of built-in features for making sure your Mac runs smoothly, such as a malware scanner, disk-space analyzer, and junk file removal tool.

Clearing out system junk, running optimization tasks, and freeing up disk space are activities that you should carry out at least occasionally. To do so, just download and install CleanMyMac X, and select one of the options from the left sidebar. If you’ve never scanned your computer before, a quick Smart Scan should reveal plenty of opportunities to clean things up.

Plus, when you’re not actively scanning, you still have a handy tray icon to keep an eye on your Mac’s health.

While not a free app, it does go a long way in preventing unforeseen issues and minor bugs in Safari and other built-in software. 

I have discussed several reasons why you may be unable to clear your history on the Safari application. Additionally, there are explanations as to how to fix all of these reasons and even an “if all else fails” solution. 

These items included restarting your Mac and updating macOS, but I also discussed things like content restrictions, iCloud syncing, and manually clearing history using Finder. Restarting your Mac and updating macOS are simpler tasks that can help reset any processes that are causing issues when you are trying to clear your history. 

Content restrictions and iCloud syncing are items that you can find in your settings that can also potentially conflict with your ability to clear Safari history. Lastly, manually clearing your history is a last-resort type of item that should work if the other items in this article do not. 

If you want to prevent issues like this from happening again, it is a good idea to keep your Mac clean and optimized with a program like CleanMyMac X . 

Which of these solutions worked for you? Did you learn anything about Safari that you did not know before?  Let us know in the comments!

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

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

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

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.

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

• 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.

• 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 .

• 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 . You can choose multiple websites by selecting the websites while pressing the Command key.

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

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 .

Similar Posts

AirPods Keep Disconnecting, Fix

This article explains how you can fix when your AirPods keep disconnecting (and sometimes reconnecting) randomly and frequently from your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac. Are you having this problem too? Many…

How to Attach an Email to Another Email in Mail on iPhone

Sometimes you want someone to see an email that you have received in its original form; it doesn’t always make sense to forward the email. On your iPhone, this process is not so…

How to Clear the Clipboard on your Mac

Clipboard acts as a short-term buffer storage space that stores your copy and paste data. This data will stay there even after you cut, copy and paste it. When you cut or copy…

Wordle Shows Blank Page on iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Here’s How to Fix

Wordle is a popular web-based word game and was recently purchased by The New York Times. It is a simple but fun game. A lot of users play it on their iPhone, iPad,…

iPhone Won’t Make Calls But Will Text, How to Fix

Sometimes you may experience an unusual problem where you cannot make or receive calls while texting still works. This is an unusual situation because it appears that your iPhone is still connected to…

Review: Speck Cases for Your iPhone 14 Pro

When I decided to upgrade from my iPhone 11 to a new iPhone 14 Pro, Speck cases were the first ones I looked at. My iPhone 11 wore a Speck case for the…

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Categories: