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Safari Clear History and Data grayed out on iPhone? 4 Fixes!

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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Marcus Mears III is a lifelong technology enthusiast with half a decade of experience developing prose that keeps readers in the know. With hundreds of reviews, buying guides, and how-to explainers across a number of tech and lifestyle publications like How-To Geek, MakeUseOf, and iGeeksBlog, Mears’ work helps readers around the globe learn to make the most of their devices and software. He uses a 2016 MacBook Pro as his daily driver laptop and a self-built Windows PC for gaming and productivity.

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Technology Simplified.

Clear History & Data Grayed Out in Safari on iPhone

By: Waseem Patwegar | Filed Under: iOS

It can be perplexing not being able to clear browsing history on iPhone due to “Clear History and Website Data” option being grayed-out on iPhone.

When this issue was reported by a user in a popular forum, some people responded by asking “What were you browsing last night”?

I spent over 2 hrs. last night trying to delete my browser history in safari, how can I delete it?? The clear history option in settings is grayed out and will not function, anyone? Help? – David126 on Macrumours

The frustration expressed by this user is understandable, considering the fact that in certain cases the solution to this issue lies in the most unlikely place.

Reason for Clear History & Website Data Being Grayed Out on iPhone

While it is possible for Clear History Option on iPhone to be greyed out due to a bug in Safari browser or other reasons, the most common reason for this issue is due to certain Web content being restricted on your iPhone.

Yes you heard it right, the mind boggling reason for iPhone preventing you from clearing your browsing history is due to certain type of web content being bocked on your device.

Who would assume, guess or imagine that blocking Adult Content or blocking certain websites could make the option to “Delete Website History and Data” greyed out or inaccessible on your iPhone?

Hence, disabling Web Content Restrictions should fix the problem in most cases. If this does not help, you can move to the next step as provided below.

1. Disable Web Content Restrictions on iPhone

In most cases, all that is required to enable the option to Clear History and Website Data on iPhone is to remove the restrictions placed on Adult Content or certain websites on your iPhone.

1. Open Settings > scroll down a bit and tap on Screen Time .

2. Enter Password (if prompted) > On the next screen, scroll down and tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions .

3. From the Restrictions screen, go to Content Restrictions > Web Content > select Unrestricted Access option on the next screen.

After this, go back to Settings > Safari > scroll down to to end of “Privacy & Security” section and you will find “ Clear History and Website Data ” option enabled back on your device.

Once the option to Clear History & Website Data is available, you will be able to Clear your browsing history at any time on your device by tapping on this option.

After clearing browsing history, you can go back and enable the restrictions on Adult Content and block websites on your device (as it was before).

2. Reset All Settings

If the above method did not help, Reset all the Settings on your device to Factory Default Settings and this should fix the problem.

1. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > select the Reset option.

2. On the pop-up, select Reset All Settings option.

3. Patiently wait for the Reset process to be completed.

Note: The Reset process does not delete any data from your device, it removes all the current Settings on your device.

• How to Delete “Documents and Data” on iPhone and iPad
• How to Automatically Clear History in Safari on Mac

We explain and teach technology, solve tech problems and help you make gadget buying decisions.

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

• 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 all 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 from the following menu.

Step 2: Under Apps Using iCloud, select the Show All option. Toggle off the switch next to 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 possibility, you can temporarily block cookies in Safari.

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

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

Fix 4: Reset Your iPhone

If you are still unable to clear your browsing history in Safari, you can try resetting your iPhone . This will restore your iPhone’s settings to default values without affecting your personal data. Here’s how you can go about 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 that appears.

Was this helpful?

Last updated on 18 April, 2024

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The article above may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. The content remains unbiased and authentic and will never affect our editorial integrity.

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Pankil Shah

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer from Ahmedabad, India. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides on Android, iOS, Windows, and the Web at Guiding Tech. When time permits, he also writes at MakeUseOf and Techwiser. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he's a disciplined footfall fan and continues to plan his international travels with his wife.

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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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[9 Methods] How to Fix “Clear Safari History Greyed Out”

How to do when clear history greyed out in safari on iOS devices. Some effective methods are recommended to you to troubleshoot this problem.

Turn Off Screen Time Restrictions

Restart your device, stop syncing safari over icloud, update your devices, reset network settings (only for ios devices).

• Clear Safari history with restrictions (only for iOS devices)

Delete via Finder (only for Mac)

Automatically clear history in safari (only for mac), why is clear history greyed out in safari.

After surfing Safari for a while, you may need to clear browsing history on iPhone . The clearing usually helps fix loading issues with certain websites. But there are times “clear Safari history greyed out” occurs, why does it happen?

When the button greyed out, probably because you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time.

Many users block access to some websites in Safari by enabling the “ Restrictions ” tab under “ General ” in the “ Settings ” app. The most likely option that may have been selected is the “ Limit Adult Content ” button within the “ Restrictions ”.

The option means to keep children from being able to gain access to certain sites when the content is not suitable. Why is clear history greyed out in Safari? This may be the main reason for the vast majority of iOS users.

Sometimes, there may be another reason cause clear history button greyed out in Safari on Mac and iOS devices, that’s Screen Time. Therefore, you must make sure that Screen Time isn’t preventing you from clearing your Safari history and web page data first.

What to do when iPhone/Mac clear Safari history greyed out?

For the said issue, we will give you some tips to tackle the problem. And you can choose the most suitable way according to your preference.

Screen Time is a feature on iOS and macOS that allows you to monitor and control your device usage habits. It also offers content restrictions that can keep from clearing the browser’s history.

How to disable screen time restrictions on iPhone/iPad/Mac when the button greyed out? Let’s read on!

Disable Screen Time Restrictions on iPhone & iPad

Step 1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and tap  Screen Time .

Step 2. Hit Content & Privacy Restrictions .

Step 3. Choose  Content Restrictions .

Step 4. Key in your Screen Time passcode if your iPhone or iPad asks you for one.

Step 5. Select  Web Content .

Step 6. Choose the  Unrestricted  option.

Disable Screen Time Restrictions on Mac

Step 1. Go to the  Apple menu  and select System Settings/System Preferences .

Step 2. Choose  Screen Time  and tap the  Content & Privacy  category.

Step 3. Select  Content Restrictions .

Step 4. Enter the Screen Time passcode if your Mac asks. Then, open the pull-down menu next to  Access to Web Content  and choose  Unrestricted Access .

Step 5. Select  Done .

Then you can see whether the issue “clear Safari history greyed out” is fixed. If not, try to restart your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. That helps clear any temporary problems or glitches with the system software interfering with Safari’s ability to erase its history.

Restart Your iPhone or iPad

Step 1. Launch the Settings app and choose  General .

Step 2. Scroll down and tap the option labeled  Shutdown .

Step 3. Drag the Power icon to the right.

Step 4. Wait 30 seconds after the screen darkens.

Step 5. Press and hold the  Side  button until you see the Apple logo.

Restart Your Mac

Step 1. Go to the Apple Menu  and choose Restart .

Step 2. Uncheck the box next to  Reopen Windows when logging back in .

Step 3. Select  Restart  to confirm.

If you still can’t delete your Safari history, then you can check your iCloud sync settings. If you use iCloud, it syncs your bookmarks, reading list, and browsing history across all your Apple devices. It won’t make any difference, but iCloud sync occasionally leads to items reappearing in your iPhone or iPad browsing history.

Disable iCloud Syncing for Safari on iPhone & iPad

Step 1. Go to  Settings > Apple ID Profile > iCloud > Toggle Safari Off .

Step 2. If Safari has already been toggled off, then  turn on > click merge > turn off  again.

Step 3. Perform the same for all iCloud-connected devices.

Step 4. Now delete Safari history for all devices.

Disable iCloud Syncing for Safari on Mac

Step 1. Open the  Apple menu  and choose  System Settings/System Preferences .

Step 2. Select iCloud.

Step 3. Turn off the button next to Safari.

Updating your iOS devices or Mac can also help resolve the said issue by fixing bugs or glitches that may have been creating the problem.

For example, early iterations of major iOS and macOS releases—like iOS 16.0 and macOS Ventura 13.0 — often have severe problems that affect how native apps run. And installing newer updates may be the solution to the problem. Also, it can solve other Safari errors, like fixing Safari cannot open the page on iPhone .

Update Your iPhone & iPad

Step 1. Open the Settings  app.

Step 2. Choose  General > Software Update .

Step 3. Click  Download and Install  next to pending updates.

Update Your Mac

Step 1. Hit the  Apple menu  and select  System Settings .

Step 2. Go to  General > Software Update .

Step 3. Click  Update Now  on the window’s top right if new updates are available.

Safari’s history-clearing issues can stem from network settings and configuration mistakes. Reset them to their defaults and check if that fixes the problem. Do the following steps:

Step 1. Go to Setting > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone/iPad .

Step 2. Tap  Reset .

Step 3. Select  Reset Network Settings .

Step 4. Enter your device passcode.

Step 5. Hit  Reset Network Settings  again to confirm.

If the resetting doesn’t help, try to  reset your iPhone to factory settings . If you need to do that, repeat the previous steps but pick the  Reset All Settings  option and make sure to back up your iPhone /iPad.

  Clear Safari history with restrictions (only for iOS devices)

For iPhone/iPad users, you should launch the Settings  app and go to General .

Step 1. Go to the second option and tap on  Restrictions .

Step 2. Enter your Restrictions passcode.

Step 3. Under the  Allowed Content  option, scroll down to  Websites  and tap on that.

Step 4. Within the Websites section, you’ll find three tabs. You must deselect the option if you have chosen Limit Adult Content or Specific Websites and select  All Websites  as your current option.

Step 5. You can now open the Safari app under the Settings list, and you will see that the issue “iOS Safari clear history greyed out” has been settled.

If all fixes didn’t work on your computer, there are also some methods to clear your Safari data when clear history greyed out in Safari Mac devices.

For Mac users, you can delete your Safari history manually through Finder. Here’s how:

Step 1. Quit Safari.

Step 2. Open Finder and select  Go > Go to Folder  on the menu bar.

Step 3. Key in the following path and press  Return: ~/Library/Safari .

Step 4. Hold down the  Command  key and select the following files:

History.db-lock

History.db.shm

History.db.wal

Step 5. Control-click and select  Move to Trash .

And according to your personal preference, you can either manually clear your browsing history on Mac or set up Safari browser to automatically clear your browsing history daily.

Follow the steps below to clear your entire Safari browsing history on Mac.

Step 1. Launch the  Safari  browser on your Mac.

Step 2. Click on the  Safari  tab in the top-menu bar and choose  Preferences  in the drop-down menu.

Step 3. On the Safari Preferences page, go to  General  tab > click on  Remove History Items  down-arrow and select the  Daily  option.

Step 4. On the same screen, click on  Remove downloaded list  items down arrow and select  After one day .

How to force delete Safari history easily

If you think all methods above are too difficult, here we would like to introduce a professional application “ FoneTool ” to erase data simply. It can help you erase much private data, including photos, messages, Safari history, etc. And it offers Deep Erase technology enabling you completely and permanently clear Safari history to avoid data recovery.

You can hit the download button and then follow the steps below to clear your Safari history.

Steps on how to clear Safari history:

Step 1. Run FoneTool on your PC > Connect your iPhone to the computer with a USB cable > Tap  Trust  on your iPhone.

Step 2. Go to Toolbox  > Choose Erase private data  > Click Get Started .

Step 3. Select Safari History  and if you want to completely delete the history, check Enable Deep Erase Technology , then hit Start Erase .

Clearing your Safari browsing history is simple, but it can be frustrating when clear Safari history greyed out. And FoneTool is highly recommended to fix the issue. In addition to clearing private data, it can also help you to transfer contacts from iPhone to Pixel after setup  quickly. Why not give the all-in-one iPhone data management tool a try?

FoneTool - All-in-one iPhone Data Manager

Transfer, backup and manage data on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch in an easy way.

100% Secure

Kathy is an editor of FoneTool, who prefers to help more users address a series of iOS-related problems. She likes traveling and being close to nature makes her relax. She is also keen to engage in social activities and spend much free time with her friends.

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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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Can’t Clear My History on Safari: Steps to Troubleshoot and Resolve

When using Safari, the browser developed by Apple, maintaining privacy is vital, and clearing browser history is a standard part of digital privacy practices. However, users may sometimes face difficulties when attempting to clear their browser history. Possible reasons for the inability to clear history could be due to settings within the device or an issue with the browser or operating system itself.

Can’t Clear My History on Safari

Additional Tips:

• Check for Safari updates:  Make sure Safari is up-to-date via the App Store.
• Reset Network Settings:  If the issue persists, try resetting network settings ( Settings  ->  General  ->  Transfer or Reset [Device]  ->  Reset  ->  Reset Network Settings )  Note:  This will reset Wi-Fi passwords.

The problem can occur across various Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. It is essential to comprehend the settings related to Safari’s history and how they connect with iCloud account preferences and system restrictions. Effective troubleshooting necessitates a step-by-step approach to rectify issues preventing the clearance of history so that personal browsing information can be managed and deleted as the user sees fit.

Key Takeaways

• Clearing Safari history is essential for privacy, but users may encounter issues in the process.
• Correctly managing settings is crucial to resolve history deletion problems.
• A systematic approach can help users overcome issues with clearing Safari history.

Why is “Clear History and Website Data” Option Greyed Out in Safari

1. no browsing data to clear.

• The simplest explanation:  If you haven’t visited any websites or accumulated any browsing data, the option will naturally be greyed out because there’s nothing to clear.

2. Web Content Restrictions

• Go to Settings -> Screen Time -> Content & Privacy Restrictions
• If “Content & Privacy Restrictions” is enabled, check under “Web Content” to see if restrictions are in place, especially “Limit Adult Content.” These can block the ability to clear history.

3. Mobile Device Management (MDM) Restrictions

• Common on workplace devices:  If your iPhone or iPad is managed by an employer or school, they may have restrictions set up through MDM software. Contact your organization’s IT department for assistance.

4. Temporary Glitch

• Try a forced restart:  Force restarting your device can sometimes clear up minor software glitches.

Troubleshooting Steps

• Verify Browsing Activity:  Open a new tab in Safari and visit a few websites. Try the “Clear History and Website Data” option again.
• Check Restrictions:  Follow the settings path mentioned above to see if any restrictions are in place.
• Restart Device:  If the above didn’t resolve the issue, try a force restart of your device.

If None of These Help:

• Update iOS:  Ensure you’re running the latest version of iOS.
• Contact Apple Support:  Consider reaching out to Apple for further troubleshooting if the problem persists.

Understanding Safari History Settings

When using Safari, you may need to clear your history or manage website data for security or to keep your browsing private. This section provides an insight into the various Safari history settings and how to address issues when options are not available.

Navigating Safari Settings

Safari users can adjust settings to manage browsing history, website data, and cookies. On an iPhone or iPad, these settings are accessible by tapping ‘Safari’ in the device’s main ‘Settings’ menu. For Mac users, these settings can be found by opening Safari and clicking on ‘Safari’ in the menu bar, then ‘Preferences.’

Steps to access history settings on iOS:

• Open ‘Settings’
• Scroll and select ‘Safari’
• Find ‘ Clear History and Website Data ‘

Mac users can:

• Open Safari
• Click on ‘History’ in the menu bar
• Select ‘Clear History’

Interpreting Grayed-Out Options

A grayed-out ‘Clear History and Website Data’ option might cause confusion. This usually indicates that certain restrictions are set on your device. On your iPhone or iPad, this may occur due to ‘Content & Privacy Restrictions’ in ‘Screen Time.’ If these restrictions are active, you cannot clear your history unless you adjust your ‘Screen Time’ settings.

For checking restrictions on iOS:

• Go to ‘Settings’
• Tap ‘Screen Time’
• Select ‘Content & Privacy Restrictions’
• Enter your passcode if prompted
• Look for the ‘Clear History and Website Data’ toggle to change the setting

The Role of iCloud in Safari History

iCloud can sync Safari browsing history across all your devices. This feature keeps your bookmarks and history the same everywhere. If Safari history won’t clear, it could be due to iCloud syncing. Disabling this can help troubleshoot the issue.

To disable iCloud Safari sync on an iPhone or iPad:

• Tap ‘Settings’
• Click your Apple ID at the top
• Choose ‘iCloud’
• Toggle off ‘Safari’

On a Mac, these options are in ‘System Preferences’ under ‘Apple ID’ for macOS Catalina or later and under ‘iCloud’ for High Sierra or earlier. Remember, turning this off will stop Safari data from syncing across your devices.

Troubleshooting History Deletion Issues

If Safari users find they can’t delete their browsing history, it could be due to various reasons, from software glitches to settings being locked. The following steps outline effective methods to resolve these issues.

Common Solutions to Clear History

Restart the Device: Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve minor glitches. Users can turn off their iPhone or Mac, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on to see if the clear history function works.

Check Restrictions: On iOS 12 or later, users should verify if Screen Time restrictions are set up, as these might prevent history deletion. They can go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions to make necessary changes.

Advanced Troubleshooting Steps

Update Software: Ensuring the device is running the latest software version can fix bugs preventing history clearance. Users can check for updates in the device settings and install them if available.

Disable iCloud Safari Syncing: If history won’t clear, users should consider turning off iCloud Safari syncing. On a Mac, they can do this through System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud, unchecking Safari.

When to Reset Safari Settings

Reset Network Settings: If Safari’s problems persist, it might help to reset the network settings. This is done by going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. It’s important to note that this will erase all saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords.

Delete History Manually on Mac: Users can attempt to manually delete history on their Mac by opening Safari, selecting History in the menu bar, and clicking ‘Clear History’.

Restore iPhone or iPad: As a last resort, backing up the device and then restoring it to factory settings may be necessary. This will erase all content, so users should ensure they have a backup. They can restore their device through Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

These steps can help users clear their browsing history in Safari and troubleshoot issues that might be preventing this from happening.

Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, we address common issues iPhone, iPad, or Mac users may encounter when they cannot clear their Safari browsing history.

Why is ‘Clear History and Website Data’ grayed out in Safari on my iPhone?

This problem typically arises when restrictions are set to prevent the deletion of history. These settings might be found under Screen Time or Restrictions in your device’s Settings. Parents often use it to keep tabs on their children’s web usage.

What steps should I follow to delete Safari browsing history on my iPhone when it is not working?

First, try a soft reset of your device. If that fails, check for any restrictions enabled that might prevent history deletion. Lastly, you can try deleting website data manually in Safari’s settings or from the Advanced section under Website Data.

What could be preventing Safari on my iPad from clearing the browsing history?

Restrictions in your device’s settings can carry over from iCloud if your iPad syncs with other devices. It could also be due to a temporary software glitch or a problem with the update process, where a restart of the device might resolve the issue.

How do I resolve issues with Safari history not deleting on my iPhone?

To fix this, disable Website Restrictions in Screen Time, try a force-restart of your iPhone, or check for a software update. If there’s widespread trouble, it may require more complex solutions like restoring the device from a backup.

Is there a way to disable the feature that stops the clearing of Safari browsing history on an iPhone?

Yes, you can disable this by turning off Content & Privacy Restrictions in the Screen Time settings. Sometimes, this might require the Screen Time passcode, which should be entered to adjust these settings.

What are the reasons Safari might not allow me to delete my browsing history?

Several factors could be causing this issue, including: restrictions set intentionally for parental control, a glitch after an iOS update, corrupt data within Safari, issues with sync settings, or simply a need to reboot the device.

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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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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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Peter is Reviews Editor at Tom's Guide. As a writer, he covers topics including tech, photography, gaming, hardware, motoring and food & drink. Outside of work, he's an avid photographer, specialising in architectural and portrait photography. When he's not snapping away on his beloved Fujifilm camera, he can usually be found telling everyone about his greyhounds, riding his motorcycle, squeezing as many FPS as possible out of PC games, and perfecting his espresso shots. 

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Help. Safari clear data option is greyed out. Cant delete history!

The option for clearing website data and history for Safari is greyed out in Safari settings. I have disabled screentime and unrestricted all websites. It is still greyed out and still displays search history. How do I resolve this?

Posted on Oct 5, 2020 5:42 PM

Similar questions

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• I can’t clear my safari history I turned off screen time restrictions but the clear button is still grayed out. Can anyone help me with why this is happening? 1262 1
• Cannot clear my cookies in child's Safari on Mac/iPad even with screen time disabled. I want to clear my son's internet history and cookies on his Mac mini (late 2012) and iPad (5th Gen), but the clear history choice always stays grayed out. If I select to remove all cookies in Safari on the Mac, it does nothing. I've read that allowing all websites in the Screen Time settings will allow the history to be deleted. It does not. Disabling Screen Time all-together doesn't fix the issue either. Any help would be appreciated. 2763 2

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Oct 11, 2020 3:08 PM in response to BA_96

It sounds like you've been unable to reset Safari's history and website data on your iPad. We'll do our best to assist with this.

Nice thinking disabling Screen Time and restrictions that may have been set up on your iPad. Did you set up these settings on your own device or is it managed by Family Sharing? If it's set up to block the ability to clear Safari using Family Sharing, you'll want to speak with the Organizer or an adult within Family Sharing to disable these restrictions. Here's how: Use parental controls on your child's iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

In case restrictions didn't cause this, make sure the iPad is up to date. It's encouraged to backup prior to updating: Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

If it continues to occur after that, you may have a profile enabled on your iPad. To check and learn how to remove this, try out: Install or remove configuration profiles on iPhone

Contact Apple Support for further assistance.

Hoping this helps you out, take care!

Safari User Guide

• Change your homepage
• Import bookmarks, history, and passwords
• Make Safari your default web browser
• Go to websites
• Find what you’re looking for
• Bookmark webpages that you want to revisit
• See your favorite websites
• Use tabs for webpages
• Pin frequently visited websites
• Play web videos
• Mute audio in tabs
• Pay with Apple Pay
• Autofill credit card info
• Autofill contact info
• Keep a Reading List
• Hide ads when reading articles
• Translate a webpage
• Download items from the web
• Share or post webpages
• Add passes to Wallet
• Save part or all of a webpage
• Print or create a PDF of a webpage
• Customize a start page
• Customize the Safari window
• Customize settings per website
• Zoom in on webpages
• Get extensions
• Manage cookies and website data
• Block pop-ups
• Clear your browsing history
• Browse privately
• Autofill user name and password info
• Prevent cross-site tracking
• View a Privacy Report
• Change Safari preferences
• Keyboard and other shortcuts
• Troubleshooting

Clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac

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 Safari turned on in iCloud preferences , 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 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

Frequently visited site list

Recent searches

Icons for 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