How to clear history on Mac
You can clear history on Mac for the last hour, a day or all time, and Safari, Chrome and Firefox each keep their own. Downloaded files and saved passwords stay, but synced history also disappears from your other devices, including your iPhone. This guide covers all three browsers and what clearing history doesn’t remove.
How to clear history on Mac in Safari
- In Safari, choose History › Clear History.
- Click the pop-up menu and choose how far back to clear.
- Read the note in the window and confirm.
Safari removes the pages you visited, the back and forward lists of open pages, frequently visited sites, recent searches, page icons and snapshots, the list of downloads (the files stay) and the sites that asked to use your location or send notifications.
If Safari is turned on in iCloud on your Mac and other Apple devices, the history is removed from all of them, including your iPhone.
Clear history in Chrome
- Click More (the three dots at the top right) and choose Delete browsing data, or press Shift-Command-Delete.
- Choose a time range, such as Last hour, or click More for a longer one, up to all time.
- Check Browsing history, and Download history if you want. Uncheck Cookies and other site data to stay signed in to sites.
- Click Delete from this device.
If you’re signed in to Chrome, the history is also removed from your other devices and your Google Account.
Clear history in Firefox
- Choose History › Clear Recent History, or press Shift-Command-Delete.
- Choose a time range, such as Last hour or Everything.
- Check Browsing & download history. Uncheck Cookies and site data to stay signed in to sites.
- Click Clear.
What clearing history doesn’t remove
- Files you downloaded: only the list of downloads goes. To clean up the files, see how to delete downloads on Mac.
- Saved passwords and bookmarks.
- Histories that websites keep on their side, and your activity saved in a Google Account.
Cookies are a separate thing: see how to clear cookies on Mac.
Keep your Mac tidy
MacWashing doesn’t clear browsing history or cookies: use your browser’s own menu above. System Junk in MacWashing clears the caches of Safari, Chrome, Firefox and your other apps, and your history and sign-ins stay as they are.
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Questions and answers
Does clearing history on Mac also clear it on my iPhone?
In Safari, yes, if Safari is turned on in iCloud on both devices. In Chrome, yes, if you’re signed in to Chrome.
Will clearing history sign me out of websites?
In Chrome and Firefox, not if you leave the cookies box unchecked. Safari may remove the cookies and website data of those sites along with history, so read the note in its window before you confirm.
Will I lose downloaded files or passwords?
No. Clearing history removes only the list of downloads, not the files, and doesn’t touch saved passwords or bookmarks.