Should I Delete My Browsing History?

How can I delete my browsing history? This is a question that millions of people ask each year. After all, every website you visit is recorded by your internet browser, which can be problematic.

Many websites utilize cookies that track your web usage. These cookies (data packets) allow websites to gather data about who you are, what you purchase, and what types of information interest you.

To keep your web browsing private and secure, you’ll want to use this guide to learn how to delete your browsing history.

What Is an Internet Browsing History?

If you’ve never deleted your internet browsing history before, you might not be sure what a browsing history is. To put it plainly, an internet browsing history is a list of all the websites you’ve visited.

If you were to open your browsing history right this moment, this article would likely be at the very top, as it’s the most recent webpage you’ve viewed.

But if you’re not clearing this history, the list could go back weeks, months, or even years. While this might give you unique insights into your web usage and tendencies, third-party companies also utilize this data.

Consequently, it’s a great idea to make a habit of clearing your browsing history every few days or weeks. After all, keeping your digital identity safe starts with keeping your cache and cookies clear.

Why Should You Delete Your Browsing History?

There are several reasons why you might want to delete your browsing history, clear your webpage cache, and delete website cookies. Some of the most crucial of these reasons include:

  • Privacy
  • Security
  • Performance

Let’s take a moment to discuss how deleting your internet browsing history can help boost your privacy and security. We’ll also touch on how deleting your history might increase your computer’s performance!

Privacy

If you share your home laptop or desktop with only family members, privacy may be one of the greatest reasons to start deleting your search history. Household members can easily access your history if you’re not careful.

This situation might not seem like a big deal, especially if you’re primarily using your home computer for work and shopping. But take a moment to reconsider.

Your spouse might accidentally stumble upon that anniversary gift you just bought online. Or maybe your little one might discover their Christmas presents several months early, thanks to some digital snooping.

Clearing your browsing history can help keep curious eyes from stumbling upon any of your online activities. Unfortunately, however, your family members and roommates aren’t the only ones with prying eyes.

Security

Nearly any website that uses cookies can track your internet activity, including what pages you’ve been searching for or looking at. In addition, third-party companies use the data for advertising and research purposes.

However, failing to clear your cache and delete cookies is a surefire way to open yourself up to identity threats. When all of your passwords and login information are saved to your browser, hackers can quickly exploit this data.

Protecting yourself from having your identity stolen starts with being vigilant with your digital information. Remember, data-stealing isn’t as uncommon as you may think.

Performance

Every website that you visit has to be uploaded to become visible. But did you know that your computer saves each webpage temporarily? This feature helps reduce the amount of internet necessary to browse the web.

However, it can also slow down your computer. If your browser is chock-full of temporary web pages, it might struggle to upload and open new websites. Clearing your history and cache often results in faster loading times.

How Can You Delete Your Browsing History?

There are several ways to delete your browsing history. But the proper series of steps often depends on the type of internet browser you’re using.

For example, if you’re using Google Chrome, you’ll want to select the three dots in the upper right-hand corner of your toolbar. But if you’re using Mozilla Firefox, you’ll need to choose the three-lined menu button.

Generally, Windows users will need to discern their browser type before deleting their browser history. On the other hand, Mac users may only need to research how to delete browsing history from the Safari browser.

To help you quickly and effectively delete your browser history, let’s discuss how to delete browsing histories on both Windows and Mac operating systems.

Windows

When deleting the browsing history from a Windows computer or laptop, you’ll need to follow a specific series of steps. These steps are:

  1. Open Your Preferred Internet Browsing Program
  2. Locate the Settings
  3. Select History or Privacy Settings
  4. Clear History, Cache, and Cookies

Naturally, the first thing you’ll want to do is identify the internet browsing program that you most often use.

Some of the most common options include Microsoft Edge (an update on Internet Explorer), Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox. However, you may also use Opera, Safari, or Brave.

Your chosen browser will determine the precise steps you’ll need to take to delete your browsing history. However, most browsers follow a similar route.

You’ll need to access your browser setting’s menu, then locate your history or privacy settings. From there, you can choose to clear your browsing history, delete cookies, and clear your webpage cache.

Mac

The majority of Mac users won’t need to browse various software forums to delete their browsing history. That’s because Apple laptops and computers tend to utilize a single internet explorer program: Safari.

To delete your Safari browsing history, you need only open a Safari window and click on the ‘Safari’ tab at the top. You can find this tab next to the Apple icon.

From there, you’ll scroll down the pop-up menu to the ‘Clear History’ tab. A new window will open, prompting you to choose a deletion time frame. For example, you can delete today’s browsing history or all browsing history.

You can click here to find more information about deleting your browsing history on a Mac. Don’t worry–The process is relatively straightforward and should only take a few minutes at most.

Delete My Browsing History Today

Are you still asking yourself, “Why should I delete my browsing history?” If so, remember that your browsing history influences your digital security and privacy. Websites can identify and track you based on this history.

Clearing your browsing history, cookies, and cache regularly can help improve your digital security and protect your data. Fortunately, clearing this history is a relatively simple task.

If you’re looking to protect your digital identity, be sure to check our related articles today!

 

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