La digital privacy is a growing concern for millions of mobile device users. Every day more people understand the importance of control your personal information and the data that large companies and applications collect about your digital life. In this context, delete browsing history and other digital traces from your phone It is a fundamental practice to protect sensitive data, avoid exposure to third parties and improve device performance.
When you browse the internet on your mobile device, the operating system and each app collect data that can reveal habits, preferences, locations, and much more. These traces are not only left in your browser history, but also in your Google account activity, maps, app stores, streaming apps, and social media, and even your phone's cache. Learn how to delete everything viewed on your phone and configuring advanced privacy options is the first step to regaining control over our digital footprint.
Why is it important to delete your browsing history and digital traces?
El browsing history It can be useful for recovering visited pages, but it also poses privacy risks. If someone else accesses your phone, they can see the websites you've visited, searches you've performed, and other sensitive data. Additionally, browsers and apps can use that history to personalize ads, suggest content, or store preferences you don't always want to share.
- Privacy: Deleting your history prevents others with access to your device from discovering your searches, purchases, locations, and other private data.
- Safety: Reducing browsing and activity traces makes it difficult for unauthorized access to important accounts or settings, especially if your phone is lost or stolen.
- Performance: Clearing cache, cookies, and stored data can improve the performance of your browser and mobile device in general.
- Less unwanted customization: By clearing your history and cookies, you avoid personalized ads and irrelevant recommendations.
It is important to understand that there are different types of history and activity data that can (and should) be deleted regularly. It's not just browsers: you should also consider the data saved by your Google account, apps, map searches, social networks, app stores, and more.
Delete everything viewed on your mobile: most popular browsers
Each web browser has its own unique history logging and storage system. Knowing the deletion process for major mobile browsers is essential for keeping your privacy under control. Below, we'll guide you step-by-step through clearing your history, cookies, cache, and other browsing data on major browsers, both for Android and iOS.
Google Chrome
Chrome is by far the most used browser on mobile devices. It allows you to selectively delete all browsing activity (by day, the last month, or all time) and even configure automatic deletion. For more details, you can visit How to clear history in Chrome mobile.
- Open Chrome on your mobile.
- Press the three vertical points (up to the right).
- Choose History.
- To delete individual entries, press the X next to each result.
- To delete all history, tap on Clear browsing data.
- Select the time range: last hour, day, week, last month or all the time.
- Check the boxes you want to delete: browsing history, cookies, site data, and cache.
- Press on Delete data and confirm.
Chrome also allows you to delete other data such as saved passwords or form data from this same option (in the Advanced tab).
Set up automatic history deletion in Chrome
- Open Chrome, click the three dots.
- Sign in Configuration > Privacy & Security.
- Choose Activity controls.
- Activate the option Delete automatically in “Web & App Activity.”
- Choose the period after which your data will be deleted (3, 18, or 36 months).
Incognito mode: does it leave traces?
El incognito mode In Chrome (and other browsers), it prevents your browsing history from being saved locally, but it doesn't prevent your internet service provider, visited websites, or Google itself (if you're logged in) from storing some information. For more information, see How to delete history in Chrome.
Clear history in Firefox
Firefox is another of the great browsers on mobile devices, especially valued for its focus on privacy. If you want to delete your history, you can check How to delete history in Firefox.
- Open Firefox and press the three points (Bottom right).
- Choose History.
- To delete specific pages, click on the three dots next to the address and choose Delete.
- To delete all history, select Clear history at the end of the list.
In recent versions, you can also delete cookies, cache, saved logins, and other data, accessible from Settings > Clear browsing data.
Clear history in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft's Edge browser also includes privacy-preserving options. For more details, you can visit .
- Open Edge and press the three points (bottom center).
- Choose History.
- Long press on the website you want to delete.
- From the menu, select DeleteTo delete all history, look for the corresponding option at the top of the menu.
Other popular browsers: Brave, Opera, and Samsung Internet
- brave: By default it does not track or store browsing data, but you can delete history and data from Settings> Privacy.
- Opera: The history is managed from Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data.
- Samsung Internet: Accesses Menu > History and there Clear browsing history o Settings> Privacy for advanced options.
Delete browsing history on iPhone (Safari)
In the iOS ecosystem, safari It's the default browser and also keeps a complete record of your digital activity. To delete your history, you can visit .
- Go to Settings > safari.
- Press on Clear history and website data.
- To delete cookies in a more advanced way, go to Advanced > Website Data and select Delete all data.
Remember that this cleanup affects both Safari history and cookies and site data, but it doesn't delete information synced to iCloud if you have it enabled.
Delete search and activity history on your Google account
The browser is just the tip of the iceberg: if you have a Google account and use it on your mobile, your activity (searches, pages visited, locations, voice commands, etc.) is recorded in My Google Activity. It's vital to delete this information to ensure complete privacy. For more details, see .
- Open the Google app or go to myactivity.google.com in your browser.
- Click on your profile and access Search history o Activity on the Web and in Applications.
- press Delete and choose between deleting by last minute, last hour, last day or all history.
- You can also filter by product (Android, Maps, Search, YouTube, etc.) or by specific dates.
- Confirm the action. This cleanup deletes information from all synced devices.
Additionally, you can set up automatic deletion: to do so, visit .
Clear history on devices with supervised accounts (Family Link)
In devices controlled by Family Link (supervised accounts), it's not possible to delete activity history directly from your mobile device. Only the administrator (usually a responsible adult) can delete activity from their own Family Link profile. For more information, you can visit .
The only alternative option is to use an unsupervised browser (as long as Family Link allows it), since these browsers do not send activity to the supervising Google account.
How to delete other key history and digital traces on your phone
Browsing history and Google activity are just a few of the data that can compromise your privacy. There are other areas where sensitive information is stored. To delete this data, check How to clear cookies and cache on Android.
Clear cookies and cache
- Cookies record sessions, logins, preferences, and track browsing habits.
- The cache stores temporary files that speed up the loading of websites.
- Both take up space and can compromise privacy if not removed regularly.
From the menu of deleting browsing data In each browser you can choose exactly what to delete (history, cookies, cache, passwords, forms, etc.).
How to delete history saved by other applications
Applications like Google Maps, YouTube, Google Play, social networks and app stores They also store usage and search information. You can delete this history from their own settings. To delete your history in Maps, check How to delete history in Google Maps.
Delete history in Google Maps
- Open Google Maps and tap your profile picture.
- Sign in Your data on Maps.
- From here you can delete location history or pause your recording.
Clear history on YouTube
- Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture.
- Sign in Your data on YouTube.
- You can delete both search history , the watch history.
- You can pause the search for future searches.
Delete history in the Google Play Store
- But Google Play Store.
- Click on your profile and enter Configuration.
- Go to General > Account Preferences > Clear Play Store Search History.
Delete history on social media apps (Instagram, Facebook, etc.)
- Instagram: Accede to Settings > Security > Search History and press Erase everything.
- Facebook: Go to Configuration, search Registro de actividad and deletes your search or post history.
- Repeat the process on other apps to ensure maximum cleanliness and privacy.
Clear download history
- Open the application Archives o My files on your mobile.
- Enter the folder Downloads.
- You can manually delete the files.
- Some browsers also allow you to clear your download history from their settings.
Reset your phone: erase absolutely everything
In the total cleanliness (for example, before selling, giving away or recycling your phone), you can reset it to factory settingsThis action completely deletes all personal information, apps, files, and configured accounts. For more details, see .
- Go to Settings > System > Reset options or search for “Reset” in the settings search bar.
- Choose Factory data reset o Delete all content.
- Confirm and follow the steps indicated by the system.
- Remember to make a backup first if you want to save anything.
Tips to proactively maintain your digital privacy
Privacy protection doesn't end with deleting your history. There are additional practices and tools to prevent excessive data collection. For safer browsing, you can check out How to delete your history on Instagram and other key applications.
Privacy-focused browsers
Some browsers are designed to leave no trace and minimize online tracking.
- Firefox Focus: It allows you to browse without leaving a trace, automatically deleting your history and cookies when you close the app. It doesn't store passwords or forms. For more solutions, check out .
- InBrowser: Permanent incognito browsing, with no history, cache, or cookies stored; compatible with the Tor network.
- Tor Browser: Encrypted anonymous browsing, prevents both local and ISP tracking.
- brave: Block trackers and ads by default, with automatic cleaning options and private search.
Use VPN for total anonymity
A VPN (virtual private network) encrypts your traffic, hiding your activity even from your service provider. There are paid options such as NordVPN y mozilla-vpn that don't keep logs and offer maximum privacy. For more information, check out .
Set up automatic data deletion
- Google and other services allow you to schedule periodic deletion of your history and activity. To do this, check out .
- Turn on automatic deletion every few months to minimize stored data.
Other key tips
- to prevent unwanted registrations.
- Don't accept all cookies: set your preferences on websites and apps.
- Always use incognito mode when accessing sensitive information or browsing on other devices.
Frequently asked questions about deleting history and data on your mobile phone
- Does clearing history delete saved passwords? No, unless you explicitly select the option to delete passwords (in Chrome and other browsers). To delete passwords, see .
- Can deleted history be recovered? Generally not through standard options. There are forensic programs, but they're complex to use and not accessible to everyone.
- Is deleted history erased on all devices? If you have active sync (for example, on your Google account), yes. If you delete only on your phone, your local history disappears, but it may remain in the cloud.
- How long does Google keep history? If you don't set up automatic deletion, you can save indefinitely. If you enable deletion, you can choose between 3, 18, or 36 months.
- What happens if I delete history? Your visited pages, searches, and other digital traces will disappear; bookmarks, passwords, and personal files will not be affected.
Checklist: What data should you regularly delete on your phone?
- Browsing history of all browsers.
- Cookies and application and system cache.
- Log of searches and activity in your Google account.
- Location history on Google Maps.
- YouTube search and watch history.
- App store history (Google Play, App Store).
- Recent activities on social networks and messaging apps.
- Downloaded files and temporary documents.
With these steps, your phone will be much more protected from prying eyes, intrusive advertising, and other threats to your privacy.
Maintaining your digital privacy requires regular hygiene: clear your browser history, clean up your Google account activity, and don't forget to delete personal data from key apps and services. Use privacy-focused browsers, tools like VPNs, and take advantage of automatic deletion options to protect your information at all times.