Chrome on iPhone keeps a record of the sites you visit, plus cookies and cached files. Clearing it protects your privacy on a shared phone, fixes some site loading problems, and frees a little storage. This guide shows how to delete all your Chrome history or just a time range, remove individual sites, choose which data to clear, and handle synced history and Google account activity.
Quick Answer
Open Chrome, tap ⋯ (More) at the bottom right, and tap Delete Browsing Data (or History > Delete Browsing Data). Choose a Time Range such as All Time, check Browsing History, and tap Delete Browsing Data. Confirm when asked.
Delete All Chrome History
- Open the Chrome app.
- Tap ⋯ at the bottom right.
- Tap Delete Browsing Data. If you don’t see it, tap History first, then Delete Browsing Data at the bottom.
- Tap Time Range and choose Last Hour, Last 24 Hours, Last 7 Days, Last 4 Weeks, or All Time.
- Check Browsing History and any other data you want to clear.
- Tap Delete Browsing Data and confirm.
What Each Option Clears
| Option | What it removes | Side effects |
|---|---|---|
| Browsing History | List of visited sites and address bar suggestions | None, beyond losing the history |
| Cookies, Site Data | Sign-ins and site preferences | You’ll be signed out of most sites |
| Cached Images and Files | Stored copies of pages and images | Sites may load a little slower at first |
| Saved Passwords | Passwords saved in Chrome | You’ll need to enter passwords again. Usually leave this unchecked. |
| Autofill Data | Saved addresses and form entries | Forms won’t fill automatically |
Delete Individual Sites
- Tap ⋯ > History.
- Tap Edit at the bottom.
- Select the entries you want to remove.
- Tap Delete.
Use the search field at the top of History to find a specific site quickly.
Synced History and Google Account Activity
- If you’re signed in to Chrome with sync on, deleting history on your iPhone also removes it from your other devices that use the same account.
- Your Google account may keep separate Web & App Activity. To review or delete it, visit myactivity.google.com, or turn on auto-delete there.
Browse Without Saving History
Tap ⋯ > New Incognito Tab. Chrome doesn’t save history, cookies, or form data from Incognito tabs after you close them. You can also lock Incognito tabs with Face ID in Chrome’s Settings > Privacy and Security.
Clearing Safari Instead?
Chrome and Safari keep separate histories. To clear Safari, go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
Troubleshooting
History comes back after deleting
Another synced device may be re-syncing old data. Delete history on that device too, or check your sync settings in Chrome Settings > your account > Sync.
The Delete Browsing Data option is greyed out
Screen Time or a management profile may restrict it. Check Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Related: turn off trending searches in Google Chrome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting history free up storage?
Clearing cached files frees some space. History itself takes very little.
Can I recover deleted Chrome history?
Not in Chrome. If Web & App Activity was on, some visits may still be listed at myactivity.google.com.
Summary
- Tap ⋯ > Delete Browsing Data in Chrome.
- Choose a time range and check Browsing History.
- Tap Delete Browsing Data.
- Use History > Edit to remove individual sites, or Incognito to avoid saving history.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.