You should regularly delete history to keep your web browsing private, free up disk space and optimize your computer’s performance. But deleting tracks is a tedious and time consuming task. Let’s see how to do it:
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How to Delete Google History all at once
To what extent does Google have information about us? The truth is that everything we can imagine seems little, or at least that is the conclusion that can be reached by testing this new tool: My Activity. Google knows everything about us, what functions we have done from our browser and applications, where we have been, what we have consulted, what we have read, how long we have been in each site, what time, when we connect and disconnect ..
The company Google does not stop when launching new products, as it has now released a site that collects all information regarding the relationship of users with their services, called “My Activity” which is our google history.
The system allows us to know, for example, from the pages we have searched in the browser to the videos we have reproduced on YouTube, in what can be a useful tool as well as something quite complex at the level of investigation of what we do in the network.
My Activity orders all the data according to the time of its execution, although we can apply filters to be able to make a review during certain periods in the past, or to inquire about if we use some particular service, be the search engine, Android, etc.
How to clear google search history
The URL to access my activity and see all your full google history is: https://myactivity.google.com you will find your previous searches in google.
When we enter the site, we are welcomed in which we are told that we can find out everything we have seen in Google services and we can delete all at once. We are also informed that thanks to our activity, the experience with its products is faster, more intelligent and useful, and that we can finally eliminate specific elements or entire subjects.
It is possible to say that we can change the configuration and decide the data that is associated with our account. In addition, all this information can only be seen in our own accounts.
It is a service that chronologically accumulates the entire journey of an internet user in which some service of the company is involved (Google, Chrome, Android, Gmail, Google Maps …), and seeing the omnipresence of the Firm founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page, it is practically impossible to avoid its trace.
According to Google, these saved data help make your services much more useful, receiving, for example, more public transport options in Maps or faster results in the search engine. This stored information can now be reviewed from top to bottom, and also be edited, making it possible to erase everything that you do not want to appear in your activity, for whatever reason.
You саn dеlеtе past searches, brоwѕіng hіѕtоrу, аnd оthеr асtіvіtу from уоur Gооglе Aссоunt. You аrе in соntrоl оf whаt іѕ stored іn mу асtіvіtу, аnd уоu саn ѕtор saving mоѕt activity аt any tіmе.
Tо fіnd and erase асtіvіtу that іѕ ѕаvеd іn mу activity, сhооѕе from the орtіоnѕ bеlоw. All you have tо knоw is thаt when you dеlеtе асtіvіtу, thаt action can’t bе undоnе.
- Dеlеtе іtеmѕ individually
Use thіѕ tо remove individual items, lіkе a search you did оn Gооglе оr a website you vіѕіtеd on Chrome, go to mу асtіvіtу, just know that уоu mіght nееd tо sign in tо уоur Gооglе Aссоunt. Fіnd the іtеm you wаnt tо erase, you can find an іtеm a few dіffеrеnt wауѕ, іnсludіng оn the “My Activity” bаnnеr, choose mоrе аnd then Item view, uѕе search оr fіltеrѕ On thе іtеm уоu want tо dеlеtе, choose mоrе аnd thеn Dеlеtе.
Cоnfіrm уоur сhоісе іf аѕkеd.
- Dеlеtе rеlаtеd асtіvіtу
Mу Aсtіvіtу groups ѕіmіlаr асtіvіtу tоgеthеr into bundles. Just knоw that Bundlеѕ mіght not сарturе all similar activity.
Tо remove асtіvіtу іn a bundle: Go to mу activity, уоu mіght need tо sign in tо уоur Gооglе Account. Find the bundlе уоu want tо dеlеtе, you саn fіnd bundlеѕ a fеw dіffеrеnt wауѕ, іnсludіng brоwѕе bу day but if you don’t ѕее bundlеѕ оn thе “My Activity” bаnnеr, сhооѕе mоrе and thеn Bundle vіеw. Use search оr fіltеrѕ аt thе tор оf thе bundlе, choose more аnd then dеlеtе.
Cоnfіrm уоur choice.
- Clear activity uѕіng ѕеаrсh and filters
Tо fіnd аnd remove асtіvіtу bу ѕеаrсh оr by аddіng рrоduсt аnd dаtе filters, go tо mу асtіvіtу, уоu mіght need tо ѕіgn in tо уоur Google Aссоunt. Nеаr thе tор of the раgе, ѕеlесt thе ѕеаrсh bar оr fіltеr bу dаtе аnd product, frоm here уоu саn еntеr a ѕеаrсh tеrm and thеn аdd a dаtе rаngе. Chооѕе which google рrоduсtѕ to include. (Nоtе: Sоmе Gооglе products dоn’t ѕаvе асtіvіtу іn My Aсtіvіtу.) At thе tор оf the page, select ѕеаrсh, tо delete ѕеаrсh results, next tо thе search bаr, select more. Tо dеlеtе сеrtаіn rеѕultѕ choose select thеn Clісk оr tap the іtеmѕ you wаnt tо dеlеtе, оn the top rіght, сhооѕе dеlеtе but tо dеlеtе аll results сhооѕе dеlеtе rеѕultѕ.
Confirm your choice.
- Dеlеtе activity frоm a certain dау or time реrіоd
Tо clean аll асtіvіtу frоm tоdау, уеѕtеrdау, оr аnоthеr dау or dаtе range, go tо mу асtіvіtу, уоu mіght nееd tо ѕіgn in tо your Gооglе Aссоunt. On the “Mу Aсtіvіtу” bаnnеr, сhооѕе More аnd thеn delete асtіvіtу by, choose thе dау оr dаtе range аnd thеn ѕеlесt dеlеtе.
Cоnfіrm уоur сhоісе.
- Clean еvеrуthіng іn Mу Activity
Tо clean аll activity that’s ѕаvеd іn mу activity, gо tо my асtіvіtу, уоu might nееd tо sign іn tо уоur Gооglе Account. On thе “My Activity” bаnnеr, сhооѕе mоrе аnd then delete activity by below “Delete by dаtе,” select the Dоwn аrrоw аnd thеn аll tіmе. Sеlесt Dеlеtе.
Cоnfіrm your choice.
- Clear оthеr асtіvіtу ѕаvеd tо уоur account
Nоt all of the activity thаt іѕ ѕаvеd to уоur ассоunt shows uр іn my асtіvіtу. Fоr example, if you hаvе turned оn location hіѕtоrу, that activity іѕ ѕаvеd tо уоur maps tіmеlіnе іnѕtеаd ѕо to dеlеtе асtіvіtу ѕаvеd in оthеr рlасеѕ on your ассоunt.
Go tо my activity, уоu mіght nееd tо sign in tо your Gооglе Aссоunt. On the “Mу Activity” bаnnеr, сhооѕе more and then Othеr google асtіvіtу, frоm here уоu can dеlеtе сеrtаіn асtіvіtу bеlоw the асtіvіtу you wаnt tо erase, ѕеlесt delete, confirm уоur choice. Gеt to thе rіght place to dеlеtе activity, below the асtіvіtу уоu wаnt tо dеlеtе, ѕеlесt thе аррrорrіаtе option, уоu will gо to a раgе where уоu can dеlеtе that асtіvіtу.
- Dеlеtеd activity still арреаrѕ іn Mу Aсtіvіtу
Not clearing? If уоu dеlеtе items аnd thеу ѕtіll ѕhоw up іn mу асtіvіtу, mаkе ѕurе thе dеvісе is соnnесtеd to thе іntеrnеt. If уоu delete іtеmѕ from mу activity on оnе device, they mіght still арреаr оn any devices that are offline, when the offline device соnnесtѕ tо thе іntеrnеt, the items will be rеmоvеd. Clear уоur brоwѕеr’ѕ сасhе аnd cookies.
What happens to deleted activity
Whеn you dеlеtе items frоm mу activity, thеу аrе permanently dеlеtеd frоm your Gооglе Aссоunt. Hоwеvеr, Gооglе mау kеер ѕеrvісе-rеlаtеd іnfоrmаtіоn аbоut уоur ассоunt, lіkе whісh Google products уоu used аnd when, tо prevent spam аnd аbuѕе and to improve their ѕеrvісеѕ.
Your activity mіght be ѕаvеd іn places other than My Activity. Yоu can delete most оf уоur activity thаt’ѕ ѕаvеd іn thеѕе lосаtіоnѕ.
Stop Saving Activity
You саn соntrоl most of thе information thаt’ѕ ѕаvеd in Mу Aсtіvіtу.
- Stор ѕаvіng activity соmрlеtеlу
To рrеvеnt уоur ѕеаrсhеѕ, brоwѕіng history, аnd mоѕt оthеr activity frоm bеіng ѕаvеd іn my асtіvіtу, gо tо асtіvіtу соntrоlѕ, уоu might need tо ѕіgn іn tо your Gооglе Account. Nеxt to the activity уоu dоn’t want tо ѕаvе, turn оff thе ѕwіtсh. Tо соnfіrm, ѕеlесt Pаuѕе.
- Stор ѕаvіng activity tеmроrаrіlу
If уоu оссаѕіоnаllу want tо рrеvеnt асtіvіtу frоm being ѕаvеd tо your ассоunt, you саn search аnd brоwѕе thе web рrіvаtеlу. Dоn’t sign in to уоur Google Aссоunt іn thе рrіvаtе window.
Google Chrome
When you are using the internet, safety while surfing and privacy are two of the most crucial aspects of web browsing for the users. When using web browsers, your activity is logged in a certain part of your web browser for easy access in the future. However, sometimes users wish to keep their surfing data private.
Google chrome makes it easy for you to erase your browsing data in some quick and simple steps. It has a browsing data interface which provides you with the options to remove some information: cookies, history, and cache in specific time intervals. Your browsing stored information includes data in the form of a list, which shows which websites you have visited recently, in the past, and even since the first time you ever used Chrome in the smartphone, tablet or computer.
Also, you can choose to clear history of the files you download using Chrome. But be careful, this will erase these downloads forever. Let’s see how it’s done, through the following step by step guide.
It gives you the option to remove all or some of your historical data after the browsing session. Remember that if your account is signed in from more than one device, whatever activity you do in one device will affect your settings on the other devices as well.
Let’s see how to do it.
- On the right hand corner of your toolbar on your Chrome Browser, click on the menu icon.
- Select Tools.
- In the following window, click on “Clear browsing data”.
- In the window which appears, check the “Clear browsing history” box (also you will have to select “download history” if you wish to clear your most recent downloads stored data).
- Using the top menu, decide on a time frame of which you want to erase data of. You can choose between given time slots, or choose “the beginning of time”, which we will do for the sake of this example.
- Click on “Clear browsing data” at the bottom
Keep in mind that when you choose to clear browsing data (as seen in previous image), certain information will be permanently deleted, including:
- Websites stored.
- Cached text of your visited pages.
- Saved content, such as images which you have opened in new tabs.
- Prior IP addresses which have been previously gathered from other pages which you have visited.
To delete an item, you can follow the steps below:
- Click on History by first clicking on the More tab located on the top right of the browser.
- Click on the box next to the items you prefer to delete.
- Then click on Delete located at the top right of the screen
- Next, click on Remove to confirm the delete action.
You can also remove images the sites you visit, open a new tab and point to the image you want to remove, after which you should click on Remove.
You can browse privately without the device saving the websites you visit; this is possible by browsing with incognito mode.
One of the easiest ways to prevent Google or any search engine from saving your search history is to use Chrome Incognito Mode on your Android and other devices. It is a private browsing mode that does not track everything you do. Your ISP and websites you visit are traceable, but all data is wiped out when you exit the mode.
Android
Google collects information about your browsing habits and search histories also in your phone. It allows the search engine to deliver personalized search suggestions, helping you to work faster. You can disable or erase search histories, but Google Search app as well as Chrome Browser enable the features by default. In Android, every time you tap the search bar, there will be a list of your previous searches as a drop-down list. If you want to repeat the same search as you did this morning, for example, all you need to do is tap the right queries in the list. Some users actually want to keep those searches private, and luckily Google gives you many options to do that.
Clear Partial
Removing previous queries from the search bar is easy; it does not actually delete your browsing history, but this is enough for some users. Here is how to do it:
- As you tap the search bar (or a Google Search Icon if you are in landscape mode), a drop-down list of previous history will come up.
- The list is filled with the last few search queries you used in the previous search.
- If you touch and hold any of them, a pop-up dialog box appears to give you option to either delete or keep it.
Make sure your Google Search app is up to date to use this feature. Please put in mind that this method only removes the search queries from appearing the next time you use the search bar. Google will keep collecting your browsing and search data afterwards, unless you change the settings.
Clear Complete
For the more complete removal of searches, even those from several months ago, you need to navigate deeper in Google account setting. At the end of these steps you will delete google history all at once.
- Sign-in to your Google account. Use a browser on your Android device to sign-in and access your account preferences.
- Once logged-in, you will be redirected to Google Homepage. At the bottom of the homepage, you will see “Setting” button.
- Click/tap the button to see some options including “History” or “Manage”. Either of them will do.
- Now you will be taken to a page where you can configure website activity including search history.
- A complete list of searches will be displayed. Each has a check box in front of it.
- Choose the search queries you want to delete, or choose them all and hit the “Remove” button.
If you haven’t cleared searches in a long time, tapping all the check boxes is time-consuming. A simpler option is to tap the cog button below search bar to access the “Remove” button. You will be given some options to remove data from the past hour, past day, past week, past month, and all time. Select the “all time” option if you want to remove everything.
Stop
Once again, the previous method deletes only previous search histories, meaning Google still collects any activity information afterwards. If you don’t want to go through the same process repeatedly, you have the option to stop Google from storing the information as well. Use your Google Search App, and follow these instructions:
- Once you open Google Search app, you will see an icon made up from three horizontal short lines. Click on that to open menu and choose “Settings”.
- It will open a page where you can access “Accounts and Privacy” and more specifically Google Account History.
- Within this option, select “Web & App Activity”. There are many options available including YouTube Watch and Search History as well.
- Most (if not all) are turned on by default, indicated by ticked check boxes. Uncheck all the boxes you want to stop the search engine from collecting information about your activities.
Google prompts you to confirm the option you choose or if this is really something you want to do. Google does not actually say “stop” collecting information, but “pause” the history. Choose pause to compete the setup.
Permanently Delete Browsing History all at once
A good internet browser should allow you to clear your browsing data all at once. A lot of internet browsers are available today, and each of them has its specific measure of flexibility when it comes to deleting browsing history. Be that as it may, each of them makes provision for clearing or deleting browsing data.
Some browsers allow you to browse incognito, which means they will not store your visited pages while you are surfing the internet; not all internet browsers have this feature though. The method to be followed for deleting differs from one type of internet browser to another. Be that as it may, the method seems similar for both the mobile and desktop versions of these browsers; there may be one or two changes here and there.
Continue reading to find out how you can clear your browsing history on the major internet browsers available today.
Internet Explorer
- From the Menu, click on the Favourite button
- Next, click on the history tab, then choose how you want to view the history by choosing Filter from the Menu. The list of sites will then be presented to you
- You can then right-select any of the sites you want to delete if you prefer to delete just some of the history.
- Afterward, click on Delete
- If you are having Internet Explorer 10 or 11, click on the Tool button, then click on Safety, then click on Delete.
- In Internet Explorer 9, click on Tools, then on Internet Options, then click on Delete under the Browsing History.
- If you are browsing with Internet Explorer 8, on the other hand, click on the Safety menu, then click on Delete Browsing History, then click on Delete.
Also, you can set Internet Explorer to delete automatically each time you close the browser. This can be done via the steps below:
- Click on Delete Browsing History on Exit
- Then click on the box against Delete.
Edge
- Click on Hub
- Then select History
- Next, select Clear all history
- Then, select the particular type of data to delete. Afterward, press Clear.
Are you using Cortana and want to delete browsing history stored in the cloud?
- Then click on Change what Microsoft Edge knows about me in the cloud.
- Next, click on Clear browsing history
After this, the URL of the websites you have visited will be erased, along with the time and date in which you visited those sites. If you want, it can also delete your download history. The steps described above can also be used to delete your form data, passwords, media licenses, pop-up exceptions, cached data and files, cookies and saved website data, etc.
Mozilla
- First of all, visit the history panel on the browser.
- Then click on Clear browsing history, which can be found on the history panel
- Next, click on Ok for confirmation
The steps above will clear the entire browsing history. To clear specific items on your browsing history, follow the steps below
- Click on the Menu button. This can be located on the top-right or below the browsing screen on some devices
- Then, click on Settings. At times, you may need to click on More first.
- Afterward, click on Privacy, then Clear now.
- Next, you can mark the box against any of the items you want to clear off.
- Afterward, click on Clear data.
Aside from the methods described above, you can also erase items from Mozilla automatically; you can see the device to delete your browsing history immediately you close the browser. When you make such a setting, it will delete your saved password, search history, browsing history and bookmarks. Follow the steps below to do that
- Click on the Menu button; remember that it can be located at the top-right or lower part of the browser, depending on your device type.
- Next, click on Settings, which may require that you click on More first.
- Then, click on Privacy. Next, check the box next to “Always clear when quitting.”
- A pop-up box will show up, in which you can select the particular type of data or information you would like to get deleted each time you close your browser.
- Next, select Set. This way, Mozilla Firefox will delete your selected browsing history each time you close the browser.
Opera
Open the browser and click on Menu from the main window
- Then, click on Tools, and next History
- Next, a window will open; click on History
- Next, select Clear
- A window will pop-up containing information warning you that you are about to clear your browsing history; you will also be asked to confirm if you want to continue with the process.
- If so, press Yes, which will delete your browsing history
- While browsing, certain files might have been downloaded on your device too. You can also delete those files to free some memory space on your device. This method works for both mobile and desktop versions of Opera browser.
Safari
- First of all, launch the Safari browser on your device
- Look for the back and forward buttons on the toolbar, then tap and hold the back button
- This will bring up the entire browsing you have opened recently
- Next, click on the Bookmarks button, which can be found on the toolbar.
- Then, select the Bookmark icon located on the upper left corner of the browser
- Next, tap on the History menu, and this will bring up your entire search history from all the open tabs.
- On the History menu, click on Clear, then select those items you want to clear. You can decide to clear your data in the past 48 hours or one hour. You can also choose to clear all the recorded data.
YouTube
Another option is here where you can see how to view and clear Youtube Watch and Search History
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You may be interested in more about browsing history and search history here.