Where to Find the History Clearing Tools on Your Samsung Tablet
The fastest way to erase your browsing history on a Samsung tablet is through the web browser's settings menu. Most Samsung tablets come with either Samsung Internet (the default browser) or Google Chrome pre-installed. Both browsers store your history in the same place: a settings menu you reach in under a minute.
Open whichever browser you use most often. Look for the three vertical dots (called a menu icon) in the upper right corner of the screen. Tap it once. A dropdown menu will appear with several options, including one labeled "Settings" or "History." The exact wording depends on which browser you have, but the location is always the same corner.
Key Takeaways
- Samsung Internet and Google Chrome both let you clear history from the three-dot menu in the upper right corner of the browser window.
- You can erase all history at once or choose a specific time range, such as the last hour, day, or week.
- Clearing your browser history does not erase your saved passwords unless you specifically check that box during the process.
- If you use multiple browsers on your tablet, you must clear history in each one separately — erasing history in Chrome does not affect Samsung Internet.
- Your tablet's Settings app also stores search history from the Samsung search function, which requires a separate clearing step.
Clearing History in Samsung Internet
Samsung Internet is the default browser on most Samsung tablets. To clear your history, open the browser and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. From the dropdown menu, select "History." A new screen will open showing all the websites you have visited, organized by date.
At the top of the History screen, you will see a button labeled "Clear browsing data" or "Delete." Tap it. A popup window will appear with several checkboxes. By default, "Browsing history" is already checked. Leave it checked and tap "Delete" or "Clear" at the bottom of the popup. Your history will erase when ready.
If you want to erase only recent history instead of everything, look for a dropdown menu at the top of the History screen that says "All time" or "Time range." Tap it and choose "Last hour," "Last day," "Last week," or "Last month." Then tap "Clear browsing data" and confirm. This method is useful if you only want to remove today's visits but keep older history.
Clearing History in Google Chrome
If you use Google Chrome on your Samsung tablet, the process is nearly identical. Open Chrome and tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner. From the menu, select "History." You will see a list of websites you have visited, with the most recent at the top.
Tap "Clear browsing data" at the top of the History screen. A popup will appear with checkboxes for different types of data. Make sure "Cookies and site data" and "Browsing history" are both checked if you want a complete erase. You can also choose the time range from the dropdown at the top — "All time," "Last 24 hours," "Last 7 days," "Last 4 weeks," or "Last 90 days." Select your preferred range, then tap "Clear data" to finish.
What Gets Erased and What Stays Behind
When you clear your browsing history, you erase the list of websites you have visited and the dates you visited them. This is what most people mean by "history." However, other data may remain on your tablet depending on which checkboxes you selected during the clearing process.
Saved passwords are not erased unless you specifically check the "Passwords and other sign-in data" box. If you only want to erase history and leave your passwords intact, make sure that box is unchecked. Cookies and site data are separate from history — they are small files that websites store on your tablet to remember your preferences. Clearing them may log you out of websites you visit frequently. Cached images and files are temporary copies of web pages stored on your tablet to make websites load faster. Clearing the cache frees up storage space but does not affect your history list.
Clearing Search History from Samsung's Built-in Search
Samsung tablets include a search function accessible from the home screen or app drawer. This search tool keeps its own history separate from your web browser. To erase it, open your tablet's Settings app and scroll down to find "Apps" or "Applications." Tap it, then look for "Samsung Search" or "Samsung Internet Search."
Once you open the app's settings, look for an option labeled "Clear cache," "Clear data," or "Storage." Tap it and confirm. This erases the list of searches you have typed into Samsung's search box but does not affect your web browser history. If you cannot find this option, you can also long-press the Samsung search widget on your home screen and select "Remove" to stop using it altogether.
Preventing History from Being Saved in the First Place
Both Samsung Internet and Chrome offer a private browsing mode that does not save your history. In Samsung Internet, tap the three dots and select "Secret mode." A new window will open with a dark theme and a lock icon, indicating that your activity in this window will not be saved. Close the window when you are done, and no history is recorded.
In Google Chrome, tap the three dots and select "New incognito tab." An incognito window works the same way — websites you visit, searches you perform, and files you read are not saved to your history. When you close the incognito window, all activity is erased automatically. Using private mode is faster than clearing history afterward if you know in advance that you do not want your activity recorded.
Troubleshooting When History Will Not Clear
If you tap "Clear" but your history still appears, the most common cause is that your browser did not finish the process before you closed it. Try again, and wait a few seconds after tapping "Clear" before opening a new tab or closing the browser. Some tablets also require you to restart the browser completely — close it entirely by swiping it away from the recent apps menu, then open it again fresh.
If history continues to reappear, check whether you have signed into a Google account on your tablet. When you are signed in, Chrome syncs your history across all your devices — clearing it on your tablet also clears it on your phone, computer, and other devices where you are signed in. If you want to keep history on other devices but erase it only on your tablet, sign out of your Google account before clearing history, then sign back in afterward. Be aware that signing out will also remove your saved passwords and bookmarks from your tablet until you sign back in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing history also delete my saved passwords?
No, unless you check the box for "Passwords and other sign-in data" during the clearing process. By default, passwords remain saved. If you want to keep your history but delete a specific password, go to Settings in your browser, find "Passwords," and delete individual entries from there instead of clearing all history.
Can I recover history after I have erased it?
Once you clear your history, it cannot be recovered from your tablet. However, if you are signed into a Google account and you clear history on Chrome, you may be able to see a record of your activity in your Google Account settings online at myactivity.google.com, though this is separate from your tablet's browser history.
Will clearing history free up storage space on my tablet?
Clearing history alone frees up very little space because history files are small. However, if you also check the box for "Cached images and files" when clearing, you can recover several hundred megabytes of storage, depending on how much browsing you have done. This is the most effective way to use history clearing to gain storage space.
What is the difference between clearing history and clearing cache?
History is the list of websites you have visited. Cache is temporary copies of images, videos, and web pages stored on your tablet to make websites load faster. Clearing history does not erase cache unless you check that box. You can clear cache without erasing history by going to Settings, Apps, and selecting your browser, then tapping "Storage" and "Clear cache."
Do I need to clear history on each browser separately?
Yes. If you have both Samsung Internet and Chrome installed, clearing history in one does not affect the other. Each browser maintains its own separate history. You must open each browser and clear its history individually if you want to erase your activity across all browsers on your tablet.