Clear Address Bar

Internet privacy involves more than just keeping the data you transmit safe. You may also prefer that others not have evidence of the websites that you visit. This is especially true for those who share a household computer or who must use a shared computer at work. Here's how to clear the address bar in most of the browsers used today.

Steps

Internet Explorer

  1. Launch Internet Explorer.
  2. Click "Tools," and then click "Internet Options."
  3. Check the "Delete browsing history on exit" button,
    • then click the Delete button under the Browsing History subheading to clear the browser history.
    • The Delete Browsing History window will open. For the best security, make sure that all options are checked, including "Form data," "Passwords" and "InPrivate Filtering data." Click the Delete button and wait for the process to complete.
  4. Close the Internet Options window by clicking Apply and then the OK buttons.

Firefox

  1. Open the Firefox browser
  2. Access the Options window by clicking "Tools" on the main menu, then choosing "Options."
  3. Select the Privacy tab in the Options window to clear the history.
    • Here you can establish privacy options for future use by selecting your preferred option under the History subheading.
  4. Set the location bar to suggest "Nothing."
  5. Click the linked phrase, "clear your recent history."
    • You can choose to delete your browsing history from only the most recent activity within the last hour or 2, th​e current day or everything.
  6. Choose your preferred option and click the "Clear now" button. Wait a few moments for the activity to complete, then click the OK button.

Chrome

  1. Launch the Chrome browser.
  2. Go to options at the upper right side of the browser then click on Settings.
    • The Options menu will launch in a new tab in the same browser window where you can clear the history.
  3. Under "Settings" from the option types, click "Advanced Settings". Then look for "Clear Browsing Data" under Privacy.
    • Set the period you want to clear the history from and select the data types you will be deleting. For the highest security, select all data types and clear "From the beginning of time."
  4. Finish the process by clicking the Clear Browsing Data button and then closing the Options tab.

Safari

  1. Use the dock area to launch the Safari browser.
  2. Click "History" on the main toolbar, then click the Clear the History option at the bottom of the drop down menu.

Tips

  • You can always clear individual entries from the address bar in most browsers by clicking the down arrow, moving your cursor over the entry to highlight it, and pressing the Delete key on your keyboard. In Chrome, clear individual entries by pressing Ctrl+H while in the browser and then selecting the entries you wish to delete.
  • Check to be sure that your history has been successfully cleared and is not shown by clicking the down arrow at the right edge of the address bar. You have successfully cleared your address bar if nothing is listed other than your home page.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer
  • Web browser​​

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Sources and Citations

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