How to Remove Internet Search History

Whatever your motivation for wanting to clear your search history, the process is simpler than you might think.

These days, Web browsers will store as much information as you let them for as long as you let them. When it comes to Internet search history, there are arguments to be made for leaving it intact and also for deleting it regularly. If you fall into the latter category, you'll be happy to know that deleting your search history can be done at the touch of just a few buttons. The instructions below cover Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome.

Instructions

Microsoft Internet Explorer

1. Hold down the "Ctrl," "Shift" and "Delete" keys at the same time.

2. Click inside the empty boxes located next to the phrases "History" and "Form data."

3. Double-click the "delete" button.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Hold down the "Alt" and "T" keys at the same time.

2. Choose the option that says "Clear recent history."

3. Select one of the options offered as to how far back in the past you'd like to delete searches.

4. Double-click the arrow located next to the text "Details."

5. Point and click inside the empty "form and search history" checkbox. Press the "Clear now" button at the bottom of the dialog box.

Google Chrome

1. Click the wrench icon located at the far-right end of the toolbar.

2. Click the text "options."

3. Navigate to the "Under the Hood" tab.

4. Click the "clear browsing data" button.

5. Specify which aspects of your browsing date you would like cleared -- and back to which point in the past. The click "Clear browsing data," located to the right of "cancel."

Tips & Warnings

• Removing your search data does not clear "cookies," which are electronic tokens associated with certain website. So although you might delete your visits to a particular site, record of your having been there might still exist.

• If you do choose to clear your cookies, it's best to go through one-by-one and remove those you deem unnecessary. Otherwise, all of your stored login information will vanish from your browser.

Resources

• Delete History: How to delete history