can't clear safari search history

Why Can’t I Clear My History on Safari? Solutions and Answers

• Safari allows you to clear your history for a certain length of time, or you can clear the whole thing.
• You may just need to restart your device to clear your history.
• Remember that the steps for iPhone and iPad will be roughly the same. 

If you’re having issues because you can’t clear your Safari history, know that a solution isn’t too far behind. I love using Safari for a great browsing experience, but I was recently unable to clear my history, which was giving me some problems. Fortunately, I discovered a solution to my problem. Let’s take a look at some troubleshooting steps and solutions. 

Why Is My Clear History Button Grey?

If your Clear History button is grey, the most likely reason is that you do not have any History to clear. However, you may also be experiencing a grey Clear History button due to certain Content & Privacy Restrictions within Screen Time being enabled. You can check on iPhone via Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps and ensure that Safari is enabled. Note, however, that this will require your password.

On Mac, you can disable Screen Time via System Settings > Screen Time>  Content & Privacy > Content Restrictions . Ensure Access to Web Content is set to  Unrestricted.  Of course, if you didn’t set up Screen Time in the first place, this likely isn’t your issue. Keep reading for further solutions.

How Do I Clear My Safari History and Cache?

1. how to clear your safari browser history.

If you need to clear your Safari history, you can check out our full guide here . However, note that on iOS, clearing your history is as easy as going to Settings >  Safari > Clear History and Website Data . For Mac, all you need to do is open Safari and select History > Clear History from the menu bar. With both Mac and iOS you are able to choose how much of your history you delete based on time. 

2. Disable iCloud Sync for Safari

If you’re still having issues clearing your Safari browsing history, it may just be that you need to disable iCloud sync for Safari. This default option shares your history and your reading lists across all your Apple devices. It may be the case that some history or content did not sync properly. 

Disable iCloud Sync iOS

Time needed:  2 minutes

If you need to disable iCloud Sync on iOS, follow these steps.

Disable iCloud Sync macOS

• From the Apple Menu, go to System Settings .
• Select [Your Name] .

3. Reset Network Settings (iOS Only)

If you are still looking for an effective solution to your clear history issue, you may want to consider resetting your network settings. 

• Go to the Settings app. 

4. Delete History Manually (Mac Only)

If you need to clear your Safari history on Mac and are having problems, remember you can delete your history manually. 

• While holding down the Command key, select the following items: History.db , History.db-lock , History.db.shm and History.db.wal . 

• Empty your Trash. 

Why Can’t I Clear History in Safari?

The most likely reason that you’re unable to clear your Safari history is that there is no history left to clear. However, if you’re having issues, look at basic things, such as restarting your Apple device or ensuring that Screen Time restrictions are not preventing you from clearing your history. You may also want to consider that iCloud Sync may prevent you from properly clearing your history. 

Being able to clear your entire history from Safari is incredibly useful. However, it’s only useful if it’s working correctly. Fortunately, solutions for your history clearing problems are rather easy, so there’s little to worry about. Not clearing your history can be a common issue for many users. However, a comprehensive solution is available.

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• Nick deCourville

4 Ways to Fix Unable to Clear History in Safari for iPhone

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he's a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

• Clearing your Safari browsing history can help erase your online activities, free up space, and troubleshoot temporary browser-related issues.
• Temporary glitches, Screen Time restrictions, and persistent cookies are among the reasons you may encounter difficulties clearing your Safari history on your iPhone.
• Consider restarting your iPhone to see if that resolves the issue.

Fix 1: Disable Web Content Restrictions

The Screen Time feature on your iPhone lets you apply content restrictions and block inappropriate websites . If you’ve previously enabled this feature, you may run into problems while clearing your Safari history. Hence, it’s best to remove any web content restrictions on your iPhone.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and tap on Screen Time .

Step 2: Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and select Content Restrictions from the following menu.

Step 3: Tap on Web Content and select the Unrestricted option.

Fix 2: Disable iCloud Sync for Safari

Enabling iCloud sync for Safari allows you to sync your browsing history, bookmarks, open tabs, and other data across your Apple devices. However, this sync feature can sometimes cause conflicts with Safari and hinder your ability to clear your browsing history.

To avoid this, temporarily disable iCloud sync for Safari using these steps:

Step 1: Open the Settings app, tap your Apple ID at the top, and select iCloud .

Step 2: Under Apps Using iCloud, select the Show All option. Turn off the toggle for Safari .

Fix 3: Temporarily Block Cookies in Safari

Safari saves cookies to remember your preferences, keep you logged in to websites, and improve your browsing experience. However, certain persistent cookies, specifically designed to remain on your device, may interfere with clearing your browsing data. To check for this, temporarily block cookies in Safari.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and scroll down to tap on Safari .

Step 2: Under Privacy & Security , turn on the toggle for Block All Cookies . Select Block All to confirm.

Fix 4: Reset Your iPhone

If you still can’t clear your browsing history in Safari, try resetting your iPhone . This will restore your iPhone’s settings to default without affecting your personal data. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on General .

Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Transfer or Reset iPhone .

Step 3: Tap Reset and select Reset All Settings from the menu. Enter your iPhone’s passcode when prompted and follow the on-screen instructions.

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Last updated on 30 April, 2024

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Why Can’t I Clear My History on Safari Mac

Clearing your browsing history can be beneficial for several reasons, including (but definitely not limited to) protecting your privacy and clearing some storage space on your Mac. But what can you do if you can’t clear your history on Safari on your Mac?

As an Apple computer tech, I’ve seen this issue come across my desk several times. The good news is that there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to get Safari working again and clear your history.

Let’s get to it.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Fix 1: clearing your history, fix 2: restart your mac, fix 3: update macos, fix 4: content restrictions, fix 5: turn off icloud syncing, fix 6: delete manually , fix 7: keep your mac free from junk, final thoughts.

• Typically, clearing the history for Safari is a very easy and streamlined process. Simply open the history menu and click Clear History . You can also try updating macOS and restarting your Mac in order to make Safari cooperate.
• Apple has (somewhat) recently added a content restriction feature that, if it is set with the right combination of settings, can prevent you from clearing your history. The Clear History option will appear grayed out. I’ll show you which settings to turn off when you need to clear your history. 
• iCloud Syncing with your other Safari-enabled devices can also create trouble when clearing your history. You can try to clear history, but all websites and cookies may not be removed .  We’ll show you how to turn off iCloud sharing in order to allow yourself to fully clear your history. 
• If all else fails, you can still manually clear your browsing history from Safari.

7 Fixes for When Safari Won’t Clear History

If you are finding that you are trying to clear your search history and you can’t seem to figure out why it isn’t working, I’m here to help! I will give you several reasons as to why your Safari history is not clearing and walk you through the ways to fix them.

First, in order to know that we are unable to clear our history on Safari, you need to know how to do so. Take the following steps:

With Safari Open, Click the History Menu at the top of your screen and hit Clear History from the drop-down menu.

In the pop-up, decide which time frame you would like to delete the history for: the last hour, today, yesterday, or even all of your history.

Click Clear History to confirm.

Your Safari may be frozen, hung up on a stuck process, or otherwise unable to access its own storage space. If this is the case, the easiest way to fix this is by restarting your Mac . 

Restarting your Mac allows for all the current processes that are running to stop and allows for the computer to access your Safari history again.

Using the Apple Menu, Click Restart.

Let your Mac restart automatically, then try clearing your history again. If that does not work, proceed to the next step.

Another reason why you may not be able to clear your history on Safari is that there could be a problem with the software. If that is the case, then updating macOS might be helpful because Safari is an application that is managed and updated through macOS. 

If Apple is aware of a specific problem and released a fix for it, then macOS will be your way to get it resolved. To update your system, take the following steps:

In the Apple Menu at the top of your screen, choose System Settings.

In the General tab on the left, Navigate to Software Update. If a software update is found, follow the onscreen instructions to complete the macOS update.

If you are attempting to clear your history using the instructions above, but the items appear “grayed out,” then you may have some content restrictions set up that do not allow you to clear your history. 

Content Restrictions are a relatively new feature on MacBooks, and one of the features restricts the ability to clear history . This is to provide higher safety for children and teens who may be using your Mac. 

To disable these content restrictions, take the following steps: 

In the Apple Menu, Select System Settings.

Navigate to Screen Time and Content & Privacy under the Restrictions Section.

If this is turned on, choose Content Restrictions.

The Access to Web Content setting being set to “Allowed Websites Only” appears to disallow the user from clearing the history for many people.

If you have children or teens using your MacBook and you choose to have these restrictions turned on, you will need to change it to Unrestricted Access or turn off the restrictions completely in order to clear your history.

If you do not have a need for restrictions, I recommend turning Content and Privacy off Completely.

Another feature that may cause interference in your ability to delete your history on Safari is iCloud Syncing. iCloud Syncing with Safari can be a very helpful tool, but can prevent your Mac from being able to delete your Safari history. 

By turning off iCloud Sync for Safari momentarily, you may be able to clear your history. To do this, take the following steps:

Using the Apple Menu, click on System Settings.

Next, choose your Name on the Left and select iCloud.

Under Apps Using iCloud, Choose Show All.

Finally, turn off iCloud for Safari by clicking on the blue switch. This will disallow Safari to sync over iCloud.

Attempt to clear your history again and, if desired, turn iCloud for Safari back on. 

Lastly, if all else fails, you can also try to delete your Safari history manually. Your Mac stores your history in 4 primary files, which are titled History.db, History.db-lock, History.db-shm, and History.db-wal. 

Note : You may not be able to see all 4 files—this is ok! You might not have all of them. You also don’t need to worry about replacing the files manually. When you delete these files, you are deleting the history, and the files will be recreated when you open Safari again. 

With Finder open, click Go from the menu at the top of your screen and select Go to Folder from the drop-down.

Type ~/Library/Safari to find the folder that contains the files for Safari history

Select the 4 files that are named “History” . Drag and Drop them into the trash. To select all 4 files at the same time, press the shift key and click on each file.

Voila! You should now have a clear browsing history on Safari.

If you want to prevent unexpected issues, such as not being able to clear your history on Safari, from happening again, you should keep your Mac’s software as optimized as possible . There are many ways to do this, but the most convenient way is to use a comprehensive Mac cleaner and maintenance suite.

One of my favorite apps for keeping an eye on the health of my Mac is CleanMyMac X . This app has tons of built-in features for making sure your Mac runs smoothly, such as a malware scanner, disk-space analyzer, and junk file removal tool.

Clearing out system junk, running optimization tasks, and freeing up disk space are activities that you should carry out at least occasionally. To do so, just download and install CleanMyMac X, and select one of the options from the left sidebar. If you’ve never scanned your computer before, a quick Smart Scan should reveal plenty of opportunities to clean things up.

Plus, when you’re not actively scanning, you still have a handy tray icon to keep an eye on your Mac’s health.

While not a free app, it does go a long way in preventing unforeseen issues and minor bugs in Safari and other built-in software. 

I have discussed several reasons why you may be unable to clear your history on the Safari application. Additionally, there are explanations as to how to fix all of these reasons and even an “if all else fails” solution. 

These items included restarting your Mac and updating macOS, but I also discussed things like content restrictions, iCloud syncing, and manually clearing history using Finder. Restarting your Mac and updating macOS are simpler tasks that can help reset any processes that are causing issues when you are trying to clear your history. 

Content restrictions and iCloud syncing are items that you can find in your settings that can also potentially conflict with your ability to clear Safari history. Lastly, manually clearing your history is a last-resort type of item that should work if the other items in this article do not. 

If you want to prevent issues like this from happening again, it is a good idea to keep your Mac clean and optimized with a program like CleanMyMac X . 

Which of these solutions worked for you? Did you learn anything about Safari that you did not know before?  Let us know in the comments!

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Fixed: Can’t Clear History in Safari on iPhone & iPad

Clearing your browsing history in Safari has many benefits, such as protecting your personal information and freeing up space to keep the browser running smoothly. However, you might have noticed that the Clear History and Website Data button is grayed out or that some websites are still there after your attempt. If you are wondering why you can't delete your Safari history, don't worry! We will explain why and provide solutions to fix the problem.

Disable Content & Privacy Restrictions

Unsync safari over icloud, delete all items in safari reading list, block cookies, restart, reset, or restore.

Content & Privacy Restrictions is a feature that sets up age limits and protects children from inappropriate content. This feature can prevent you from deleting your browsing data in Safari. Please read our article about Content & Privacy Restrictions . 

With iCloud, your browsing history is synced across all your Apple devices. As a result, it can occasionally lead to items reappearing in the browsing history of your iPhone or iPad. Here's how to stop Safari from syncing over iCloud.

If the tips mentioned above don't solve the issue, you will need to use basic troubleshooting solutions. First, restart your device. If that fails, reset your settings, and if that also fails, restore the device to factory settings. For reference, read our article that will guide you on how to do these basic troubleshooting solutions . 

If you found this article helpful, you may enjoy other troubleshooting articles, like what to do if your Apple Watch steps are not accurate , and what to do when iPhone calls are going straight to voicemail . 

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How to clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad

Clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad in a few simple steps

You'll definitely want to know how to clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad . Know how to delete browsing history is part of basic user operation on all your devices, and is especially if you share devices with others. 

Luckily, deleting browsing history on Safari is easy and can be done in just a few taps, and is the same on iOS and iPadOS, so whether you're using an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPad Air , these steps will apply.

Remember, though, that deleting your browsing history only stops your activity being visible on that device. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will still be able to see the webpages you have visited. If you want to stop that, for ultimate privacy, you'll need to use one of the best VPN services .

The following screenshots were taken on an iPhone running iOS 17 . If you aren't running the latest version of your device's OS, we can show you how to update an iPhone or how to update an iPad .

• In Safari, tap the book icon
• Go to the history tab (clock)
• Select how far back to clear

Read on to see full illustrated instructions.

1. In Safari, tap the book icon

Firstly, open Safari and tap the book icon in the bottom bar.

2. Select the history tab (clock icon) and tap Clear

Now select the history tab (clock icon) and tap Clear at the bottom.

3. Select how far back to clear and tap Delete

Now choose how far back you'd like to delete : last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time.

If you like, you can toggle on Close All Tabs , which will close every open tab that isn't in a tab group (we can show you how to use tab groups if you aren't sure).

Finally, when you're happy, hit Delete .

As you can see in the screenshot above, if you now go back to the history tab, your history will have been deleted.

For more iPhone tutorials, check out our guides on how to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone , how to clear RAM on iPhone , how to delete multiple contacts on iPhone and how to rearrange the iOS 17 Messages '+' menu .

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You’ve been surfing Safari for a while, and you want to clear your history. In many cases, clearing your history data helps fix loading issues with certain websites.

But if the option “Clear History and Website Data” is grayed out in Safari, here are a few quick solutions to the problem.

Before you begin: Note that this option will be gray if there’s no current browsing history or web data. After you visit a site, the option will become blue and usable. If you regularly use Safari and still find the delete history option unusable, on the other hand, take a look at the solutions in this guide.

Why is Clear History grayed out on my iPhone?

There are a number of reasons this option may be grayed out for you. As we previously mentioned, if you haven’t browsed any sites yet, or recently cleared your data and forgot, the option will be gray.

The culprit can also be hidden somewhere in your settings, like Screen Time Restrictions. If this sounds like it may apply to you, read on for the solution.

Safari’s Clear History and Website Data may also simply be grayed out due to a bug. Go through the other main solutions first; if they don’t yield any results, it’s likely a software hiccup. If that’s the case, we have a fix ready and waiting.

Now, let’s get into the solutions.

• Disable Screen Time Restrictions
• Restart your iPhone

Other workarounds to fix Safari Clear History option grayed out

• Reset All Settings on iPhone

1. Disable Screen Time Restrictions

If you use Screen Time to enable limited web access, the option for Clear History and Website Data will be grayed out. Here’s how to disable it.

• Open Settings and tap Screen Time . Enter your passcode if asked.

• Or tap Content Restrictions .

Now, go back to the first Settings screen, tap Safari , and you will find that Clear History and Website Data is no longer grayed out. It’ll be blue, and you can tap it.

2. Restart your iPhone

The above solution fixes this issue in almost all cases. But in the rare situation, it doesn’t, and Safari’s clear history button is still grayed out (or if you didn’t have Screen Time enabled in the first place), restarting your iPhone or iPad is the next go-to fix.

Use the physical buttons on your device to turn it off. You can also do the same via Settings → General → Shut Down . After a few seconds, turn your iPhone back on.

Note : If a simple restart fails, consider force restarting the device .

Is Clear History and Website Data still grayed out? Time to move on to other workarounds.

Apart from the above two sure-fire fixes, some additional tips have worked for a small subset of iPhone users. Let’s look over them briefly, then, check if Clear History and Website Data is still grayed out. Once you’re done, you can re-enable these options.

• Turn off Safari iCloud Sync : Open Settings → your name from the top → iCloud → switch off the toggle for Safari.
• Clear Safari Reading List : We’ve covered how to clear your Safari Reading List here .
• Block Cookies : Inside Settings, tap Safari and turn on the toggle for Block All Cookies. Note : Many websites won’t work as intended when this is enabled. Make sure to turn it back off after you check the clear history button.
• Delete Website Data from Advanced pane : You can also choose to delete website history by launching Settings → Safari → Advanced → Website Data → Remove All Website Data. (Or, tap Edit and delete the data for any desired websites.)

If nothing has worked so far, it’s time to move to more involved measures.

4. Reset All Settings on iPhone

This will erase all the settings you have altered or added. This includes Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices, Keyboard settings, VPN configurations, etc.

However, personal data like applications, music, images, videos, etc., will remain as is. Still, it’s always wise to back up your iPhone first before a reset of this nature.

Open Settings → General → Reset → Reset All Settings → enter your iPhone passcode if asked and confirm. To read a more involved guide, see our article on the topic .

After the process completes, there’s a very good chance you’ll be able to clear your Safari history and web data.

These are the most effective ways to clear Safari History and Website Data successfully. Did any of the solutions work for you? Let us know in the comments.

In case you’re interested, we’ve put together a list of some other third-party browsers that you may want to use in place of Safari. Or, you can even look into changing the default browser on iPhone and iPad .

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How to clear browsing history on Safari on iPhone or Mac

You can clear your Safari browsing history on both iOS and Mac

As tracking goes, Safari keeping your browsing history is less about privacy-busting security and more about just being useful. It's your history that means Safari remembers where to go to when you choose forward and back within a site, for instance.

It's also how Safari is able to offer you a list of sites that you regularly go to, on account of how handy it is to be able to back to them with a click. History also does keep things you may not expect, though, such as a list of items you've downloaded.

If you don't want that, though, or you're just fed up of Safari going to site addresses you haven't looked at in years, you can wipe the whole browsing history.

On a Mac, you can also wipe, for instance, just the last hour's browsing history. So if you share Safari and it's someone's special birthday coming up, you can avoid them inadvertently finding out you plan to surprise them with dance lessons.

How to clear search history on Safari on Mac

• In Safari, choose the History menu
• Select Clear History from the very bottom of the menu
• In the dialog box that appears, choose from clearing the last hour , today , today and yesterday , or all history
• Click on Clear History

Alternatively, within Safari you can press Command-Y and the current page will be replaced by a history list. There's a Clear History... button toward the top right.

Clicking on that gives you exactly the same dialog about choosing how far back you want to clear your browsing history. But this page does also give you one extra option — the ability to delete one specific item.

How to clear one item from Safari search history on Mac

• In Safari, press Command-Y
• From the long list, click once on a history item to select it
• Right-click to bring up a menu, then choose Delete

Alternatively, if you select one, two, or more items in the history list, you can then press the Delete key to remove them all.

That kind of precision removal is only possible on your Mac, not on iOS . However, whether it's precision or wholesale clearing of your history, though, there is a way to replicate it on iOS.

If you have set iCloud to share your Safari history, then just doing this on your Mac also removes the history from your iPhone, and iPad.

Otherwise, you're stuck with going to your iOS device. And then with clearing the entire history.

How to clear search history on iPhone

• Go to Settings on your iOS device
• Tap on Safari
• Scroll down to Clear History and Website Data
• Tap that, then tap Clear History and Data to confirm

One important thing to note is that you can't selectively remove, say, today's browsing history on the iPhone or iPad . It's all or nothing, with iOS.

What you leave behind

Clearing your history like this does remove the list of sites and pages you've visited. It does mean you can't go back to that site you read last Tuesday, not without remembering what it was and going there yourself.

What it doesn't remove, though, is the information that gets used by something like AutoFill. If you have your address, for instance, and you're used to online forms being filled out with it, you've still got that feature.

You've also still got anything you downloaded. It's purely that Safari won't keep the list of downloads.

Keep up with AppleInsider by downloading the AppleInsider app for iOS, and follow us on YouTube , Twitter @appleinsider and Facebook for live, late-breaking coverage. You can also check out our official Instagram account for exclusive photos.

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Clear your browsing history

You can remove all records that Safari keeps of where you’ve browsed during a period of time you choose. If your Mac and your other devices have the iCloud Safari feature turned on, your browsing history is removed from all of them. Clearing your browsing history in Safari doesn’t clear any browsing histories kept independently by websites you visited.

Open Safari for me

Choose History > Clear History and Website Data, then click the pop-up menu and choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared.

When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including:

History of webpages you visited

The back and forward list for open webpages

Top Sites that aren’t marked as permanent

Frequently visited site list

Cookies and website data saved while visiting webpages

Recent searches

Icons for open webpages

Snapshots saved for open webpages

List of items you downloaded (downloaded files aren’t removed)

Websites added for Quick Website Search

Websites that asked to use your location

Websites that asked to send you notifications

Websites with plug-in content you started by clicking a Safari Power Saver notice

Responses to requests to let websites use WebGL

How-To Geek

How to clear safari's browsing history and cookies on macos.

To clear your history on Safari, click the "History" button at the top, then select "Clear History.

Quick Links

How to delete your browsing history in safari, how to automatically delete your browsing history on safari, how to clear your cookies on safari, key takeaways.

To clear your history on Safari, click the "History" button at the top, then select "Clear History." You can also set Safari to clear your browsing history automatically by going to Preferences > General, then set "Remove History Items" to the time frame you want.

You may not have anything to hide when we surf the Internet, but you still may want to clear your history every now and then. Here's how you can clear your browsing history in Safari on MacOS.

On Safari, all you do is click the "History" button at the top of the screen then select "Clear History" at the bottom of the list.

Once you do this, you will be given a choice: you can select "the last hour," "today," "today and yesterday," and "all history" from a drop-down menu. Once you've decided, click the "Clear History" button and the history will be clear per your preference.

If you simply want to clear part of your history, you can click "Show History" ("Command + Y").

Click on the site or use the "Command" key to select several sites, then press the "Delete" key. You can also click "Clear History" in the upper right corner to remove everything all at once.

You can also right-click a history entry to delete it.

Related: How to Clear History, Cache, and Cookies in Safari on iPhone or iPad

You can also set Safari to automatically clear your history every so often. When you open up the Safari preference ("Command + ,"), click the "General" tab, and select the "Remove History items" option.

You can decide when or if your history is automatically deleted after one day, one week, two weeks, one month, one year, or you can keep your history indefinitely by selecting the manual option.

To clear cookies in Safari, while you're in Safari's preferences, click on the "Privacy" tab and click "Manage Website Data."

On this page, you will see all the cookies stored on your Mac. You can right-click a specific cookie and select "Delete" to remove it, or you can hold the "Command" button and select several at once.

If you want to remove all of your cookies, click "Remove All" at the bottom of the window.

You will be asked to confirm you want to "remove all data stored by websites on your computer."

Keep in mind that, if you do this, any websites you might have personalized will be removed, and you will be logged out of all websites (though it should be easy to log back in if you've saved your username and password).

Related: How to Block Third-Party Cookies in Every Web Browser

Clearing your history and cookies isn't necessarily sneaky. It's good to be privacy-conscious because there are often times when someone will ask to use your computer for a minute. You may not be looking at anything untoward or scandalous, but then again, you don't necessarily want just anyone knowing what you've been looking at or reading.

How To Clear History On Safari With Restrictions On

Are you looking for a way to clear your Safari history with restrictions on? Whether you’re trying to protect your privacy, or just want to start fresh, it’s important to know how to wipe your browser history clean.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how to clear your Safari history and website data with restrictions. We’ll discuss what restrictions are, how they work, and why they can be useful. Plus, we’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to stop syncing Safari over iCloud and erase Safari history for each device.

What are Restrictions? Restrictions are settings that allow you to limit what content can be accessed on an iPhone or iPad. You can control access to websites, apps, music, and more through the Content & Privacy Restrictions section in Screen Time. By enabling these restrictions, parents can ensure their kids aren’t exposed to potentially harmful content when browsing the web.

Why Clear Your Safari History With Restrictions On? Clearing your Safari history is important for protecting your privacy online. Your web browser stores cookies from visited websites and other information about your browsing activity. This data can be used by advertisers and tech companies to target you with ads or build a profile of your online behavior. By clearing this data regularly, you can help protect yourself from potential privacy invasions.

How To Stop Syncing Safari Over iCloud And Erase History With Restrictions On: 1) Go To Settings > Apple ID Profile > iCloud > Toggle Safari Off Start by going into the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap the Apple ID Profile button at the top of the screen. From there, select iCloud and turn off the toggle switch next to Safari in order to stop it from syncing over iCloud. If necessary, turn it back on again before turning it off once more in order for changes to take effect across all connected devices. 2) Erase Safari History For Each Device: Once syncing has been stopped across all devices, return to the Settings app and go into Screen Time under Content & Privacy Restrictions. Here you will find an option labeled “Erase All Website Data” which will delete all stored cookies and website data associated with Safari on that particular device. Make sure this setting is greyed out before moving onto another device as this means there is no longer any history or website data left to clear.

By following these steps, you will be able to erase all traces of your browsing activity while still having restrictions enabled in order to safeguard against unwanted content while using Safari on iOS devices like iPhones or iPads!

Clearing Search History on Safari When It Won’t Let You

Clearing search history on Safari can sometimes be tricky, but it’s possible. First, try restarting your device. If that doesn’t work, you can try the following steps: 1. Open the Settings app and locate Safari in the list of apps. 2. Tap ‘Clear History and Website Data’. 3. Confirm by tapping ‘Clear’ when prompted. 4. Return to the Settings app and select ‘Reset Network Settings’. This will clear any stored data related to networks or websites that may be causing the issue. 5. Finally, restart your device again and launch Safari to see if this has fixed the issue with clearing the search history.

Why Is the ‘Clear History’ Option Greyed Out in Safari on iPhone?

Clear history in Safari on iPhone can become greyed out when there is no existing history or website data to clear. It can also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in the Screen Time feature.

Forcing Clear Browsing History

To force clear your browsing history, you can open Chrome on your computer. At the top right, click More and then select More tools. From there, select Clear browsing data. At the top, you can choose a time range to delete specific items or select All time to delete everything. Make sure to check the boxes next to “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files” before clicking Clear data. This will force clear your browsing history so that all of your past visits to websites are removed from your computer.

Forcing the Deletion of Search History

To force delete your search history, you’ll need to open the browser’s settings menu. In most browsers, this can be done by clicking the Menu icon in the top right corner of the window. From there, select ‘History’ or ‘Clear Browsing Data’. You will then be presented with a list of options for clearing your browsing data. Make sure to check ‘Clear Search History’ and any other data you would like to delete, then click ‘Clear Data’. Depending on your browser, you may need to confirm this action or wait a few moments for the process to complete. Once finished, your search history should have been cleared.

Turning Off Restrictions on an iPhone

To turn off restrictions on your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap on General. Under General, you’ll see an option for Restrictions. Tap on this option to access the restrictions settings. Here, you can toggle off the switch beside “Enable Restrictions” to disable any restrictions you may have previously enabled. You may be asked to enter your Passcode or FaceID in order to complete this process. Once you’ve done so, any previously enabled restrictions will be disabled and you can access all of your phone’s features as normal.

Clearing Greyed Out iPhone History

If you’re using Screen Time to enable limited web access, you may find that the option for Clear History and Website Data is greyed out. To resolve this issue, there are a few steps you can take. First, try restarting your iPhone. This should fix the problem in most cases. If that doesn’t work, then you can try resetting all settings on your iPhone. Keep in mind that this will erase any settings you have altered or added so make sure to back up any important information before proceeding. If neither of these solutions works, then contact Apple Support for further help.

Turning Off Web Restrictions on an iPhone

To turn off web restrictions on your iPhone, go to Settings and tap Screen Time. Enter your Screen Time passcode, then tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Next, tap Content Restrictions and select Web Content. Finally, choose Unrestricted Access to completely turn off web restrictions.

Safari is a great browser for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. It gives users access to a variety of helpful features like iCloud syncing, web content restrictions, and the ability to clear browsing history. To ensure the security and privacy of your data, it’s important to stop syncing Safari over iCloud on all devices and erase any existing Safari history for each device. By taking these steps you can be sure that your private data is secure.

Related posts:

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2 Easy Ways to Check Your Safari Search History

Last Updated: May 21, 2024 Fact Checked

Using iPhone

Using macos.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon . Hannah Dillon is a Technology Writer and Editor at wikiHow. She graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from North Dakota State University in 2013 and has since worked in the video game industry as well as a few newspapers. From a young age Hannah has cultivated a love for writing and technology, and hopes to use these passions in tandem to help others in the articles she writes for wikiHow. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 162,106 times. Learn more...

Do you need to check your Safari browser history? In a few simple steps, you can easily view all the websites you accessed in the past. You can also search for specific websites in your history and clear any website data you don't want. This wikiHow will teach you how to view and delete your Safari history on iPhone, iPad, and macOS.

Things You Should Know

• On iPhone, you can click the book icon, then the clock icon to find your Safari history.
• On macOS, you can click the "History" tab, then "Show History".
• You can search for specific websites and clear your history data.

• If needed, you can change your General Settings .

• If you're signed in with the same Apple ID to you use to log into your Mac, your Mac's Safari history will appear in this list as well.

• You may have to swipe down on the History page to find it.
• The results will load as you type.

• You can also swipe left on individual websites in your history, then click Delete .

• Be sure to update Safari.

• If you're logged into the computer with the same Apple ID you use on your iPhone or iPad, you'll also see sites you've visited on those devices.

• A list of matching results from your history will appear. Click a site to load it in Safari.

• Select a time frame from the drop-down menu, then click Clear History .
• You can also delete cookies from Safari .

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/search-your-browsing-history-ibrw1114/mac
• ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201265

About This Article

iPhone/iPad: 1. Open Safari . 2. Tap the book icon. 3. Tap the clock button. macOS: 1. Open Safari . 2. Click History . 3. Click Show All History . Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Clear the history, cache and cookies from Safari on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch

Find out how to delete your history, cookies and cache in Settings.

Delete your history, cache and cookies

Clear your cookies and the cache, but keep your history

Delete a website from your history, block cookies, use content blockers, delete history, cache and cookies.

Go to Settings > Safari.

Tap Clear History and Website Data.

Clearing your history, cookies and browsing data from Safari won't change your AutoFill information.

When there’s no history or website data to be cleared, the button to clear it will turn grey. The button may also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

To visit sites without leaving history, turn Private Browsing on .

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.

Tap Remove All Website Data.

When there’s no website data to be cleared, the button to clear it will turn grey. The button may also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time .

Open the Safari app.

Tap the Edit button, then select the website(s) that you want to delete from your history.

Tap the Delete button.

A cookie is a piece of data that a site puts on your device so that site can remember you when you visit again.

To block cookies:

Go to Settings > Safari > Advanced.

Turn on Block All Cookies.

If you block cookies, some web pages may not work. Here are some examples:

You'll likely not be able to sign in to a site even when using your correct user name and password.

You may see a message that cookies are required or that your browser's cookies are turned off.

Some features on a site may not work.

Content blockers are third-party apps and extensions that let Safari block cookies, images, resources, pop-ups and other content.

To get a content blocker:

Download a content blocking app from the App Store.

Tap Settings > Safari > Extensions.

Tap to turn on a listed content blocker.

You can use more than one content blocker. If you need help, contact the app developer .

Information about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, performance or use of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Related topics

Contact Apple Support

Need more help? Save time by starting your support request online and we'll connect you to an expert.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

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How to Clear Your Browser’s Cache, and Why You Should

Every web browser has what's called a cache: a temporary storage space for web pages that syncs online content to your computer or mobile device. This syncing is designed to help websites load up faster and put less strain on your internet bandwidth.

It's a good idea, and it works well most of the time, which is why every browser does it. However, it can cause problems. By its very nature, cached content can fall out of date. Browsers will try to ensure this doesn't happen, but it can, and that might mean you're looking at information, links, and images that are no longer accurate or relevant.

What's more, discrepancies between cached content and what's actually on the internet can also cause all kinds of weird bugs, like pages not loading properly or web apps not functioning.

Cached content can also represent a security vulnerability. Data stored on your computer about the websites you've visited can tell a story of your online activity—and while it would require physical access to your computer and a skilled hacker to find it, it's a possibility.

For all these reasons, you might want to regularly clear out cached pages. Clearing the cache effectively resets the browser's relationship to the webpage, and it can often fix problems with a site.

Note that cached files are different than cookies . Cookies are bits of information saved by websites that tell them details about who you are and where you're located—so you don't have to log in every time you visit Gmail, for example. The cache holds different information, like images and page furniture.

There are reasons to clear your browser's cookies too, but we're going to focus on the cache here. This is how to do the job no matter what browser you're using.

Google Chrome

Clearing the cache in Google Chrome.

In Chrome on the desktop, click the three dots (top right), then Settings . Open up the Privacy and security tab, click Clear browsing data , and then select Cached images and files under the Basic tab.

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The drop-down menu up at the top lets you choose the time range for the cache clear out—anything from the last hour to all time. (You'll be shown how much data is in the cache in each case.) When you're ready, click Clear data to confirm the action.

It's a similar process if you're using Chrome for Android or iOS. Tap the three dots (top right on Android, bottom right on iOS), then Settings and Privacy and security . Choose Clear browsing data to find the Cached images and files option.

Mozilla Firefox

Emptying the cache in Firefox takes a couple of clicks.

Over on Firefox for the desktop, click the menu button (three horizontal lines, top right), then choose Settings . The options you need can be found on the Privacy & Security tab by clicking on Clear Data .

The next tab shows you how much data is stored in the cache, which here is referred to as Cached Web Content . Make sure this checkbox is selected, then click Clear to wipe everything currently in the cache.

With Firefox on mobile, the menu button is the three dots up in the top right corner (Android) or the three lines in the bottom right corner (iOS). Tap this button and Settings , then Delete browsing data (Android) or Data Management (iOS) to clear the cache.

Microsoft Edge

Edge will tell you how much data is in the cache.

If Edge is your browser of choice, on the desktop you click the three dots (top right), then Settings , and then open up the Privacy, search, and services tab. Click Choose what to clear next to Clear browsing data now .

Make sure the option for Cached images and files is checked on the next dialog, and choose the time range you want covered in the drop-down menu (from Last hour to All time ). Click Clear now to confirm and empty the cache.

If you're using Edge on Android or iOS, tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner, then Settings , then Privacy and security , and Clear browsing data . You'll see the Cached images and files checkbox on the next screen.

Apple Safari

Safari deals with the cache and cookies together.

When it comes to Safari on macOS, you don't get quite as much control: Cached data and cookies are combined together in one pile, so you have to clear both or neither. Pick Settings from the Safari menu, open the Privacy tab, and click Manage Website Data .

All of the sites that have stored data on your computer are listed, together with the type of data—cache, cookies, or both. Select a website and click Remove to delete the data for that website; to wipe all local data from all websites, click Remove All .

For Safari on iOS and iPadOS, open the main Settings screen, then tap Safari , Advanced , and Website Data . Tap Remove All Website Data to erase everything, or choose Edit then tap the red delete button next to a site to wipe the cookies and cache for that specific site.

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Disable "clear history" from safari?

I want to disable the "clear history" feature from my iPhone. How can I do this?

I have an iPhone SE. Thanks

iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Posted on Aug 29, 2023 5:06 AM

Posted on Aug 29, 2023 9:42 AM

The short answer is it can't be done, but it might help if you were to explain your need to do that. For example, perhaps Private Browsing will meet your requirements: Browse privately in Safari on iPhone - Apple Support

When you use Private Browsing, "Safari won't remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information." — Turn Private Browsing on or off on your iPhone - Apple Support

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Aug 29, 2023 9:42 AM in response to auldsport

Aug 29, 2023 12:16 PM in response to John Galt

I have one device, and it is shared among three. Two of the three are minors and they keep deleting history to hide whatever they are up to and it is screwing up my saved settings on my phone. Here is a silly example - it clears my history from Wordle and I can't see how many 3s I have accumulated :) - I am glad for wordle because that is how it came to my attention. I do not wish to deprive them of any device use, but my entreaties to stop deleting history have gone unheeded. I have limit adult content set up on my phone already, so either it doesn't work or they are hiding something that doesn't count as adult content. Luckily they don't know about private browsing.

Aug 29, 2023 1:28 PM in response to auldsport

auldsport wrote:

I have one device, and it is shared among three.

You are asking for trouble by doing that. Do not share your Apple ID. One person = one Apple ID:

Make sure that each family member has a unique Apple ID - Apple Support

Keep Apple IDs separate from one another. From https://appleid.apple.com/faq:

Can I share an Apple ID with someone else?

Your Apple ID should not be shared with anyone else.

There is no need to deprive anyone of anything. Use Family Sharing: Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support

Aug 29, 2023 3:53 PM in response to John Galt

Oh well, two more devices are not in the cards so they have to share mine for now.

Aug 29, 2023 5:32 PM in response to auldsport

There's alway another birthday coming up.