Clear browsing data
You have control over your browsing data. This information includes things such as your browsing history, saved form entries and other types of data.
You can delete all your data or just some from a specific period of time.
Delete your browsing data
- Open the Chrome app
.
- Tap More
Settings.
- Under "Advanced", tap Privacy
- At the top, tap the drop-down under "Clear data from the".
- Choose a time period, such as past hour or past day. To delete everything, select beginning of time.
- Select the types of information that you want to remove.
- Tap Clear data.
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Settings.- Browsing history: Clearing your browsing history deletes the following:
- Web addresses that you've visited from the History page
- Snapshots of those pages for images that appear on the New Tab page
- Any IP addresses pre-fetched from those pages
- Download history: The list of files that you've downloaded using Google Chrome is cleared, but the actual files are not removed from your computer.
- Cookies, site,and plug-in data:
- Cookies: Files stored on your computer by websites that you've visited. These files contain user information, such as preferences for websites or profile information.
- Site data: HTML5-enabled storage types including application caches, Web Storage data, Web SQL Database data and Indexed Database data.
- Plug-in data: Any client-side data stored by plug-ins that use the NPAPI ClearSiteData API.
- Cached images and files: Browsers store parts of web pages to help them load faster during your next visit. Text and images from web pages that you've visited in Google Chrome are removed.
- Passwords: Records of passwords are deleted.
- Autofill form data: All your Autofill entries and records of text that you've entered on web forms are deleted.
- Hosted app data: Data from the apps that you’ve added to Chrome from the Chrome Web Store are erased, such as the local storage used by Gmail Offline.
- Content licences: Prevents Flash Player from playing any previously viewed protected content, such as movies or music that you’ve purchased. It’s recommended to deauthorise content licences before selling or donating your computer.
Delete specific items from your browsing data
Instead of deleting entire categories of your browsing data, you can pick specific items to delete.
See more instructions:
- Specific pages from your browsing history
- Specific downloads (computer only)
- Specific passwords
- Specific cookies and site data
- Specific Autofill entries
Delete other info
The following items can't be deleted by using "Clear browsing data."
Your default search engine is used when you do a search using the address bar. If you use specific keywords to create your search terms, other search engines might be used. Websites that you visit can also register themselves as search engines and show your browsing history. To change or delete a search engine, manage search engines.
Your search history stored on Google is not deleted when you delete your browsing history in Chrome. To remove past searches, delete search activity.
When you clear browsing data, the data types you select are removed from Chrome, your Google Account,and your synced devices.
Other forms of browsing history, such as past searches and activity on other Google services and products, are saved to your Google Account if the Web & App Activity setting is turned on. This activity isn't deleted when you clear browsing data. To view and control your saved activity, visit My Activity.
What deleting does
- If you sync data on multiple devices, deleting it on one device will delete it from all devices the next time they sync. You can choose which data types you want to sync.
- Saved site settings, such as microphone or location permissions, aren't deleted here. You can delete site settings.
- Deleting cookies will sign you out of most websites. On mobile, if you’re signed in to Chrome, you won’t be signed out of Google.
Megan is a Google Chrome expert and the author of this help page. Help her improve this article by leaving feedback below.