Can’t Clear Your Browser History? Here’s How To Fix It

Sometimes, the choice for clearing browser historical past could also be grayed out. Or your browser could not delete its historical past even after choosing the choice. 

Some permission settings can pressure restrictions on the browsers. It provides the consumer very restricted entry to managing browser historical past. 

Still, this problem could be very easy to handle. You will seemingly must tweak round just a few settings or, worst-case state of affairs, reinstall the browser. Not that dangerous, proper?

Why Can’t I Clear the History?

Troubleshooting Can’t Clear History

The precise strategies of fixing this problem could differ between totally different units. However, the final course of is similar. 

First, attempt to shut your browser and open it once more. If you continue to can’t clear the historical past, attempt restarting your device. Your system could mechanically repair the problem after a reboot. If not, transfer to the strategies under based mostly in your browser.

Fix for Safari

Turn Off Web Restrictions on iPhone

The Content & Privacy Restriction characteristic in iPhone would possibly forestall you from clearing your searching historical past. Turning off the restriction for internet content material or enabling entry to all websites ought to clear up this problem. Here’s how you are able to do so:

1. For iOS 12 or later, launch Settings and go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
2. You can flip off Content & Privacy Restrictions by tapping on the choice.
3. The higher manner could be to solely change the settings for internet entry. Navigate to Content Restrictions > Web Content contained in the restrictions settings. Then allow the Unrestricted Access choice.
4. For iOS 11or earlier, the restrictions is current within the location Settings > General > Restrictions. 
5. And you’ll be able to change the settings for internet entry at Allowed Content > Websites contained in the Restrictions settings. Please set it to All Websites.

Disable Syncing Over iCloud 

If you could have enabled iCloud sync for Safari on an Apple device, your deleted information would possibly nonetheless reappear in your searching historical past. You can disable it by following these steps:

1. Launch Settings and go to the iCloud choice inside your Apple ID Profile.
2. Here, toggle your browser Off. If it’s already off, allow it, click on merge and disable it.
3. You should additionally disable it for all units linked with iCloud.
4. In Mac, right-click on the Apple icon. Then, navigate to System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud or System Preferences > iCloud.
5. Inside iCloud, find and disable Safari.
6. Finally, you need to clear the historical past for every synced device.

You can use this methodology for all browsers, not simply Safari.

Reset Settings on iPhone

You can reset the network settings in your iPhone if the earlier options don’t work. It will even make the device overlook all WiFi connections and passwords. Follow these directions to reset network settings:

1. Launch Settings and go to General > Reset.
2. Select  Reset Network Settings. Then, affirm when prompted.

If resetting network settings don’t work, you could attempt resetting all settings. It solely impacts the settings. Apps and different recordsdata ought to stay untouched. To accomplish that, observe these steps:

1. Launch Settings and go to General > Reset.
2. Select  Reset All Settings. Then, affirm when prompted.

Delete Library History Files on Mac

Such points shouldn’t occur on a Mac. Still, some hijackers could cease you from eradicating explicit web sites from historical past. You can scan your system with an antivirus in such instances. 

You can even manually take away the historical past recordsdata from the library. We suggest making a backup for these recordsdata as effectively. The course of to manually take away the historical past recordsdata is as follows:

1. Go to Finder in your Mac.
2. Click on the Go menu whereas holding the choice key and choose Library from the drop-down record.
    
3. Open Safari and find recordsdata that begin with History.
4. Then, transfer these recordsdata to some other location or rename them to the rest.
5. Restart your PC. After restarting, verify if the problem stays.

If you’ll be able to clear historical past, delete the recordsdata you moved. If not, transfer these recordsdata back and overwrite the brand new ones. If you renamed them, delete the newly created recordsdata and set the earlier recordsdata to their authentic names.

The Library folder is within the hidden state by default. You could make it seen by enabling Show Library Folder within the Finder > View >Show View choices. 

Fix for Google Chrome

If you encounter a scenario the place the clearing course of doesn’t cease, it’s seemingly on account of a bug current within the utility. Chrome goes right into a loop attempting to clear the historical past however can’t full the method. 

Google has already mounted this problem within the later steady variations. So, be sure that to update to the newest variations.

You can even delete the historical past recordsdata using the file explorer as an alternate strategy to clear it. Alternately, you’ll be able to repair this problem by clearing the cache.

1. Navigate to default. You can instantly enter it within the tackle bar.
   Windows:  %localappdata%GoogleChromeUser DataDefault
   Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/
2. Delete the History file on this location. Also, delete the contents of the Cache folder.
3. Restart your PC.
4. If the issue persists, delete History Provider Cache and History-journal recordsdata from the identical location. 
5. Then, restart your pc.

Fix for Mozilla Firefox

Database Troubleshooting With Verify Integrity

Mozilla Firefox has a troubleshooting choice that scans for database recordsdata with errors. Your browser checks for these recordsdata and creates a default on when they’re lacking. Deleting these recordsdata could clear up this problem. Follow these steps:

1. First, enter about:assist within the tackle bar. You can even click on on the 3-bar menu button and go to Help > More Troubleshooting Information.
2. Here, find Places Database and click on on Verify Integrity.
3. In the report, verify for recordsdata with errors. Most seemingly, the favicons.sqlite file or another database file has some errors.
4. Now, shut the browser and open the location of this file.
5. You can usually discover the Mozilla profile folders at %appdata%MozillaFirefoxProfile.
6. Open your profile folder to entry these recordsdata. Rename or delete the SQlite file with the error.
7. Then, open Mozilla Firefox once more and go to a bookmark when you deleted the favicons file.
8. If the issue persists, transfer/rename/delete the locations.sqlite file as effectively.

Disable Automatic Private Browsing

Your default window can be set to personal mode when you allow computerized non-public searching. In this case, the browser received’t report new websites in its historical past. However, you’ll be able to solely clear the outdated historical past from common periods on an everyday window.

You’ll need to disable computerized non-public searching to entry an everyday window. Follow these steps to show this selection off:

1. Enter about:preferences on the tackle bar. You can even go to the 3-bar menu button > Preferences or Options or Settings.
2. Click on Privacy & Security from the left sidebar.
3. Scroll right down to find History. In the drop-down field, choose Remember historical past.
4. Now you need to be capable of delete all of the outdated historical past.

Fix for Microsoft Edge or Internet Explorer

Configure Local Group Policy Editor

Certain configurations within the Local Group Policy could forestall you from deleting information out of your browser. To configure these settings:

1. Press Windows key + R and enter gpedit.msc to open the Local Group Policy Editor. 
2. Click on Administrative Templates beneath Computer Configuration from the left sidebar. 
3. Now, open Windows Components > Internet Explorer > Delete Browsing History.
4. Ensure all of the choices associated to stopping deletion of historical past have Not configured state. Double-click on them to entry every.

Delete History Using Internet Options

You can use the Internet Options management software as an alternate strategy to delete your browser historical past. Follow the directions under to take action:

1. Search for and open Internet Options using the search bar. You can even entry it from Control Panel > Network and Internet.
2. Navigate to Browsing historical past on the General tab.
3. Select all of the contents it is advisable delete and select Delete.
4.  Now go to the Content tab and click on on Settings beneath AutoComplete.
5. Then choose Delete AutoComplete History and Delete. After that, click on Ok for all windows to shut them and apply the modifications.

Common Fixes for All Browsers

Change Setting within the Registry

Someone could have disabled the AllowDeletingBrowserHistory key in your browser policy registry. This key’s enabled by default, and disabling it prevents clearing historical past. Make certain to verify for and set it if required. The methodology to take action for Google Chrome policy is as follows:

1. Press Windows key + R and enter regedit to open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to: ComputerHKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwarePoliciesGoogleChrome
3. Here, seek for AllowDeletingBrowserHistory.
4. If you’ll be able to’t discover it, seek for it at ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwarePoliciesGoogleChrome
5. If you continue to can’t discover it, this key’s enabled, and no modifications have to be made.
6. If not, double-click on the entry and set its worth as 1.

You can equally verify the insurance policies for some other browser.

Update Browser

If the above strategies don’t clear up this problem, there could also be bugs within the browsers. Updating them ought to clear up this problem. If the updates are unavailable, report this problem to official assist websites and wait.

You can use the official browser websites or app shops to seek for and update them to the newest variations. 

Reset User Profiles

You can even attempt to reset your consumer profiles. You can pressure your browser to create a brand new one by eradicating all of your present profiles. It additionally erases the information of the outdated profile, together with its historical past, and should allow clearing historical past from the brand new profile. You can carry out this methodology by deleting the consumer profile folders using the file explorer:

For Chrome and MS Edge, delete the User Data folders in %localappdata%GoogleChrome and %localappdata%MicrosoftEdge respectively.

For Mozilla Firefox, go to %localappdata%MozillaFirefox and delete the Profiles folder.

Reinstall Browser

You can seemingly reinstall your browsers to resolve this problem. You might want to uninstall first to take away all information. It is probably not doable for default browsers.

Reinstall Chrome/Mozilla/Other Browsers

The precise course of varies between device working methods.

For Windows

• Go to Settings > Apps & Features.
• Locate the browser, click on on it and choose Uninstall.
• Click Uninstall once more and observe the on-screen directions.

For Mac

1. Go to Finder > Applications or press Command + Shift + A.
2. Now find your browser folder and open it.
3. Run its uninstaller software and observe the directions.
4. If you’ll be able to’t discover an uninstaller, drag the app to the Trash bin in your Dock. Then, two finger click on on the Trash bin and select Empty Trash.

For Android and iPhone

• Locate your browser in your app display screen.
• Then, faucet and maintain on to it till you see some choices, and choose Uninstall or Delete.
• Confirm when prompted.
• You could need to go to Settings > Apps to uninstall your functions for older OS.

After uninstalling, obtain these functions from official web sites or obtain shops.

Reset Microsoft Edge

If you could have the brand new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge, you’ll be able to obtain the newest model from the official web page and set up it.

If you employ the legacy model, the strategy is barely more difficult. We suggest making a system restore level first. Follow the directions under to uninstall and reinstall Edge:

1. Enable the choice to view Hidden Files. To accomplish that, first, click on on View when on the File Explorer. Then, verify the Hidden objects choice within the Show/hide group.
2. Navigate to the placement: %localappdata%Packages. You can enter it within the tackle bar of the file explorer or the Run dialogue field.
3. Search for and delete the folder Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe.
4. It would possibly take a very long time to arrange for deleting. After that, select Yes on the affirmation dialog. Click Yes for all different dialog containers as effectively.
5. Restart your PC.
6. After restarting, seek for powershell within the search bar. Right-click on Windows PowerShell and decide Run as administrator.
7. Enter the command, cd C:customers“UserName” whereas changing “UserName” along with your username.
8. Type or copy and paste the next command and press Enter. Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers -Name Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)AppXManifest.xml” -Verbose}
9. Restart your PC after the method completes.