To make Safari clear your history automatically every week on a Mac, open Safari > Settings (called Preferences in older versions), click General, and set Remove history items to After one week. Safari then deletes browsing history older than seven days on its own. You can also choose one day, two weeks, one month, one year, or manually.
Quick Answer
Safari > Settings > General > Remove history items > After one week.
Set Automatic History Removal
- Open Safari.
- Click Safari in the menu bar, then Settings (or press Command + ,).
- Click the General tab.
- Open the Remove history items menu and choose After one week.
- Close the window. The setting takes effect right away.
What Gets Removed
| Data | Removed by this setting? |
|---|---|
| Pages you visited older than the limit | Yes |
| Cookies and website data | No; use Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data |
| Cache | No |
| Downloads list | Separate setting: Remove download list items (General tab) |
| History on your other Apple devices | If Safari syncs through iCloud, history changes can sync too |
Clear History Right Now
Choose History > Clear History, pick a time range (last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all history), and click Clear History. This also removes related cookies and website data.
Don’t Save History at All
Use a Private Window (File > New Private Window, or Shift + Command + N). Safari doesn’t keep history for private browsing.
Keyboard shortcuts acting up? See how to fix F3 not working on a Mac.
Troubleshooting
- Setting is grayed out: Screen Time content restrictions may lock history. Check System Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy.
- History reappears: Another device synced through iCloud may still have it. Set the same option there.
- Other browser settings: See how to turn off JavaScript in Safari on a Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I clear history every day?
Yes. Choose After one day.
Does this delete bookmarks?
No. Bookmarks and Reading List stay.
Is there a similar setting on iPhone?
Not the same automatic option; clear it manually in Safari or use Private Browsing. See managing private tabs on iPhone.
Summary
- Safari > Settings > General.
- Set Remove history items to After one week.
- Use History > Clear History for an immediate cleanup.
- Use Private windows to skip history entirely.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.