can't clear browser history safari

4 Ways to Fix Unable to Clear History in Safari for iPhone

Pankil is a Civil Engineer turned freelance writer. Since his arrival at Guiding Tech in 2021, he delves into the world of how-tos, and troubleshooting guides for Android, iOS, and Windows. Besides his new-found love for mechanical keyboards, he's a disciplined footfall fan and loves international travel with his wife.

• Clearing your Safari browsing history can help erase your online activities, free up space, and troubleshoot temporary browser-related issues.
• Temporary glitches, Screen Time restrictions, and persistent cookies are among the reasons you may encounter difficulties clearing your Safari history on your iPhone.
• Consider restarting your iPhone to see if that resolves the issue.

Fix 1: Disable Web Content Restrictions

The Screen Time feature on your iPhone lets you apply content restrictions and block inappropriate websites . If you’ve previously enabled this feature, you may run into problems while clearing your Safari history. Hence, it’s best to remove any web content restrictions on your iPhone.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and tap on Screen Time .

Step 2: Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and select Content Restrictions from the following menu.

Step 3: Tap on Web Content and select the Unrestricted option.

Fix 2: Disable iCloud Sync for Safari

Enabling iCloud sync for Safari allows you to sync your browsing history, bookmarks, open tabs, and other data across your Apple devices. However, this sync feature can sometimes cause conflicts with Safari and hinder your ability to clear your browsing history.

To avoid this, temporarily disable iCloud sync for Safari using these steps:

Step 1: Open the Settings app, tap your Apple ID at the top, and select iCloud .

Step 2: Under Apps Using iCloud, select the Show All option. Turn off the toggle for Safari .

Fix 3: Temporarily Block Cookies in Safari

Safari saves cookies to remember your preferences, keep you logged in to websites, and improve your browsing experience. However, certain persistent cookies, specifically designed to remain on your device, may interfere with clearing your browsing data. To check for this, temporarily block cookies in Safari.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and scroll down to tap on Safari .

Step 2: Under Privacy & Security , turn on the toggle for Block All Cookies . Select Block All to confirm.

Fix 4: Reset Your iPhone

If you still can’t clear your browsing history in Safari, try resetting your iPhone . This will restore your iPhone’s settings to default without affecting your personal data. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on General .

Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Transfer or Reset iPhone .

Step 3: Tap Reset and select Reset All Settings from the menu. Enter your iPhone’s passcode when prompted and follow the on-screen instructions.

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Last updated on 30 April, 2024

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Why Can’t I Clear My History on Safari? Solutions and Answers

• Safari allows you to clear your history for a certain length of time, or you can clear the whole thing.
• You may just need to restart your device to clear your history.
• Remember that the steps for iPhone and iPad will be roughly the same. 

If you’re having issues because you can’t clear your Safari history, know that a solution isn’t too far behind. I love using Safari for a great browsing experience, but I was recently unable to clear my history, which was giving me some problems. Fortunately, I discovered a solution to my problem. Let’s take a look at some troubleshooting steps and solutions. 

Why Is My Clear History Button Grey?

If your Clear History button is grey, the most likely reason is that you do not have any History to clear. However, you may also be experiencing a grey Clear History button due to certain Content & Privacy Restrictions within Screen Time being enabled. You can check on iPhone via Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps and ensure that Safari is enabled. Note, however, that this will require your password.

On Mac, you can disable Screen Time via System Settings > Screen Time>  Content & Privacy > Content Restrictions . Ensure Access to Web Content is set to  Unrestricted.  Of course, if you didn’t set up Screen Time in the first place, this likely isn’t your issue. Keep reading for further solutions.

How Do I Clear My Safari History and Cache?

1. how to clear your safari browser history.

If you need to clear your Safari history, you can check out our full guide here . However, note that on iOS, clearing your history is as easy as going to Settings >  Safari > Clear History and Website Data . For Mac, all you need to do is open Safari and select History > Clear History from the menu bar. With both Mac and iOS you are able to choose how much of your history you delete based on time. 

2. Disable iCloud Sync for Safari

If you’re still having issues clearing your Safari browsing history, it may just be that you need to disable iCloud sync for Safari. This default option shares your history and your reading lists across all your Apple devices. It may be the case that some history or content did not sync properly. 

Disable iCloud Sync iOS

Time needed:  2 minutes

If you need to disable iCloud Sync on iOS, follow these steps.

Disable iCloud Sync macOS

• From the Apple Menu, go to System Settings .
• Select [Your Name] .

3. Reset Network Settings (iOS Only)

If you are still looking for an effective solution to your clear history issue, you may want to consider resetting your network settings. 

• Go to the Settings app. 

4. Delete History Manually (Mac Only)

If you need to clear your Safari history on Mac and are having problems, remember you can delete your history manually. 

• While holding down the Command key, select the following items: History.db , History.db-lock , History.db.shm and History.db.wal . 

• Empty your Trash. 

Why Can’t I Clear History in Safari?

The most likely reason that you’re unable to clear your Safari history is that there is no history left to clear. However, if you’re having issues, look at basic things, such as restarting your Apple device or ensuring that Screen Time restrictions are not preventing you from clearing your history. You may also want to consider that iCloud Sync may prevent you from properly clearing your history. 

Being able to clear your entire history from Safari is incredibly useful. However, it’s only useful if it’s working correctly. Fortunately, solutions for your history clearing problems are rather easy, so there’s little to worry about. Not clearing your history can be a common issue for many users. However, a comprehensive solution is available.

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• Nick deCourville

Can’t Clear My Safari Web Browser History: Troubleshooting Steps

Michael Kay

August 16, 2024

If you’re using Safari on an Apple device, you may encounter difficulties clearing your browsing history. This could be due to device restrictions or a temporary software issue. It’s crucial to clear your history, cookies, and cache to safeguard your privacy and maintain your browsing habits private. To address this problem, start by attempting to clear your history through Safari’s settings.

If this doesn’t resolve the issue, you may need to delve deeper into the system settings. Understanding how Safari stores data and the available privacy options is important. If clearing your history directly in Safari is unsuccessful, you can try resetting network settings or clearing data from your iPhone or iPad settings.

Resolving Issues Clearing Safari History

Having trouble clearing your Safari web browser history? Don’t worry, there are a few things you can try to fix this issue.

Check for Content & Privacy Restrictions

If you’re unable to clear your Safari history, content & privacy restrictions might be the culprit. This feature, often used for parental controls, can prevent history clearing. To check:

• Go to “Settings” on your iPhone.
• Tap on “Screen Time” and then “Content & Privacy Restrictions.”
• If enabled, enter your Screen Time passcode.
• Disable “Content & Privacy Restrictions” or adjust settings to allow history clearing.

Clear History and Website Data

• Go to “Settings” > “Safari” > “Clear History and Website Data”.
• Tap “Clear History and Data” to confirm.

Restart Safari

• Double-press the Home button (or swipe up from the bottom of the screen if you have a newer iPad without a Home button) to view the app switcher.
• Swipe up on the Safari app preview to close it.
• Reopen Safari and try clearing the history again.

Restart Your Device

• Press and hold the power button until the “slide to power off” slider appears.
• Slide the slider to power off your device.
• Wait a few seconds, then press and hold the power button again until the Apple logo appears.

Check iCloud Settings

• Go to “Settings” > [Your Name] > “iCloud”.
• Make sure “Safari” is turned on. If it’s off, turn it on and wait for your data to sync.
• If “Safari” is already on, try turning it off and then back on again.

Reset Network Settings

• Go to “Settings” > “General” > “Reset” > “Reset Network Settings”.
• Enter your passcode if prompted.
• This will reset your Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, VPN and APN settings.

Reset All Settings

( Caution: This will reset all your settings, including Wi-Fi passwords and display settings. Back up your device before proceeding. )

• Go to “Settings” > “General” > “Reset” > “Reset All Settings”.

Turn Off Screen Time

If the above method fails, try turning off Screen Time completely:

• Go to “Settings.”
• Tap on “Screen Time.”
• Scroll down and tap “Turn Off Screen Time.”
• Enter your Screen Time passcode.

After turning it off, try clearing your Safari history. Remember to turn Screen Time back on if you need its features.

Other Troubleshooting Tips

• Restart your iPhone: A simple restart can sometimes resolve glitches causing the issue.
• Check for updates: Ensure your iPhone is running the latest iOS version, as updates often fix bugs.
• Clear website data: In Safari settings, try clearing website data instead of history. This might remove any data preventing history clearing.

If the Problem Persists

If you’ve tried the above steps and still can’t clear your Safari history, here are additional options:

• Reset Settings: Go to “Settings” > “General” > “Transfer or Reset iPhone” > “Reset.” Choose “Reset All Settings” and follow the instructions. This won’t erase your data, but you’ll need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords and other preferences.
• Contact Apple Support: If none of the solutions work, reach out to Apple Support for further assistance. They can help diagnose and resolve the issue.

If None of the Above Works:

• Contact Apple Support: If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps and you’re still unable to clear your Safari history, it’s time to contact Apple Support for further assistance.

Additional Tips:

• Private Browsing: If you don’t want to save your browsing history, you can use Private Browsing mode in Safari.
• Regularly Clear Your History: It’s a good practice to clear your browsing history regularly to protect your privacy and free up storage space on your device.

Remember: Clearing your history will also delete cookies and other website data, so you may need to log in to websites again after clearing your history.

Key Takeaways

• Users sometimes cannot clear Safari history due to restrictions or glitches.
• Maintaining privacy involves clearing history, cookies, and cache from Safari.
• Troubleshooting may require system settings adjustments beyond Safari’s options.

Understanding Safari History and Privacy

This section provides insights into how Safari handles your browsing history and the impact on your privacy. It also explains what happens when you clear this data from your browser.

The Role of Browsing History in Safari

Safari keeps a record of the websites you visit. This browsing history helps the browser quickly access sites you’ve been to before. Apple aims to make your web experience fast and convenient with this function.

Privacy Implications of Website Data

Website data includes cookies and caches that store information about your web activity. This data can affect your privacy because it can reveal your browsing habits.

Consequences of Clearing Safari Browsing History

When you choose to clear your browsing history in Safari, you also remove saved data like cookies. This improves privacy but can reset some settings on websites. You might need to log in again on some sites after you clear history and website data.

Steps to Clear History on Apple Devices

Clearing browsing history on Apple devices can help protect privacy and free up storage. This section provides specific steps to delete history on different devices and explores Safari’s private browsing feature, which affects how history is stored.

Clearing History on iPhone Using Settings App

To clear Safari history on an iPhone, open the Settings app . Scroll down and tap Safari . Inside, there is an option to Clear History and Website Data . Tapping this will remove history, cookies, and other browsing data. Note that this does not delete AutoFill information.

Managing Safari History on Mac

On a Mac, the process differs slightly. Open the Safari app and click Safari in the menu bar. Choose Clear History from the dropdown menu. Select a timeframe to delete history from. This action also clears cookies and the back and forward list.

Safari’s Private Browsing Mode and Its Impact

Using Private Browsing Mode in Safari prevents the browser from saving the history. To enable it, open Safari on an iPhone or Mac and tap the tabs icon . Choose Private , then tap Done . No history is saved during these browsing sessions, ensuring privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

When using Safari on an iPhone or iPad, you might sometimes face issues with deleting your browsing history. This section will help you understand why that happens and how to fix it.

Why am I unable to delete my Safari browsing history on my iPhone?

If you can’t delete your Safari history, it might be due to restrictions set on your iPhone. Check if you have any content restrictions enabled that prevent history deletion.

What steps are involved in removing Safari history on an iPhone with Restrictions enabled?

To remove Safari history with Restrictions, go to ‘Settings’, then ‘Screen Time’, and tap ‘Content & Privacy Restrictions’. Enter your Screen Time passcode if required, and adjust the settings that control website data.

How can I erase my Safari search history if it’s not working on my iPad?

If your iPad is not allowing you to erase Safari history, try rebooting your device. If that doesn’t work, check for restrictions as you would on an iPhone.

In what situations is Safari browsing history unable to be cleared?

Safari browsing history may not clear if there is a software glitch, if your device has restrictions enabled, or if your iCloud settings are syncing history across devices.

How do you remove the browser cache in Safari on an iOS device?

To remove the browser cache in Safari on an iOS device, go to ‘Settings’, scroll down and tap ‘Safari’, then select ‘Clear History and Website Data’.

What could prevent the deletion of browsing history in Safari on an iPhone?

Prevention of deletion may be due to iCloud sync issues, content restrictions, low storage, or an unresponsive Safari app. Check these areas to determine the cause.

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How-To Geek

How to clear safari's browsing history and cookies on macos.

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Quick Links

How to delete your browsing history in safari, how to automatically delete your browsing history on safari, how to clear your cookies on safari, key takeaways.

To clear your history on Safari, click the "History" button at the top, then select "Clear History." You can also set Safari to clear your browsing history automatically by going to Preferences > General, then set "Remove History Items" to the time frame you want.

You may not have anything to hide when we surf the Internet, but you still may want to clear your history every now and then. Here's how you can clear your browsing history in Safari on MacOS.

On Safari, all you do is click the "History" button at the top of the screen then select "Clear History" at the bottom of the list.

Once you do this, you will be given a choice: you can select "the last hour," "today," "today and yesterday," and "all history" from a drop-down menu. Once you've decided, click the "Clear History" button and the history will be clear per your preference.

If you simply want to clear part of your history, you can click "Show History" ("Command + Y").

Click on the site or use the "Command" key to select several sites, then press the "Delete" key. You can also click "Clear History" in the upper right corner to remove everything all at once.

You can also right-click a history entry to delete it.

Related: How to Clear History, Cache, and Cookies in Safari on iPhone or iPad

You can also set Safari to automatically clear your history every so often. When you open up the Safari preference ("Command + ,"), click the "General" tab, and select the "Remove History items" option.

You can decide when or if your history is automatically deleted after one day, one week, two weeks, one month, one year, or you can keep your history indefinitely by selecting the manual option.

To clear cookies in Safari, while you're in Safari's preferences, click on the "Privacy" tab and click "Manage Website Data."

On this page, you will see all the cookies stored on your Mac. You can right-click a specific cookie and select "Delete" to remove it, or you can hold the "Command" button and select several at once.

If you want to remove all of your cookies, click "Remove All" at the bottom of the window.

You will be asked to confirm you want to "remove all data stored by websites on your computer."

Keep in mind that, if you do this, any websites you might have personalized will be removed, and you will be logged out of all websites (though it should be easy to log back in if you've saved your username and password).

Related: How to Block Third-Party Cookies in Every Web Browser

Clearing your history and cookies isn't necessarily sneaky. It's good to be privacy-conscious because there are often times when someone will ask to use your computer for a minute. You may not be looking at anything untoward or scandalous, but then again, you don't necessarily want just anyone knowing what you've been looking at or reading.

• Web Browsers

Why Can’t I Clear My History on Safari Mac

Clearing your browsing history can be beneficial for several reasons, including (but definitely not limited to) protecting your privacy and clearing some storage space on your Mac. But what can you do if you can’t clear your history on Safari on your Mac?

As an Apple computer tech, I’ve seen this issue come across my desk several times. The good news is that there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take to get Safari working again and clear your history.

Let’s get to it.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Fix 1: clearing your history, fix 2: restart your mac, fix 3: update macos, fix 4: content restrictions, fix 5: turn off icloud syncing, fix 6: delete manually , fix 7: keep your mac free from junk, final thoughts.

• Typically, clearing the history for Safari is a very easy and streamlined process. Simply open the history menu and click Clear History . You can also try updating macOS and restarting your Mac in order to make Safari cooperate.
• Apple has (somewhat) recently added a content restriction feature that, if it is set with the right combination of settings, can prevent you from clearing your history. The Clear History option will appear grayed out. I’ll show you which settings to turn off when you need to clear your history. 
• iCloud Syncing with your other Safari-enabled devices can also create trouble when clearing your history. You can try to clear history, but all websites and cookies may not be removed .  We’ll show you how to turn off iCloud sharing in order to allow yourself to fully clear your history. 
• If all else fails, you can still manually clear your browsing history from Safari.

7 Fixes for When Safari Won’t Clear History

If you are finding that you are trying to clear your search history and you can’t seem to figure out why it isn’t working, I’m here to help! I will give you several reasons as to why your Safari history is not clearing and walk you through the ways to fix them.

First, in order to know that we are unable to clear our history on Safari, you need to know how to do so. Take the following steps:

With Safari Open, Click the History Menu at the top of your screen and hit Clear History from the drop-down menu.

In the pop-up, decide which time frame you would like to delete the history for: the last hour, today, yesterday, or even all of your history.

Click Clear History to confirm.

Your Safari may be frozen, hung up on a stuck process, or otherwise unable to access its own storage space. If this is the case, the easiest way to fix this is by restarting your Mac . 

Restarting your Mac allows for all the current processes that are running to stop and allows for the computer to access your Safari history again.

Using the Apple Menu, Click Restart.

Let your Mac restart automatically, then try clearing your history again. If that does not work, proceed to the next step.

Another reason why you may not be able to clear your history on Safari is that there could be a problem with the software. If that is the case, then updating macOS might be helpful because Safari is an application that is managed and updated through macOS. 

If Apple is aware of a specific problem and released a fix for it, then macOS will be your way to get it resolved. To update your system, take the following steps:

In the Apple Menu at the top of your screen, choose System Settings.

In the General tab on the left, Navigate to Software Update. If a software update is found, follow the onscreen instructions to complete the macOS update.

If you are attempting to clear your history using the instructions above, but the items appear “grayed out,” then you may have some content restrictions set up that do not allow you to clear your history. 

Content Restrictions are a relatively new feature on MacBooks, and one of the features restricts the ability to clear history . This is to provide higher safety for children and teens who may be using your Mac. 

To disable these content restrictions, take the following steps: 

In the Apple Menu, Select System Settings.

Navigate to Screen Time and Content & Privacy under the Restrictions Section.

If this is turned on, choose Content Restrictions.

The Access to Web Content setting being set to “Allowed Websites Only” appears to disallow the user from clearing the history for many people.

If you have children or teens using your MacBook and you choose to have these restrictions turned on, you will need to change it to Unrestricted Access or turn off the restrictions completely in order to clear your history.

If you do not have a need for restrictions, I recommend turning Content and Privacy off Completely.

Another feature that may cause interference in your ability to delete your history on Safari is iCloud Syncing. iCloud Syncing with Safari can be a very helpful tool, but can prevent your Mac from being able to delete your Safari history. 

By turning off iCloud Sync for Safari momentarily, you may be able to clear your history. To do this, take the following steps:

Using the Apple Menu, click on System Settings.

Next, choose your Name on the Left and select iCloud.

Under Apps Using iCloud, Choose Show All.

Finally, turn off iCloud for Safari by clicking on the blue switch. This will disallow Safari to sync over iCloud.

Attempt to clear your history again and, if desired, turn iCloud for Safari back on. 

Lastly, if all else fails, you can also try to delete your Safari history manually. Your Mac stores your history in 4 primary files, which are titled History.db, History.db-lock, History.db-shm, and History.db-wal. 

Note : You may not be able to see all 4 files—this is ok! You might not have all of them. You also don’t need to worry about replacing the files manually. When you delete these files, you are deleting the history, and the files will be recreated when you open Safari again. 

With Finder open, click Go from the menu at the top of your screen and select Go to Folder from the drop-down.

Type ~/Library/Safari to find the folder that contains the files for Safari history

Select the 4 files that are named “History” . Drag and Drop them into the trash. To select all 4 files at the same time, press the shift key and click on each file.

Voila! You should now have a clear browsing history on Safari.

If you want to prevent unexpected issues, such as not being able to clear your history on Safari, from happening again, you should keep your Mac’s software as optimized as possible . There are many ways to do this, but the most convenient way is to use a comprehensive Mac cleaner and maintenance suite.

One of my favorite apps for keeping an eye on the health of my Mac is CleanMyMac X . This app has tons of built-in features for making sure your Mac runs smoothly, such as a malware scanner, disk-space analyzer, and junk file removal tool.

Clearing out system junk, running optimization tasks, and freeing up disk space are activities that you should carry out at least occasionally. To do so, just download and install CleanMyMac X, and select one of the options from the left sidebar. If you’ve never scanned your computer before, a quick Smart Scan should reveal plenty of opportunities to clean things up.

Plus, when you’re not actively scanning, you still have a handy tray icon to keep an eye on your Mac’s health.

While not a free app, it does go a long way in preventing unforeseen issues and minor bugs in Safari and other built-in software. 

I have discussed several reasons why you may be unable to clear your history on the Safari application. Additionally, there are explanations as to how to fix all of these reasons and even an “if all else fails” solution. 

These items included restarting your Mac and updating macOS, but I also discussed things like content restrictions, iCloud syncing, and manually clearing history using Finder. Restarting your Mac and updating macOS are simpler tasks that can help reset any processes that are causing issues when you are trying to clear your history. 

Content restrictions and iCloud syncing are items that you can find in your settings that can also potentially conflict with your ability to clear Safari history. Lastly, manually clearing your history is a last-resort type of item that should work if the other items in this article do not. 

If you want to prevent issues like this from happening again, it is a good idea to keep your Mac clean and optimized with a program like CleanMyMac X . 

Which of these solutions worked for you? Did you learn anything about Safari that you did not know before?  Let us know in the comments!

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How to clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad

Clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad in a few simple steps

You'll definitely want to know how to clear Safari browsing history on iPhone and iPad . Know how to delete browsing history is part of basic user operation on all your devices, and is especially if you share devices with others. 

Luckily, deleting browsing history on Safari is easy and can be done in just a few taps, and is the same on iOS and iPadOS, so whether you're using an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPad Air , these steps will apply.

Remember, though, that deleting your browsing history only stops your activity being visible on that device. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will still be able to see the webpages you have visited. If you want to stop that, for ultimate privacy, you'll need to use one of the best VPN services .

The following screenshots were taken on an iPhone running iOS 17 . If you aren't running the latest version of your device's OS, we can show you how to update an iPhone or how to update an iPad .

• In Safari, tap the book icon
• Go to the history tab (clock)
• Select how far back to clear

Read on to see full illustrated instructions.

1. In Safari, tap the book icon

Firstly, open Safari and tap the book icon in the bottom bar.

2. Select the history tab (clock icon) and tap Clear

Now select the history tab (clock icon) and tap Clear at the bottom.

3. Select how far back to clear and tap Delete

Now choose how far back you'd like to delete : last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time.

If you like, you can toggle on Close All Tabs , which will close every open tab that isn't in a tab group (we can show you how to use tab groups if you aren't sure).

Finally, when you're happy, hit Delete .

As you can see in the screenshot above, if you now go back to the history tab, your history will have been deleted.

For more iPhone tutorials, check out our guides on how to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone , how to clear RAM on iPhone , how to delete multiple contacts on iPhone and how to rearrange the iOS 17 Messages '+' menu .

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How to Clear Safari Browsing History and Cache

Whenever you browse the web in Safari, the browser stores website data so that it doesn't have to download it again each time you revisit a site. In theory this should speed up your browsing experience, but there are some scenarios where you might want to clear the cache and start anew. Keep reading to learn how it's done on Mac, iPhone , and iPad .

If a site you regularly frequent has elements that have stopped working, or if a site has stopped loading completely, there may be a conflict between an older version of it that Safari has cached and a newer one.

Or perhaps you simply want to protect your privacy by wiping the slate clean and removing all the data associated with websites you've visited. Either way, here's how it's done on macOS and iOS.

How to Clear Safari's Cache on Mac

There are two ways to clear Safari's cache on a Mac. The first method outlined below deletes everything relating to a website you've visited, including not only the cached versions of the site, but also cookies and any other related data. The second method described offers a more targeted approach and clears only Safari's cache, but it does involve enabling a hidden menu.

• Launch Safari browser on your Mac.

How to Clear Safari's Cache on iPhone and iPad

Note that the following steps clear all history, cookies and website data on your device, regardless of when the sites were accessed.

• Launch the Settings app on your iOS device.
• Scroll down and select Safari .
• Scroll down and select Clear History and Website Data .
• Choose the timeframe to clear ( Last hour , Today , Today and yesterday , or All history ), choose the profile or select All Profiles , then tap Clear History .

For another way to protect your privacy while browsing the web, be sure to check out our guide on how to use Safari's Private Browsing Mode .

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Fixed: Can’t Clear History in Safari on iPhone & iPad

Clearing your browsing history in Safari has many benefits, such as protecting your personal information and freeing up space to keep the browser running smoothly. However, you might have noticed that the Clear History and Website Data button is grayed out or that some websites are still there after your attempt. If you are wondering why you can't delete your Safari history, don't worry! We will explain why and provide solutions to fix the problem.

Disable Content & Privacy Restrictions

Unsync safari over icloud, delete all items in safari reading list, block cookies, restart, reset, or restore.

Content & Privacy Restrictions is a feature that sets up age limits and protects children from inappropriate content. This feature can prevent you from deleting your browsing data in Safari. Please read our article about Content & Privacy Restrictions . 

With iCloud, your browsing history is synced across all your Apple devices. As a result, it can occasionally lead to items reappearing in the browsing history of your iPhone or iPad. Here's how to stop Safari from syncing over iCloud.

If the tips mentioned above don't solve the issue, you will need to use basic troubleshooting solutions. First, restart your device. If that fails, reset your settings, and if that also fails, restore the device to factory settings. For reference, read our article that will guide you on how to do these basic troubleshooting solutions . 

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How To Clear History On Safari With Restrictions On

Are you looking for a way to clear your Safari history with restrictions on? Whether you’re trying to protect your privacy, or just want to start fresh, it’s important to know how to wipe your browser history clean.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how to clear your Safari history and website data with restrictions. We’ll discuss what restrictions are, how they work, and why they can be useful. Plus, we’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to stop syncing Safari over iCloud and erase Safari history for each device.

What are Restrictions? Restrictions are settings that allow you to limit what content can be accessed on an iPhone or iPad. You can control access to websites, apps, music, and more through the Content & Privacy Restrictions section in Screen Time. By enabling these restrictions, parents can ensure their kids aren’t exposed to potentially harmful content when browsing the web.

Why Clear Your Safari History With Restrictions On? Clearing your Safari history is important for protecting your privacy online. Your web browser stores cookies from visited websites and other information about your browsing activity. This data can be used by advertisers and tech companies to target you with ads or build a profile of your online behavior. By clearing this data regularly, you can help protect yourself from potential privacy invasions.

How To Stop Syncing Safari Over iCloud And Erase History With Restrictions On: 1) Go To Settings > Apple ID Profile > iCloud > Toggle Safari Off Start by going into the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad and tap the Apple ID Profile button at the top of the screen. From there, select iCloud and turn off the toggle switch next to Safari in order to stop it from syncing over iCloud. If necessary, turn it back on again before turning it off once more in order for changes to take effect across all connected devices. 2) Erase Safari History For Each Device: Once syncing has been stopped across all devices, return to the Settings app and go into Screen Time under Content & Privacy Restrictions. Here you will find an option labeled “Erase All Website Data” which will delete all stored cookies and website data associated with Safari on that particular device. Make sure this setting is greyed out before moving onto another device as this means there is no longer any history or website data left to clear.

By following these steps, you will be able to erase all traces of your browsing activity while still having restrictions enabled in order to safeguard against unwanted content while using Safari on iOS devices like iPhones or iPads!

Clearing Search History on Safari When It Won’t Let You

Clearing search history on Safari can sometimes be tricky, but it’s possible. First, try restarting your device. If that doesn’t work, you can try the following steps: 1. Open the Settings app and locate Safari in the list of apps. 2. Tap ‘Clear History and Website Data’. 3. Confirm by tapping ‘Clear’ when prompted. 4. Return to the Settings app and select ‘Reset Network Settings’. This will clear any stored data related to networks or websites that may be causing the issue. 5. Finally, restart your device again and launch Safari to see if this has fixed the issue with clearing the search history.

Why Is the ‘Clear History’ Option Greyed Out in Safari on iPhone?

Clear history in Safari on iPhone can become greyed out when there is no existing history or website data to clear. It can also be grey if you have web content restrictions set up under Content & Privacy Restrictions in the Screen Time feature.

Forcing Clear Browsing History

To force clear your browsing history, you can open Chrome on your computer. At the top right, click More and then select More tools. From there, select Clear browsing data. At the top, you can choose a time range to delete specific items or select All time to delete everything. Make sure to check the boxes next to “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files” before clicking Clear data. This will force clear your browsing history so that all of your past visits to websites are removed from your computer.

Forcing the Deletion of Search History

To force delete your search history, you’ll need to open the browser’s settings menu. In most browsers, this can be done by clicking the Menu icon in the top right corner of the window. From there, select ‘History’ or ‘Clear Browsing Data’. You will then be presented with a list of options for clearing your browsing data. Make sure to check ‘Clear Search History’ and any other data you would like to delete, then click ‘Clear Data’. Depending on your browser, you may need to confirm this action or wait a few moments for the process to complete. Once finished, your search history should have been cleared.

Turning Off Restrictions on an iPhone

To turn off restrictions on your iPhone, open the Settings app and tap on General. Under General, you’ll see an option for Restrictions. Tap on this option to access the restrictions settings. Here, you can toggle off the switch beside “Enable Restrictions” to disable any restrictions you may have previously enabled. You may be asked to enter your Passcode or FaceID in order to complete this process. Once you’ve done so, any previously enabled restrictions will be disabled and you can access all of your phone’s features as normal.

Clearing Greyed Out iPhone History

If you’re using Screen Time to enable limited web access, you may find that the option for Clear History and Website Data is greyed out. To resolve this issue, there are a few steps you can take. First, try restarting your iPhone. This should fix the problem in most cases. If that doesn’t work, then you can try resetting all settings on your iPhone. Keep in mind that this will erase any settings you have altered or added so make sure to back up any important information before proceeding. If neither of these solutions works, then contact Apple Support for further help.

Turning Off Web Restrictions on an iPhone

To turn off web restrictions on your iPhone, go to Settings and tap Screen Time. Enter your Screen Time passcode, then tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Next, tap Content Restrictions and select Web Content. Finally, choose Unrestricted Access to completely turn off web restrictions.

Safari is a great browser for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. It gives users access to a variety of helpful features like iCloud syncing, web content restrictions, and the ability to clear browsing history. To ensure the security and privacy of your data, it’s important to stop syncing Safari over iCloud on all devices and erase any existing Safari history for each device. By taking these steps you can be sure that your private data is secure.

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Clear your browsing history

You can remove all records that Safari keeps of where you’ve browsed during a period of time you choose. If your Mac and your other devices have the iCloud Safari feature turned on, your browsing history is removed from all of them. Clearing your browsing history in Safari doesn’t clear any browsing histories kept independently by websites you visited.

Open Safari for me

Choose History > Clear History and Website Data, then click the pop-up menu and choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared.

When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including:

History of webpages you visited

The back and forward list for open webpages

Top Sites that aren’t marked as permanent

Frequently visited site list

Cookies and website data saved while visiting webpages

Recent searches

Icons for open webpages

Snapshots saved for open webpages

List of items you downloaded (downloaded files aren’t removed)

Websites added for Quick Website Search

Websites that asked to use your location

Websites that asked to send you notifications

Websites with plug-in content you started by clicking a Safari Power Saver notice

Responses to requests to let websites use WebGL

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Disable "clear history" from safari?

I want to disable the "clear history" feature from my iPhone. How can I do this?

I have an iPhone SE. Thanks

iPhone SE (3rd generation)

Posted on Aug 29, 2023 5:06 AM

Posted on Aug 29, 2023 9:42 AM

The short answer is it can't be done, but it might help if you were to explain your need to do that. For example, perhaps Private Browsing will meet your requirements: Browse privately in Safari on iPhone - Apple Support

When you use Private Browsing, "Safari won't remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information." — Turn Private Browsing on or off on your iPhone - Apple Support

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Aug 29, 2023 9:42 AM in response to auldsport

Aug 29, 2023 12:16 PM in response to John Galt

I have one device, and it is shared among three. Two of the three are minors and they keep deleting history to hide whatever they are up to and it is screwing up my saved settings on my phone. Here is a silly example - it clears my history from Wordle and I can't see how many 3s I have accumulated :) - I am glad for wordle because that is how it came to my attention. I do not wish to deprive them of any device use, but my entreaties to stop deleting history have gone unheeded. I have limit adult content set up on my phone already, so either it doesn't work or they are hiding something that doesn't count as adult content. Luckily they don't know about private browsing.

Aug 29, 2023 1:28 PM in response to auldsport

auldsport wrote:

I have one device, and it is shared among three.

You are asking for trouble by doing that. Do not share your Apple ID. One person = one Apple ID:

Make sure that each family member has a unique Apple ID - Apple Support

Keep Apple IDs separate from one another. From https://appleid.apple.com/faq:

Can I share an Apple ID with someone else?

Your Apple ID should not be shared with anyone else.

There is no need to deprive anyone of anything. Use Family Sharing: Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support

Aug 29, 2023 3:53 PM in response to John Galt

Oh well, two more devices are not in the cards so they have to share mine for now.

Aug 29, 2023 5:32 PM in response to auldsport

There's alway another birthday coming up.

Safari User Guide

• Get started
• Go to a website
• Bookmark web pages to revisit
• See your favourite websites
• Use tabs for web pages
• Import bookmarks and passwords
• Pay with Apple Pay
• Autofill credit card info
• View links from friends
• Keep a Reading List
• Hide ads when reading
• Translate a web page
• Download items from the web
• Add passes to Wallet
• Save part or all of a web page
• Print or create a PDF of a web page
• Interact with text in a picture
• Change your home page
• Customise a start page
• Create a profile
• Block pop-ups
• Make Safari your default web browser
• Hide your email address
• Manage cookies
• Clear your browsing history
• Browse privately
• Prevent cross-site tracking
• See who tried to track you
• Change Safari settings
• Keyboard and other shortcuts

Clear your browsing history in Safari on Mac

You can remove all records that Safari keeps of where you’ve browsed during a period of time you choose. If your Mac and your other Apple devices have iCloud set up for Safari , your browsing history is removed from all of them. Clearing your browsing history in Safari doesn’t clear any browsing histories kept independently by websites you visited.

Open Safari for me

Choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared.

When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including:

History of web pages you visited

The back and forward list for open web pages

Frequently visited site list

Recent searches

Icons for web pages

Snapshots saved for open web pages

List of items you downloaded (downloaded files aren’t removed)

Websites added for Quick Website Search

Websites that asked to use your location

Websites that asked to send you notifications