Browsing history is a record of the websites you’ve visited, searches you’ve made, and other activities performed during your time on the web. While this can be helpful for revisiting previously visited pages, it can also pose a privacy risk. If you prefer a clean slate or want to ensure your privacy, Microsoft Edge makes it easy to view and delete your browsing history.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps to view and delete your browsing history in Microsoft Edge, as well as offer some helpful tips for managing your data.
Why Should You Clear Your Browsing History?
Clearing your browsing history can be beneficial for several reasons:
- Privacy: Erasing your history helps protect your privacy, especially if others share your computer or device.
- Performance: Deleting history, cached data, and cookies can free up space and potentially speed up your browser.
- Troubleshooting: If you’re experiencing issues with websites loading incorrectly, clearing your browsing history can help resolve these problems.
How to View Browsing History in Microsoft Edge
Viewing your browsing history in Microsoft Edge is simple and gives you quick access to the sites you’ve visited. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge
Start by launching the Microsoft Edge browser on your computer.
Step 2: Access the History Menu
There are several ways to open your browsing history in Edge:
- Using the Keyboard Shortcut:
- Press Ctrl + H on your keyboard. This will instantly open the History sidebar.
- Using the Edge Menu:
- Click the three horizontal dots (also known as the “More” menu) in the top-right corner of the Edge window.
- From the drop-down menu, select History.
- Alternatively, you can click History in the toolbar on the left side of the window (if available).
- Using the Settings Menu:
- Go to Settings by clicking on the three dots (or pressing Alt + F) and selecting Settings.
- In the Settings menu, go to Privacy, Search, and Services.
- Under the Clear Browsing Data section, click Choose what to clear to manage your browsing history.
Step 3: Browse Through Your History
In the History tab, you’ll be able to see a list of websites you’ve recently visited, along with timestamps of when you accessed them. You can scroll through the list, search for a specific page, or even filter your history by date.
How to Delete Browsing History in Microsoft Edge
If you want to remove all or part of your browsing history, Edge provides a straightforward way to do so. Follow these steps to delete your browsing history:
Step 1: Open the History Menu
Follow the steps above to open the History menu, either using the Ctrl + H keyboard shortcut or the Edge menu.
Step 2: Delete Specific Items from History
If you only want to delete individual items from your browsing history, you can do so easily:
- In the History section, locate the entry you want to delete.
- Hover over the item, and you will see three vertical dots (options) appear next to the URL.
- Click the three dots, and select Delete.
- The selected history entry will be removed from your browsing history.
Step 3: Clear All Browsing History
To clear all your browsing history, including cookies, cache, and site data, follow these steps:
- Open the Edge Menu: Click the three dots in the top-right corner of the browser.
- Select “Settings”: From the drop-down menu, choose Settings.
- Navigate to Privacy Settings:
- In the Settings window, select Privacy, Search, and Services from the left-hand menu.
- Scroll down to the Clear Browsing Data section and click Choose what to clear.
- Select Data to Delete:
- In the pop-up window, you’ll be given options to clear Browsing history, Download history, Cookies, Cached images and files, and more.
- Select Browsing history along with any other data you want to delete (such as cookies or cached files).
- Choose the Time Range:
- From the drop-down menu, select the time range for which you want to clear data. You can choose:
- Last hour
- Last 24 hours
- Last 7 days
- Last 4 weeks
- All time
- Select All time to remove all data accumulated since you started using Edge.
- From the drop-down menu, select the time range for which you want to clear data. You can choose:
- Clear the Data: Click Clear now to remove your selected data.
Additional Tips for Managing Your Browsing History
- Enable Private Browsing (InPrivate Mode): If you don’t want Microsoft Edge to record your browsing history, you can use InPrivate browsing. To open an InPrivate window, press Ctrl + Shift + N or go to the Edge menu and select New InPrivate window. InPrivate mode doesn’t save your browsing history, cookies, or temporary files.
- Manage Cookies and Site Data: To further protect your privacy, you can also manage your cookies and site data by going to Settings > Privacy, Search, and Services and clicking on Choose what to clear every time you close the browser.
- Sync History Across Devices: If you’re signed in with a Microsoft account, you can sync your browsing history across devices. To manage this, go to Settings > Profiles > Sync, and select which data you want to sync (e.g., history, passwords, etc.).
- Use Edge’s “Manage History” Feature: To organize and search through your browsing history efficiently, use the Manage History option available under the History menu. It allows you to filter or search for specific pages.
Conclusion
Viewing and deleting your browsing history in Microsoft Edge is a simple process that can enhance your privacy and free up space on your device. Whether you want to erase individual entries or clear everything, the browser offers flexible options to help you manage your data.
By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily keep your browsing history organized and make sure that your online activity remains private. Make sure to periodically clear your history if you’re concerned about your privacy or want to optimize Edge’s performance.