Where Samsung Stores Your Browsing History

Your Samsung tablet keeps records in three separate places: your web browser's history, your Google account's activity log, and your tablet's search history. Clearing one does not clear the others, so you need to know which one holds what you want to remove.

If you use Samsung Internet (the default browser on most Samsung tablets), your history lives in that app. If you use Chrome, Google keeps a copy of your activity in your Google account even after you clear the browser itself. Your tablet also logs searches you make through the home screen search box, which is separate from browser history.

Key Takeaways

  • Samsung Internet history clears from the app itself by opening Settings, tapping History, and selecting Clear Browsing Data with the time range set to All Time.
  • Chrome history syncs to your Google account, so clearing the app alone leaves a record online unless you also clear your Google activity.
  • Your tablet's home screen search history (the box at the top of your home screen) clears separately through Settings > Apps > Search.
  • Clearing history does not sign you out of accounts or delete saved passwords unless you specifically check those boxes.
  • You can set your browser to delete history automatically every time you close it by turning on Incognito mode or adjusting browser settings.

Clearing History in Samsung Internet

Open Samsung Internet, the browser app with the compass icon. Tap the three horizontal lines (menu button) at the bottom right of the screen. Scroll down and tap Settings.

Tap Privacy, then tap Clear Browsing Data. A popup will appear with checkboxes. Make sure History is checked. You can also check Cookies and Site Data if you want to remove login information for websites, but leave it unchecked if you want to stay signed into your accounts.

At the top of the popup, tap the dropdown that says Last Hour, Last 24 Hours, or Last 7 Days. Change it to All Time to remove everything. Tap Clear. Your Samsung Internet history is now gone.

Clearing History in Chrome

Open Chrome and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Tap History, then tap Clear Browsing Data. Make sure the time range at the top is set to All Time. Check the box next to Cookies and Site Data if you want to remove saved login information.

Tap Clear Data. This removes history from your tablet, but if you are signed into a Google account, your activity may still appear in your Google account's activity log online. To remove it from there, go to myactivity.google.com on a computer or in Chrome on your tablet, sign in, and delete the entries manually, or use the Delete All Activity option.

Clearing Your Tablet's Search History

Your Samsung tablet logs searches you type into the home screen search box (the bar at the top of your home screen). This is separate from browser history. To clear it, open Settings and tap Apps.

Scroll down and find Search (or Google Search, depending on your tablet model). Tap it, then tap Storage. Tap Clear Cache to remove recent searches. If you see a Clear Data button instead, tap that to remove all search history.

Removing Autocomplete Suggestions

When you type in the search box or address bar, your tablet suggests websites and searches based on your history. Clearing history removes most of these, but saved passwords and usernames may still appear as suggestions.

In Samsung Internet, go to Settings > Privacy and toggle off Autofill if you want to stop the browser from suggesting saved information. In Chrome, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Passwords, and delete individual saved passwords by tapping the trash icon next to each one.

Setting Your Browser to Clear History Automatically

You can set Samsung Internet to delete history every time you close the app. Open Samsung Internet, tap the menu button (three lines), tap Settings, then tap Privacy. Toggle on Delete Browsing Data on Exit. From now on, your history will clear automatically when you close the app.

Chrome does not have an automatic clear-on-exit option, but you can use Incognito Mode to browse without saving history. Tap the three dots in Chrome, tap New Incognito Tab, and browse normally. When you close the tab, nothing is saved.

What Gets Deleted and What Stays

Clearing browsing history removes the list of websites you visited and search terms you entered. It does not automatically delete saved passwords, usernames, or payment information unless you check those boxes during the clear process. It also does not sign you out of accounts or delete files you downloaded.

If you want to remove a specific website from your history without clearing everything, open your browser's history, find the site, and tap and hold it until a delete option appears. This works in both Samsung Internet and Chrome.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing history delete my saved passwords?

No. Clearing history and clearing passwords are separate actions. When you clear browsing data, passwords stay saved unless you specifically check the box for Passwords or Autofill Data before tapping Clear. If you want to remove a single password, go to Settings > Passwords in your browser and delete it individually.

Will clearing history sign me out of my accounts?

Clearing history alone does not sign you out. You stay logged into accounts unless you also clear cookies and site data. If you check the box for Cookies and Site Data when clearing, you will be signed out of most websites the next time you visit them.

Can someone recover my history after I clear it?

Once you clear history from your tablet, it is not recoverable through normal means. However, if you are signed into a Google account, your activity may still be stored in your Google account online. Visit myactivity.google.com to see and delete that record separately.

Why does my history still show up after I cleared it?

If you use Chrome and are signed into a Google account, clearing the app does not remove activity from your Google account online. You must visit myactivity.google.com and delete it there. Also check that you selected All Time as the time range before clearing, not just the last hour or day.

How do I stop my tablet from saving history in the first place?

Use Incognito Mode in Chrome or enable Delete Browsing Data on Exit in Samsung Internet. Both prevent your tablet from saving a record of what you browse. You can also turn off activity logging in your Google account by visiting myactivity.google.com and adjusting your settings there.