Web users often prefer to delete their browser history, cache, and cookies for reasons like privacy, security or enhanced web performance to name a few. 

Your browser maintains a list of all your searches, accepted cookies, and cache for convenience purposes. It is often easy to get to a particular web page that you have previously searched and is important to you if it is in your browser history. 

However, if you choose to delete all your history, you can do so in a few simple steps. 

• For the desktop or laptop-based web browsers, press the keys Ctrl, Alt, and Delete (windows) and Command, Shift, Delete (Mac) together. 

• This will open the menu that allows clearing all the cookies, history, and cache.

Further instructions are mentioned browser-wise, later in the blog. If those instructions do not work for you, try using the ‘help’ menu in your browser to clear the cache. Check the version of your browser in the ‘About’ section of your browser. Press the Alt key for Internet Explorer and Firefox in case the menu bar is not visible. However, if you choose to delete all your history, you may end up losing some data that you wanted to retain. This data includes passwords that you have previously saved, contents of the shopping cart and for Firefox and Chrome, even search bar predictions may get removed.

Troubleshooting Options

You are advised to save all the important information elsewhere, before clearing your history. Or you can even use troubleshooting alternatives in case you cannot save the important information. This includes opening a private browsing window as one of the temporary solutions. You may check one of the many online blogs on how to open a private browsing window for the mobile, laptop, or desktop browsers that you are using. 

Refer to Wikipedia pages on Web cache, HTTP cookie, and web browsing history for further details on this.

Given below is browser-wise information on clearing your browser history, cookies, and cache.

How To Clear Data For Mobile browsers 

1. Android 

The model of your android device and your preferred browser are the deciding factors for the steps to clear your cache, cookies, and history. The common access route, however, is always through your mobile settings. 

• After going to settings choose apps or applications manager

• Move to the ‘all’ tab

• Find your browser in the installed apps and click on ‘clear data’ and ‘clear cache’ options

• Exit from your browser and shut all browser windows, and open a fresh browser window

2. Chrome for Android 

• Choose the settings option on the Chrome menu

• Select privacy option in advanced settings

• Select the ‘clear browsing data’ option

• Shut all browser windows and open the browser again

3. Safari (Apple iOS) 

The following steps to clear browser data are only for new versions of Safari. Those using older versions may visit the official Apple website for instructions.

•  Visit your mobile settings

• Select Safari browser

• Select the ‘Clear History and Website Data' option and tap the confirm button

• Re-open Safari browser after shutting all the previously opened pages

4. Chrome for iOS 

• Open your chrome browser and go to settings

• Choose Privacy option

• Choose from the given options the type of data you want to clear

• Tap the ‘Clear’ key

• Quit Chrome and re-open a new window

Desktop browsers 

1. Chrome 

• Type chrome://settings/clearBrowserData in the search bar of your browser

• Select the time period for which you want to clear cache and history. If you want to empty your entire browser history select the ‘beginning of time’ option

• Select options Browsing history, Cookies, and other site and plug-in data and Cached images and files

• Select the Clear browsing data option

• Exit Chrome browser windows and re-open a new browser window

Sometimes you may have to scroll down and follow these steps; Advanced > Content Settings > Cookies >All Cookies and Site Data. Then choose the ‘remove all’ option and click on it to delete all cookies.

2. Firefox 

• Go to the History menu of your browser and, select Clear Recent History 

• The hidden menu bar can be made visible by pressing the Alt key by opening your browser

• Select the option ‘Everything’ from the time section to clear all your cache and history 

• In the ‘details’ section, you can manually select what you wish to delete, like your cookies, cache or browser history or all of them

• Choose the ‘Clear Now’ option

• Reopen a fresh browser window after quitting all the previous browser windows

3. Internet Explorer 11 and higher 

As of January 12, 2016, Microsoft only supports Windows versions 11 or above. Please update your windows if you have not already done it.

• In the browser, the menu bar selects ‘Tools’  and choose the  ‘Safety’ option. 

• Click on the ‘Delete browsing history' option

• Alt key helps to locate hidden menu bars

• You can manually deselect all links and website data that you don't wish to delete Preserve Favorites website data

• Select the options ‘Temporary Internet files and website files', ‘Cookies and website data', and ‘History’ and hit the delete button.

4. Safari 

The following steps are only for Safari version 8 or higher

• Go to the menu option from your Safari browser and select the option ‘Clear History and Website Data’

• Select the time since when you wish to empty your cache and choose the option ‘Clear History’

• Quit your Safari browser manually by crossing out all pages, or select Command+Q

• Open a fresh browser page on Safari