Understanding the importance of deleting history
Browsing history contains a record of all the websites we visit, our online searches, and other data that could reveal private information. Therefore, it is crucial to clear history regularly to maintain our online privacy. In addition to protecting our personal information, it also helps keep at bay advertisers and third parties who try to track our online behavior and use it to display relevant ads.
That said, it's also important to note that while clearing your browsing history is helpful, it's not the ultimate solution for online privacy. There are other tools and measures you should also consider, such as ad-blocking extensions, using a virtual private network (VPN), and implementing advanced privacy settings in your browser.
Automating deletion of Google Chrome history
Before learning how to automatically delete history, it's helpful to know how to do it manually.
- Open Google Chrome
- Click on the icon Menu (the three vertical dots in the upper right corner)
- Choose History and then History again
- Click on Delete navigation data
- Select the time period you want to delete and check the boxes based on what you want to delete
- Finally, click on Delete data
To automate this process in Google Chrome, follow the steps below.
Use an automatic history deletion extension
One of the easiest ways to automate the history deletion process in Google Chrome is to use an extension called Auto History Wipe. This extension is responsible for automatically deleting browsing history, cookies and other website data every time you close the browser.
- Open the Chrome web store (chrome.google.com/webstore)
- Search Auto History Wipe
- Click on Add to Chrome and then Add extension
- Once installed, the extension will start working automatically without any additional configuration
Set data deletion when closing the browser
Another option is to adjust your Google Chrome settings to automatically clear your browsing data every time you close the browser. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open the Google Chrome menu and go to Configuration
- Scroll down and click Advanced
- Find the section Privacy & Security
- Click on Website configuration
- Choose Cookies and site data
- Enable the option Clear cookies and site data when closing Chrome
This setting will automatically delete cookies and site data, but will not delete your browsing history. For this reason, combining this option with the extension mentioned above is a great way to maintain your privacy.
Enable private browsing
If you do not want Google Chrome to record your online activity, you can also use the private browsing o incognito. When you use this feature, Chrome will not save your browsing history, cookies, or form information. To open an incognito window, follow these steps:
- Click the Chrome menu icon
- Choose New incognito window
Be sure to close all incognito windows when you log out to prevent data from being saved.
While these tips will help you protect your privacy online, it's important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for safe browsing. We recommend that you combine these methods with other online security and privacy practices to ensure the maximum protection possible.
