Clear your browser history in three steps
To clear your browsing history on a Samsung tablet, open the web browser you use (usually Chrome or Samsung Internet), tap the menu icon (three vertical dots), select History, then tap Clear browsing data. Choose what time period you want to clear — the last hour, day, week, all time, or a custom range — and confirm. The process takes less than a minute.
The exact steps vary slightly depending on which browser you have, but all Samsung tablets come with at least one pre-installed browser, and the method is similar across them. You can also set your browser to clear history automatically every time you close it, so you do not have to remember to do it manually.
Key Takeaways
- Chrome and Samsung Internet both clear history through the menu icon (three dots) and the History section, then Clear browsing data.
- You can choose to clear history from the last hour, day, week, or all time, or pick a custom date range.
- Clearing history removes your browsing record but does not delete saved passwords unless you specifically select that option.
- You can turn on automatic history clearing in Settings so your browser clears data every time you close it.
- Different browsers store history in different places, so if you use multiple browsers, you will need to clear each one separately.
Clear history in Chrome on your Samsung tablet
Open the Chrome app and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Scroll down and tap History, then tap Clear browsing data at the top of the screen. A popup will appear with options for what to clear.
At the top of the popup, tap the dropdown that says All time (or whatever time period is currently selected) and choose your preferred range: Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or All time. Below that, you will see checkboxes for Cookies and site data, Cached images and files, and Browsing history. Make sure Browsing history is checked, then tap Clear data.
Clear history in Samsung Internet
If you use Samsung's own browser instead of Chrome, the process is nearly identical. Open Samsung Internet and tap the three vertical dots in the bottom right corner (not the top right like Chrome). Tap History, then tap Clear browsing data at the bottom of the screen.
Select your time range using the dropdown at the top, make sure Browsing history is checked along with any other data you want to remove, and tap Clear. Samsung Internet also lets you clear cookies, cached data, and saved passwords in the same step if you want to.
What gets deleted and what stays
When you clear browsing history, you remove the list of websites you have visited. This does not automatically delete your saved passwords, payment methods, or autofill information — those are stored separately. If you want to delete those as well, look for a Passwords or Autofill checkbox in the same clearing menu and select it.
Clearing history also does not sign you out of websites or delete files you have downloaded. Downloaded files stay in your Downloads folder unless you delete them separately. If you want to remove a website's ability to track you across other sites, look for an option called Cookies and site data or Third-party cookies and check that box too.
Set your browser to clear history automatically
Both Chrome and Samsung Internet can clear your history automatically every time you close the browser, so you do not have to do it by hand. In Chrome, tap the three dots, go to Settings, tap Privacy, then turn on Clear browsing data. Choose whether you want it to clear when you close the app or on a schedule.
In Samsung Internet, tap the three dots, go to Settings, then Privacy. Look for Delete browsing data and toggle it on. You can choose to clear data when you close the app or set it to clear on a timer. This is useful if you share your tablet with others or want to keep your browsing private without remembering to clear it each time.
Clear history from other browsers on your tablet
If you use Firefox, Edge, Opera, or another browser on your Samsung tablet, each one stores history separately and requires its own clearing process. Open the browser you want to clear, look for the menu icon (usually three dots or three horizontal lines), find History or Settings, and look for a Clear data or Clear history option.
The location and wording vary by browser, but the concept is the same: find the menu, locate history or privacy settings, and select what you want to delete. If you use multiple browsers regularly, you may want to set each one to clear automatically so you do not have to remember which browser you used for which sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?
No. Clearing browsing history removes only the list of websites you visited. Passwords, payment methods, and autofill data are stored separately. If you want to delete those, you must check the Passwords or Autofill box in the same clearing menu before you tap Clear.
Will clearing history sign me out of websites?
Clearing history alone does not sign you out. To sign out of websites, you must also clear cookies and site data. Check the Cookies and site data box when you clear browsing data if you want websites to forget you were logged in.
Can I clear history from only one website instead of all of them?
Chrome and Samsung Internet do not have a built-in way to delete history from a single site. You can only clear all history from a chosen time period. If you want to hide visits to one site, your best option is to use private browsing mode (called Incognito in Chrome) for future visits to that site.
What is the difference between clearing history and clearing cache?
History is the list of websites you visited. Cache is temporary files (images, scripts, videos) that websites store on your tablet to load faster next time. Clearing cache frees up storage space but does not hide where you have been. Clearing history hides your browsing record but does not free up much space.
If I clear history, can someone still see what I looked at?
Clearing your tablet's history hides your browsing from anyone who picks up your device. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see your activity. If you want to hide your browsing from your ISP, you need to use a VPN (virtual private network), which is separate from clearing history.