How To Browsers What is Browsing History? Browsing History: What It Is and How It Can Be Managed or Deleted Share Pin Email Print KTSDESIGN/Getty Images Browsers Key Concepts Basics Installing & Upgrading Guides & Tutorials Tips & Tricks Mobile Browsers by Scott Orgera Scott Orgera is a former writer who covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications. Updated June 24, 2019 Browsing history is comprised of a record of Web pages that you have visited in past browsing sessions, and typically includes the name of the Web page/site as well as its corresponding URL. This log is stored by the browser on your device's local hard drive and can be utilized for a number of purposes which include providing on-the-fly suggestions as you type a URL or website name into the address bar. In addition to browsing history, other private data components are also saved during a browsing session. Cache, cookies, saved passwords, etc. are sometimes referred to under the browsing history umbrella. This is somewhat misleading and can be confusing, as each of these browsing data components has their own purpose and format. How Can I Manage My Browsing History? Each Web browser has its own unique interface which allows you to manage and/or delete browsing history from your hard drive. The following tutorials show you how this is done in some of the most popular browsers. Manage and Delete Browsing Data Components in Microsoft EdgeManaging Browsing History and Other Data in Internet Explorer 10Deleting Browsing History and Other Private Data From Google ChromeHow to Powerwash a Google ChromebookManaging Private Data in Safari 8 for OS XClearing Private Data in Safari for WindowsManaging and Deleting Browsing History in Firefox How Can I Stop Browsing History From Being Stored? In addition to being able to delete your browsing history, most browsers also provide a private browsing mode which -- when active -- ensures that this history is automatically cleared at the end of the current browsing session. The following tutorials detail these special modes in several major browsers. How to Activate InPrivate Browsing Mode in Microsoft EdgeHow to Activate InPrivate Browsing Mode in Internet Explorer 11How to Enable Private Browsing Mode in MaxthonHow to Activate Private Browsing in FirefoxHow to Use Private Browsing Mode in OperaHow to Use Guest Browsing Mode in Google Chrome for Linux, Mac or WindowsHow to Activate Private Browsing Mode in Safari for OS X Continue Reading