Chrome has made it much easier to clear your browsing history on Android with a new update available today.
In this update, a ‘Clear browsing data’ shortcut has been added to the overflow menu, which houses all the most commonly used actions such as New Tab, History, Bookmarks and more.
This is the fourth item directly below the History button. You can then set specific time filters to clear your browsing data. This is set to 15 minutes by default, but more granular control is available and can be updated to the last 24 hours, 7 days, the last four weeks or even “all time”.
However, if you want to be more selective, you can select ‘More options’ to set specific date parameters, cookies and cached images.
Previously, users had to navigate to History and then delete specific pages or tap Clear browsing data. This commonly used feature is faster and less confusing to use, especially for those unfamiliar with Chrome.
This update is currently only available in Chrome Beta for version 121, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.
Keep your browsing history organized
It’s useful to keep your browsing history on your device as it helps websites load faster and remember your details. Due to the pick-up and put-down nature of mobile devices, you can easily continue with what you were last doing.
However, clearing your device history and cache for regular users can help ensure smooth performance and help prevent some sites from collecting data about you.
Sometimes my browser looks like a strange stream of consciousness recording my thought process when I’m looking at something specific, or when I’m thinking aimlessly and trying to remember a word, actor, or phase. I don’t need any recording of this information and sometimes it can be a bit embarrassing to look back on.
Another good reason to clear your data is to get rid of some persistent problems or bugs you may be experiencing, although this is certainly not a silver bullet that will solve everything.
Regular updates and improvements to Chrome and Google’s willingness to experiment and focus on security have helped make it one of the best web browsers.