When you are surfing web, your browser will always save a copy of your browsing history so you can revisit the sites easily and quickly. Nevertheless, it can be beneficial for you to clear the web browsing history often so no one else can find out your web activity. Here we will show you how to clear the web browsing history on your mobile devices.
How to Clear Your Browsing History in Google Chrome
The Google Chrome mobile browser comes preinstalled on most Android devices these days, so chances are you are using it as your default browser. Here’s how you can clear your browsing history in Chrome for Android.
1. Open the Chrome app on your Android device.
2. Tap on the three dots in the top-right corner.
3. From the menu that opens, select Settings.
4. Tap on “Privacy & security” in the Basics section.
5. Select “Clear browsing data.”
6. From the next panel, select which data you want deleted. Aside from your browsing history, you can also do away with cookies and cached data.
7. You can go even deeper by tapping on the Advanced tab and making sure your saved passwords, autofill form data and more get deleted.
If you don’t want Chrome for Android to keep track of your movements online, you can disable the “Web & App Activity” feature via your Google account.
The better option if you want to browse under the radar is just to open an Incognito tab and browse anonymously – if you know ahead of time you will be browsing sites you would like to keep private. This applies for all the browsers in this list.
How to Clear Your Browsing History in Firefox
If you surf the Web on your Android device with Firefox, here’s how you can clear your browsing history.
1. Launch the Firefox app on your device.
2. Tap on the vertical three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the display.
3. Select Settings.
4. Scroll down until you find the “Delete browsing data” option under the “Privacy and security” section.
5. Select which information you want to delete aside from your browsing history, including cookies, downloads, site permissions and more, then press the “Delete browsing data” button to start the process.
6. Alternatively, if you don’t wish to keep your browsing history on your device, go ahead and enable the “Delete browsing data on quit” option from the same section.
On the other hand, if you think that you may forget to close your browser once you’re done surfing, then perhaps the next time you should opt for the option to open a private session in your Firefox browser.
How to Clear Your Browsing History in Opera
Opera users can clear the browsing history on their Android device following these easy steps.
1. Open Opera on your Android device.
2. To quickly delete your browsing history, simply tap on the red O at the bottom of the display.
3. Select History from the menu that pops up at the bottom.
4. Tap on the trash can icon in the upper right corner of the display.
5. A pop-up will appear explaining that all your browsing history will be cleared. Press OK to confirm your choice.
6. If you want to do a more in-depth cleaning, then tap on the O at the bottom again and select Settings.
7. Scroll down until you find the Privacy section.
8. Select the “Clear browsing data” option and which information you want deleted, then press the “Clear data” button to complete the action.
There’s no setting to prevent Opera from collecting your history, but if you wish to leave no trace while you browse, use the Incognito option.
How to Clear Your Browsing History in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft offers Edge, a modern Chromium-based browser for mobile users that caters to most needs. Deleting your web history in Edge is pretty similar to doing the same in Opera, as you will probably notice.
1. Open Microsoft’s Edge browser on your Android device.
2. Tap on the three dots in the middle of the bar at the bottom of the display.
3. Tap on History.
4. Click on the thrash can icon in the upper-right corner to delete your browsing history.
5. Alternatively, tap the three dots at the bottom again and select Settings.
6. Scroll all the way down until you reach Advanced.
7. Select “Privacy and Security.”
8. At the bottom, tap on the “Clear browsing data” option.
9. Select which data sets you want to delete, then press Clear.
Once again, you can’t disable the browser history being recorded, but you can always open an InPrivate session.
How to Clear Your Browsing History in Brave
Brave was among the first few browsers to include an embedded ad-blocker, not to mention it’s also privacy-focused. These features have made it quite popular with the community in recent years. To remove your browsing history in Brave, follow these steps:
1. Open the Brave browser on your Android device.
2. Tap on the three dots in the lower-right corner.
3. Select History.
4. Tap on the “Clear browsing data” option at the top to quickly get rid of your most recent history.
5. Alternatively, tap on the three dots again.
6. This time around, select Settings.
7. Click on “Brave shields & privacy” at the top.
8. Go to the “Clear browsing data” section and select “Clear browsing data.” Select the data you want to delete and hit “Clear data.”
9. Alternatively, you can opt to “Clear data on exit” after each session.
Wrapping Up
It can happen anytime – your friends borrowing your phone and snooping to see your browsing history. If you don’t want that to happen, you can clear your entire browsing history using the steps above. If you need more Android browsing tips, you may want to learn how to take screenshots in Incognito Mode. We also recommend you check out our list of the five best privacy-focused browsers for Android and iOS.