By default, most Internet browsers track websites their users visit. Whenever a person searches for remedies to a medical ailment, identifies the location of the next support group meeting, accesses a bank account, or visits any other website, that website information is stored on the individual’s computer. This website history can not only be seen by anyone who has authorized access to the computer, it can also potentially be seen by anyone who steals the computer or hacks into the computer remotely. Here’s how you can clean out your history and limit who has access to the websites you visit. How to erase your web browsing history
To delete your web browsing history, follow these steps:
- In Google Chrome, click the menu button in the upper-left of the screen (looks like three dots). Click “History,” then click “History” on the pop-up menu. Click “Clear browsing data” on the left of your screen. In the menu that pops up, you can choose the time range of your history you want to delete, ranging from the last hour all the way back to when you typed in your first website. Chrome won’t automatically delete your browsing history when you exit the program, but you can set it to automatically delete your cookies (small strings of text that websites store on your computer to remember information about your web visits). To do that, click the menu button in the upper-left of the screen (looks like three dots), then click “Settings.” In the next screen, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Advanced.” Then, under the “Privacy and security” section, click “Content settings.” Click “Cookies” on the next page, and then click the “Keep local data only until you quit your browser” option.
- In Microsoft Internet Explorer, click the tools icon in the upper-left portion of your screen (looks like a gear) and select “Internet options.” Under the “Browsing history” section, click the “Delete” button. You can also click the “Delete browsing history on exit” option to automatically delete your history when you exit the program.
- In Mozilla Firefox, click the Library icon in the upper-left portion of your screen (looks like a set of books on a shelf), click “History,” and then click “Clear Recent History” on the next menu. In the menu that pops up, you can choose the time range of your history you want to delete, ranging from the last hour all the way back to when you typed in your first website. If you’d like Firefox to delete your browsing history for you when you exit the program, click the menu icon in the upper-left portion of your screen (looks like three horizontal bars), click “Options” next to the gear icon, then select “Privacy & Security” on the left side of the screen. Under the “History” section on the page, choose the “Clear history when Firefox closes” option, then click settings to the right of that option. Make sure “Browsing & Download History” and “Form & Search History” is checked, then click “OK.”
While removing all traces of your web browsing activity from the Internet is next to impossible, you can take steps to protect your privacy on your computer. Periodically clear your browsing history or set your browser to delete the websites you visit automatically upon exiting the program to prevent others from retracing your digital footsteps.
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How to erase your web browsing history
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