Auto History Wipe: How to Auto-Delete Your Browsing History

Most browsers store information regarding websites we visit called “Browsing History.” This helps browsers suggest frequently visited sites, auto-complete web addresses, and more to improve a user’s web experience.

However, these digital footprints leave one at risk of personal data falling into the wrong hands or other privacy threats. That is where “Auto History Wipe” comes into play.

In this article, we will jump into everything you should know about Auto History Wipe and how you can ensure a secure internet experience. Whether you want data protection or to save yourself the embarrassment, Auto History Wipe has it all.

What is Auto History Wipe?

Essentially, Auto History Wipe refers to the process of automatically clearing your browsing history to ensure a safer online browsing journey. This allows users to instantly clean their history and get a fresh start each time they use a browser.

Auto History Wipe helps users clean their browsing history along with other unnecessary browsing data by simply defining automatic tasks. Users can choose between different options ranging from what specifically they want to remove and how quickly they want it gone.

Manually cleaning history

Apart from safety concerns, Auto History Wipe also ensures that users have a cleaner internet surfing experience by deleting cache data, cookies, and other digital junk collected by browsers.

Manually cleaning your computer’s history and temporary files can be a tedious and time-consuming task. Automating this process has several advantages:

  • Auto history wipe saves users from worrying about privacy protection by regularly cleaning their browsing history.
  • By removing all the clutter stored by browsers, users can enjoy faster and smoother browsing sessions.
  • Regularly clearing cache data and cookies ensures that your personalized ad experience remains private and secure.

How Does Auto History Wipe Work?

Auto History Wipe isn’t a complex task to work with. In fact, the working of auto history wipe comes down to 3 simple steps.

  1. Adding the automatic task
  2. Selecting time interval
  3. Choosing what data to be removed

And that’s pretty much it. Users can install extensions like “Ultimate Auto History Cleaner” and
Auto Clear Browsing Data” to get started with Auto History Wipe.

However, one major difference between these two extensions is that Ultimate Auto History Cleaner cleans history each time Chrome starts to avoid background running whereas Auto Clear Browsing Data gives you a lot more flexibility in terms of when to delete your data.

Although these extensions don’t take that many resources even when processing in the background, it’s good to keep this in mind when choosing one.

How to Set Up Auto History Wipe Extensions?

Installing Chrome extensions is quite simple. All you need is to visit the Chrome Web Store and you will have a ton of add-ons to elevate your online browsing experience.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to installing Chrome extension regarding Auto History Wipe:

  1. Open Chrome and go to Chrome Web Store.
  2. Once it loads up, use the search bar located at the top left corner to search for the extension.
    Use the search bar
  3. You can either download “Ultimate Auto History Cleaner” or “Auto Clear Browsing Data”  depending on your preference. We chose the latter because of its added flexibility. 
  4. Next, click on the extension you want to download and you will have all the information about the plugin including user reviews and screenshots.
    Overview of the extension
  5. Click the “Add to Chrome” option to install the extension for your browser.
    Press Add to Chrome
  6. Finally, a pop-up window will open up asking you to confirm the installation. Press “Add extension” and you are all good to go.
    Click Add extension

You can access your newly installed extension by heading over to the “Puzzle” shaped icon on the top right corner and clicking on your add-on.

To set up Auto Clear Browsing Data follow these steps:

  1. Firstly, press the “Add A New Task” button to begin your automation process.
    Add A New Task
  2. Secondly, fill in all the information asked such as task name, time interval, and what data it should delete such as browsing history, cookies, cache, etc.
    Specify your task
  3. Your task should appear at the top of the list now with options to enable or disable it, edit it, or delete the task.
    Task listed properly

If you don’t mind the background processing and are leaning towards “Ultimate Auto History Cleaner” simply open the extension and press the “Settings” icon to choose settings according to your preference.

Choose your settings

Alternatives to Installing Auto History Wipe Extensions

Downloading multiple extensions on Chrome can be resourceful for some users. Therefore, here are some simple alternatives to installing Auto History Wipe extensions to save up space and time.

1. Browsers with Auto History Deletion

Chrome doesn’t natively give users the option to automatically delete their history. However, browsers like Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari have the option to delete the entire browsing history automatically.

Apart from Safari, most of these browsers’ method of deletion is when users quit the browser. Safari gives users more choices by offering multiple options such as deleting after a day, a week, months, and even years.

Here’s how to activate this setting in Microsoft Edge:

  1. Open your Microsoft Edge browser and click on the “three dots” at the top right corner.
    Press the three dots
  2. Now look for the “Settings” option.
    Select the settings tab
  3. Once you are in there, head over to the “Privacy, search, and services” option.
    Privacy, search, and services tab
  4. Under the “Clear Browsing Data,” you will see two options. Select the second option.
    Choose the second option
  5. Here you will have to option to choose what to clear every time you close the browser.
  6. You will have options like browsing history, cookies, cache data, and much more.
    Select the data to be removed

For other browsers, the activation process is quite similar. If you are using Firefox simply click on the three bars located at the top right corner, select Settings and head to the “Privacy & Security” section.

Once you are in, scroll to the “Cookies and Site Data” settings and tick the box to delete browsing history and cookies each time Firefox is closed.

Auto History Wipe for Firefox

On MacOS (Safari)

For users on macOS using Safari, in the Menu bar click on Safari and select “Settings.” Under the “General” tab you will find the option to select specified time periods for when you want to delete your browsing history.

Auto History Wipe for Safari

2. Use Private Browsing Mode

Private browsing refers to using “Incognito Mode” which prevents browsers from storing browsing history in the first place. Additionally, private browsing also doesn’t keep cookies or cache keeping your online activity completely private.

To enter Incognito Mode, or InPrivate browsing on Edge, simply press Ctrl+Shift+N together. Replace Ctrl with the Command key if you’re on Mac.

Incognito Mode

While Incognito mode prevents your browser from storing local history, cookies, and other temporary data, it doesn’t provide complete anonymity. Your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still track your activity.

However, private browsing is an excellent option when you want to prevent your browsing history from being saved on your local device and ensure that your search and login information aren’t at risk.

Read More: How to Create Google Chrome Incognito Mode Shortcut?

3. Scheduled Task

Another efficient way to clean up your browsing history automatically is by using scheduled tasks. Task Scheduler is a built-in Windows feature that allows users to automate a ton of processes like system management, software updates, emails, and much more.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up a scheduled task in Windows to automate history cleaning:

  1. Press Win + S, type “Task Scheduler,” and press Enter.
    Open Task Scheduler
  2. In the Task Scheduler window, select “Create Basic Task” from the right-hand panel.
    Create basic task
  3. Give your task a name and, if you like, add a description for reference.
    Add a name
  4. Select how often you want the task to run. For history cleaning, it’s common to choose “Daily” or “Weekly,” depending on your preferences.
    Select time interval
  5. Specify the date and time when you want the task to begin running.
    Specify the time and date
  6. Select “Start a program” as the action type.
    Start a program
  7. In the “Program/script” field, enter the path to your history cleaning tool. You can use built-in Windows tools like Disk Cleanup or third-party software like CCleaner. If using a third-party tool, ensure it’s installed on your system. 
    Select your cleaning tool
    For Disk Cleanup, the path will be:
    C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools. If you’ve Windows installed in a drive other than “C” then replace the C in the path above with the correct drive letter.
  8. Click “Finish” to create the task.
    Press Finish
  9. Right-click on your newly created task in the Task Scheduler and select “Run” to test it. Ensure that it performs the history cleaning as expected.
    Hit run to test

While this process may require additional third-party software, with Scheduled Tasks, you can simply set your task and forget about it, and your device will handle the rest.

Conclusion

By automating history cleaning you can enjoy a smoother, more private, and more productive online experience. Although the easiest method to automate history deletion is by using Chrome extensions you can also use alternatives to delete your browsing history.

FAQs

How often should I clear my browsing history?

It depends on your browsing habits and privacy preferences. However, clearing your history once a week or once a month is generally recommended.

Does Auto History Wipe delete saved passwords?

No, Auto History Wipe does not delete saved passwords. It only clears browsing history, cookies, and related data.

Can I exclude specific websites from being cleared by Auto History Wipe?

Yes, most browser extensions allow you to exclude specific websites from history wiping. Check the extension’s settings for customization options.

Is Auto History Wipe compatible with mobile browsers?

It depends on the extension and the mobile browser you are using. Some extensions offer mobile versions or similar functionality for mobile browsing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kamil Anwar


Kamil is a certified MCITP, CCNA (W), CCNA (S) and a former British Computer Society Member with over 9 years of experience Configuring, Deploying and Managing Switches, Firewalls and Domain Controllers also an old-school still active on FreeNode.