In a Mac, web browsing history is the list of pages we visit. It usually contains the web address of the page, browsing date and time. Web browsers provide this facility in order to facilitate its customers in case they want to track back to the pages they visited and maintain a history of web browsing.
Besides this, web browsers also maintain this history. Each of these links is traceable and useable by the users. It can be helpful for some users, but for most of us, it has privacy issues. You need to wipe these browser history out of your Mac for protecting privacy. In this specific article, we are going to share how to clear browser history on Mac, please read on!
What Does Browsing Data Include
As we mentioned above, the browsing history on a Mac is a list of pages we visit, and here is the question: what does it include? Below are the main types of the browsing history, let’s discover more.
1. HTML5 Local Storage
These are very similar to cookies. This is where web browsers save named key /value pairs inside a client’s web browsers. The saved data remains at its place even if you close a browser or move away to another website. It happens because HTML5 Local Storage is integrated into web browsers by default.
2. Browser History
These are web pages you've opened in the browsers, like Safari, Chrome and Firefox. They are also one of the most obvious things to be taken care of and to be deleted while you are using these main browsers.
3. Cache
Safari, Firefox, and Chrome often store local copies of graphics on your Mac that help them to load pages more quickly, and they are called browser cache. These also need to be deleted permanently to keep your Mac clean.
4. Download History
Above browsers also maintain a list of downloaded files history which you have downloaded in the specific time frame. These are not the actual files but the reference links to these downloaded files.
5. Cookies
These are the small-sized files which browsers store when we visit their websites. They help websites to recognize you and provide information accordingly.
6. Autofill
This contains all login information to different websites you visit and log in. They are very important if you want to keep your login details safe. To delete internet history on Mac, these information are also included.
7. Site Preferences
It is the actual data that a website may have stored about you such as your email address, your favorite color, etc. You might consider to remove them if you want websites to lose the date that you once stored on them.
Should I Clear My Browsing History on Mac
1. Protect Your Privacy
Web browsers are made in a way that they each and every activity we perform while using the internet is recorded. Whether you are using a private computer or shared, privacy is always first. You never know when someone breaks into your Mac and hack your personal information. It could be something very sensitive such as the passwords of your online banking, emails passwords, credit card details, etc. it is better to delete browsing history on mac rather than regretting later.
2. Make Your Browsers Run More Efficiently
The browsing history on Mac include a lot of different information. When these files pile up over time, they will slow your browsers. So clearing them is very helpful to make the browsers runs smoother.
After knowing the basic information of browsing history, here is the point: How to clear your browsing history on a Mac? Below we will introduce two main ways to get it done, the first one is to turn to powerful Mac cleaning softwares for help.
One-Click Solution to Delete All Browsing History on Mac
There is a great Mac cleaning app available in the market for all your privacy history deletion. It is called Umate Mac Cleaner, which can efficiently clean up and optimize your Mac in an easier way. The app is more than a Mac cleanup tool. It also offers other ways to optimize your Mac, like Erase Private Data, Speed up Mac and Manage Application & Extensions.
In terms of “Erase Private Data” feature, that is how Umate Mac Cleaner function on how to erase history on Mac. It can wipe all browser traces, including HTML5 local storage, autofills, cookies and download history.
Deleting browsing history with Umate Mac Cleaner is very simple. Just follow these simple steps to get started:
Step 1.Install the Umate Mac Cleaner.
Step 2.Choose “Erase Private Data” tab and hit Scan button for locating the private stuff including browsing history.
Step 3.Select unwanted browsing history and click Erase to wipe them out of your Mac.
If You Want to Clear Browsing History on Mac Manually
If you are a regular user of internet and want to clear these browsing history on Mac without using a third-party app, you may wish to know how to carry out this task on different browsers. Below is the detailed step by step guide on how to clear history on Mac while using safari, chrome, and Firefox browsers.
Delete Browsing History on Safari
- Launch Safari browser.
- Click on the history tab.
- Click show all history.
- Click on the triangular arrow to display history if a particular day.
- Click “Clear history”.
Delete Browsing History on Chrome
- Open Google chrome.
- Click history in the menu bar.
- Click show full history.
- Click “Clear browsing data”.
- Click the time range you want to delete (today, yesterday or the beginning of time).
- Click “Clear browsing data”.
Delete Browsing History on Firefox
- Open Firefox browser.
- Click History in the menu bar.
- Click Show all history.
- Select time period.
- Click “Clear recent history”.
- Choose “Browsing and download history”.
- Click “Clear now”.
Comparison: Umate Mac Cleaner Vs Manual Ways
As compared to above mentioned manual operations, Umate Mac Cleaner is just one click operation and its super-fast. It saves you precious time and the hassle you have to go through in order to find the right options from the menus of your favorite browsers.
| Methods | Difficulty | Time Needed | Functionality | Overall Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umate Mac Cleaner | Very easy to use with intuitive user interface. | 3 min | Erase browsing history completely without remaining traces. | |
| Manual Ways | The steps are a little complicated. | About 20 min | Can not thoroughly wipe all browsing history. |
Bottom line
Your internet history is stored on Mac in the form of caches, logs, old files and it stays there until you find a solution to delete them once and for all. Umate Mac Cleaner is a highly effective app if you want to save your time and enjoy a hassle-free time on your Mac devices. You can download the app now to delete browsing history on a Mac and keep your browsers clean.
