Your Android device's browser represents a significant weakness in your personal privacy. Smartphones and tablets are more likely to get lost, stolen or be victims of unsafe public Wi-Fi networks than laptops.
To prevent someone from recovering the information, you should delete your browsing history on your Android regularly. But how? The methodology is not always as obvious as in a desktop browser.
Do not panic! The following explains how to delete the browsing history of seven of the most popular Android browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Dolphin, UC Browser and Brave Browser.
Delete Chrome’s browsing history on Android
The first is Chrome. It is comfortably the most popular browser for Android, with about 85 percent of all Android owners using it.
Fortunately, the process to delete your phone's history in this browser is simple. To get started, open Chrome and go to Menu> History or type chrome: // history in the search box. The application will load your History page.
At the top of the window, you will see a button called Clear browsing data. Click on it.
Now you can decide exactly what data you want to erase. At the top of the page, select your time period and check the corresponding boxes. There are Basic and Advanced tabs between which you can toggle. Regardless of what you use, make sure you have selected Browsing history. When ready, press Clear data.
Clear browser history in Firefox
Deleting browsing history in Firefox is a similar process to Chrome. Open your browser and tap the three vertical dots in the upper right corner. Select History from the menu.
Like Chrome, you'll see a great button to clear your browsing history; This time, it is at the bottom of the page. However, unlike Chrome, there is no way to specify what other data you want to delete. The application will give you an on-screen message to confirm your action.
Press OK and the data will be deleted.
Delete phone history in Opera Mini
The process to delete Opera's browsing history is a bit more complicated.
Once your browser is open, look for the Opera logo in the lower right corner and click on it. A small window will appear. At the top of that window there are four icons. Select the Computer icon to access the browser settings.
Then scroll down until you see Clear browsing data. Click on it and mark the check boxes next to the data you want to delete. You can choose between saved passwords, browsing history and cookies and data.
When you are satisfied with your options, press OK.
How to delete it in Dolphin
Chrome, Firefox and Opera together represent more than 90 percent of all Android users. So to complete this guide, let's take a look at some of the most popular browsers left.
If you are using Dolphin, you will discover that the removal process follows the example of Opera. Instead of accessing the various settings through a menu icon in the upper corner, you have to click on the Dolphin icon at the bottom of the screen.
A window will appear. From there, select Clear data. Again, you can choose the type of data you want to delete. Your options are Browsing history, Cache and Site data, Cookies, Form data, Passwords and Location access.
Tap Clear selected data to delete browser history.
Clear UC Browser history
UC Browser is not as well known, but it is a solid alternative browser for Android if you want to get away from the main options.
Your process to clear the history of your browser is the most complicated of this list. To start, tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom of the screen. In the resulting pop-up menu, select the yellow icon called History and Bookmarks.
When you touch the icon, you will see your favorites list first. Swipe left to see your browsing history. In the lower right corner, you will find an Delete button. Tap on it and confirm your decision by selecting Delete on the confirmation on the screen.
Delete the history of Brave Browser
Brave Browser is a new concept in the world of web browsing. In an increasingly competitive space, the browser shines thanks to an advertising reward scheme and its ability for readers to tip sites using the Basic Attention Token cryptocurrency ($ BAT). In fact, BAT has grown to become one of the 30 best cryptocurrency in the world.
Brave is based on Chromium, so the process to delete browsing history is very similar to Chrome.
To delete Brave's browsing history on Android, start by touching the three vertical dots in the lower right corner and selecting History from the menu that appears. At the top of the window, select Clear browsing data.
Here, use the different checkboxes to accurately select the types of data you want to delete and those that you want to keep. Like Chrome, you can use the tabs at the top of the window to toggle between Basic and Advanced views.
(For more information, see a complete guide on how Brave Browser works on our sister site, Decoded Blocks).
How to erase data in Ecosia
Like Brave Browser, Ecosia also tries to do something a little different. He claims to be the world's first browser that respects the environment.
The money that the company obtains from web searches is used to finance reforestation programs worldwide; so far more than 60 million trees have been planted. According to the company's literature, you will remove a kilogram of CO2 from the atmosphere for every search you perform.
Again, chromium is the base. To delete your browsing history in Ecosia, open the application menu and go to History> Clear browsing data and select the categories you want to delete.