It is recommended to use private browsing. Thus, the history of the pages visited is not kept.
If you do not browse privately, you can still protect yourself by clearing your browsing history. Depending on internet browsers, the procedure to erase your traces on the web varies. Here’s how to proceed with different web browsers.
Google Chrome
- Click on “Customize and control Google Chrome” (icon with three horizontal bars, located at the top right).
- Click on “History.” A new tab will open.
- Click on “Clear browsing data.” But remember that by doing this, you will also erase the browsing history of websites visited by other people. This could result in a blank cache.
- Select the websites you have visited by clicking on them in the displayed list (which will check them off). Then, click on “Remove selected items.”
Firefox
- Click on the “Open menu” button.
- Click on “History.”
- Either click on “Clear recent history.” You can then choose the period of time to be deleted: the last hour, the last two hours, today… Or you can choose to delete everything. But remember that by selecting “Clear all history,” you will also erase the browsing history of websites visited by other people. This could result in a blank cache. Confirm your choice by clicking “Clear now.”
- Alternatively, click on “Show history panel.” A window will appear showing all visited websites. You can right-click on the websites you want to delete and click on “Delete this page.”
Internet Explorer
- Click on the “Tools” button (icon of a wrench, located at the top right). A column will appear.
- Click on “Security” and select “Clear browsing history.”
- A window will appear. Some checkboxes are already checked by default. Make sure to uncheck them. Keep the checkboxes for “Temporary Internet files and website files,” “Cookies and website data,” “History,” “Download history,” and “Form data” checked. Confirm by clicking on “Delete.” But remember that by doing this, you will also erase the browsing history of websites visited by other people. This could result in a blank cache.
Safari
- Click on “History” (in the menu bar at the top of the page).
- Click on “Clear history.” A window will open.
- In the menu, check if you want to delete “the last hour,” “today,” “today and yesterday,” or “all history.” Safari also clears caches, recent search history, and removes website icons displayed in the search and address field.
Safari on iPhone
- Open the “Settings” menu (the icon with the gray gear on the home screen).
- Click on “Safari.”
- In the “Privacy” section, click on “Clear History.”
- Confirm the deletion of the history.
Android browser
- Open the browser and click on the menu button in the top right corner of the screen.
- Click on “Settings,” then “Privacy and Security.”
- Click on “Clear History.”
- Confirm the deletion of the history.
