How to Turn Off Browsing History on Chrome

Although Chrome does not include an option to disable the browsing history, there are still ways you can maintain your privacy. If you want to browse without saving your history, you can do so in Incognito Mode. If you forget to browse incognito, or just want to cover your tracks, you can delete your browsing history manually. You can also disable certain types of history logging in your Google activity settings—and while this prevent Chrome from logging your history, disabling Web Activity will prevent your history from also being saved to your Google account.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Browsing in Incognito Mode on a Computer

1. Open Chrome on your computer. If you don't want Chrome to log the sites you visit, you can browse in Incognito Mode.
   
2. Click the three-dot menu and select . The menu is at the upper-right corner of Chrome. This opens a new private browsing window.
   
3. Visit any website in Incognito Mode. The Incognito window has an icon of a hat and glasses in the upper-left corner—make sure you use this window to browse rather than any other open Chrome windows.^[1] As long as you visit websites in this window only, your browsing history will not be saved in Google Chrome.
   
   • You are automatically signed out of your Google account when you browse in Incognito Mode. However, if you sign in to a Google product like Gmail or Maps, your history may be saved to your Google account unless you disable web activity in your Google settings.

[Edit]Browsing in Incognito Mode on a Phone or Tablet

1. Open Chrome on your Android, iPhone, or iPad. If you don't want Chrome to log the sites you visit, you can browse in Incognito Mode.
   
2. Tap the three-dot menu. It's at the top-right corner on an Android, and at the bottom-right on an iPhone or iPad.
   
3. Tap on the menu. This opens a new Incognito browsing tab.
   
4. Visit any website in Incognito Mode. You'll see an icon of a hat and glasses with the phrase "You've gone incognito" at the top of the new tab. As long as you visit websites using this tab, it will not save your browsing history.
   
   • You are automatically signed out of your Google account when you browse in Incognito Mode. However, if you sign in to a Google product like Gmail or Maps, your history may be saved to your Google account unless you disable web activity in your Google settings.

[Edit]Disabling Google Activity

1. Go to https://myactivity.google.com in Chrome. If you're not already signed in with your Google account, you'll be asked to do so.^[2]
   
   • You can use this method to disable history logging for Google Search, YouTube, Google-related app history (including Maps and Google Play), as well as your location history.
2. Click . It's in the left panel.
   
   • If you're using a phone or tablet, you may have to tap the menu at the top-left corner to see this option.
3. Review the information being logged by Google. Google breaks this page into three sections, and you can view each section's history content by clicking Manage activity beneath the option. The three options are:
   
   • Web & App Activity: This includes your Google search history, Chrome history (if selected), Maps, Android app activity, and all other Google services.
   • Location History: This is where you've used your device—even on non-Google services.
   • YouTube History: Includes videos you've watched and your searches.
4. Click any history switch to turn off logging. You can prevent Google from tracking any of the listed information. You'll get a popup that warns you about pausing logging after switching the feature off.
   
   • If you just want to prevent your browsing and website history from showing up in your Google account, you can remove the checkmark from "Include Chrome history and activities from sites, apps, and devices that use Google services." This will still not prevent Chrome from tracking your browsing history, but it'll keep it a little more separate from your Google account.
5. Click to confirm. This disables history logging for the selected data type.
   

[Edit]Deleting Browsing History on a Computer

1. Open Chrome on your computer. Although there's no way to turn off browsing history, you can delete it manually. Try to get into the habit of deleting it after every session.
   
   • If you are signed in to Chrome with your Google account when you delete your browsing history, it will also delete your Chrome browsing history on other devices, such as your Android, iPhone, or iPad.
2. Click the three-dot menu and select . The menu is at the top-right corner of Chrome.
   
3. Click the tab. It's in the left panel.
   
4. Click . It's at the top of the page.
   
5. Select from the drop-down menu. This ensures that you're deleting your entire browsing history, not just from a brief period of time.
   
6. Select items to delete. By default, your browsing history, cookies, site data, and cached files will all be marked for deletion. Use the checkboxes to toggle items on or off.
   
   • To delete more saved info, click the Advanced tab for additional options.
7. Click . A confirmation message will appear. Click again to confirm. This deletes the selected items.
   

[Edit]Deleting Browsing History on a Phone or Tablet

1. Open Chrome on your Android, iPhone, or iPad. Although there's no way to turn off browsing history, you can delete it manually. Try to get into the habit of deleting it after every session.
   
   • If you are signed in to Chrome with your Google account when you delete your browsing history, it will also delete your Chrome browsing history on other devices, such as your Android, iPhone, or iPad.
2. Tap the three-dot menu. It's at the top-right corner on an Android, and at the bottom-right on an iPhone/iPad.
   
3. Tap on the menu. This displays your browsing history.
   
4. Tap . It's below your history.
   
5. Select from the "Time Range" menu. This ensures that you're deleting your entire browsing history, not just from a brief period of time.
   
6. Select items to delete. By default, your browsing history, cookies, site data, and cached files will all be marked for deletion. Use the checkboxes to toggle items on or off.
   
7. Tap or . A confirmation message will appear.^[3]
   
8. Tap to confirm. This deletes the selected items.
   

[Edit]Tips

• If you use a lot of Chrome extensions, they won't work in Incognito Mode by default. You can choose to allow certain extensions to function in Incognito Mode if you'd like. Click the top-right menu in Chrome, select Extensions, click Details on an extension, and then toggle on "Allow in Incognito."
• Google search history and Google Chrome browsing history are not the same thing.

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464
2. ↑ https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/465?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en
3. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95589?co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&hl=en&oco=1