How to Permanently Delete History on Safari for iPhones

Clear your Safari history frequently to keep your iPhone running efficiently.

Since the introduction of iPhones in 2007, they have come pre-loaded with a mobile version of Apple's Safari browser. As with all browsers, Mobile Safari keeps a history of recently-visited Web pages; if this cache gets too large, your browser's speed may become reduced. Deleting Safari's history can improve the browser's performance; it can also protect your privacy should someone else have access to your iPhone.

Instructions

1. Tap the Safari icon on the bottom of your iPhone screen to open the browser.

2. Close all open pages on your browser by clicking the "Multiple Pages" icon at the bottom right of the screen and tapping the "X" on each page that appears.

3. Tap the "Bookmarks" icon at the bottom of the screen. Choose "History."

4. Tap the "Clear" button at the bottom of the screen, then tap the red "Clear History" button when it appears.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also clear your visited webpages, cookies and cache from the iPhone's "Settings" menu.

• To clear your search engine history, scroll down to the bottom of the suggestions drop-down list and tap "Clear History."

References

• Apple: iPhone User Guide
• Murray State University: Clearing a Browser's Cache
• Apple: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch: Safari Web Settings
• Art of the iPhone; How to Delete the iPhone's Safari Browser History; 2009

Resources

• "Proceedings"; Exploring Web Browser History Comparisons; Mark Bilezikjian, et al.; 2002
• Jacobs School of Engineering: Your Web Surfing History is Accessible
• Berkeley: Apple iPhone