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2 Easy Ways to Check Your Safari Search History

Last Updated: May 21, 2024 Fact Checked

Using iPhone

Using macos.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Dillon . Hannah Dillon is a Technology Writer and Editor at wikiHow. She graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from North Dakota State University in 2013 and has since worked in the video game industry as well as a few newspapers. From a young age Hannah has cultivated a love for writing and technology, and hopes to use these passions in tandem to help others in the articles she writes for wikiHow. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 167,547 times. Learn more...

Do you need to check your Safari browser history? In a few simple steps, you can easily view all the websites you accessed in the past. You can also search for specific websites in your history and clear any website data you don't want. This wikiHow will teach you how to view and delete your Safari history on iPhone, iPad, and macOS.

Things You Should Know

• On iPhone, you can click the book icon, then the clock icon to find your Safari history.
• On macOS, you can click the "History" tab, then "Show History".
• You can search for specific websites and clear your history data.

• If needed, you can change your General Settings .

• If you're signed in with the same Apple ID to you use to log into your Mac, your Mac's Safari history will appear in this list as well.

• You may have to swipe down on the History page to find it.
• The results will load as you type.

• You can also swipe left on individual websites in your history, then click Delete .

• Be sure to update Safari.

• If you're logged into the computer with the same Apple ID you use on your iPhone or iPad, you'll also see sites you've visited on those devices.

• A list of matching results from your history will appear. Click a site to load it in Safari.

• Select a time frame from the drop-down menu, then click Clear History .
• You can also delete cookies from Safari .

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/search-your-browsing-history-ibrw1114/mac
• ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201265

About This Article

iPhone/iPad: 1. Open Safari . 2. Tap the book icon. 3. Tap the clock button. macOS: 1. Open Safari . 2. Click History . 3. Click Show All History . Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How To View History in Safari on a PC, Tablet, or Mobile Device

Lee Stanton Lee Stanton is a versatile writer with a concentration on the software landscape, covering both mobile and desktop applications as well as online technologies. Read more July 19, 2022

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Safari for iOS provides a convenient way to keep track of your browsing history. You can use it to call up web pages quickly you’ve visited. You can easily go down the rabbit hole when performing searches online. This makes it difficult to remember exactly where you found a valuable piece of information. Reviewing your browsing history can retrace your steps, saving you the arduous task of finding the data from scratch. This article covers how to see your history in Safari. Check out how to do that below.

How to View History in Safari on an iPhone

Safari stores your browser activity, making it possible to revisit sites at a later date. You could either view your most recent history or check out the entire list of previously visited websites. This is how to do that.

You have now accessed your recent history on Safari.

If you would like to view your complete Safari browsing history, here’s how to do that.

You’ve now accessed your Safari browsing history.

How to View History in Safari on an iPad

Safari allows users to keep track of their browsing history. This feature can then be used to revisit sites that might be of interest. You could either view recent history or peruse all your browsing data. The steps listed here detail how to do that.

You have now viewed the recent history on your iPad.

To view your complete browsing data, follow the steps outlined here.

How to View History in Safari on a Mac

Your Safari browsing history allows you to revisit sites you viewed in the past. You can even use the search tool so that you don’t have to scroll through the entire list of results to find what you are looking for. Here’s how to view your browsing history on an iPhone.

• Click on it to open the page in your browser.

You can now see your history in Safari. If you signed in to your device using the same Apple ID that you use on your other Apple devices, that history would also be displayed on your Mac.

Can You View History From Private Browsing?

Private Browsing is a feature that prevents Safari from storing information on sites you have visited. It ensures there’s no record of your online activity, including passwords or autofill information. It also prevents iCloud from storing data on any tabs that you open. To provide an additional layer of privacy, Safari prevents sites and content providers from tracking you. Any cookies you might have picked up are deleted once you close the tab.

This means that Safari doesn’t store your browsing history when you activate Private Browsing. You will therefore be unable to view it in the future.

How to Clear History in Safari

If your Apple device is lagging or otherwise misbehaving, you might consider clearing your browsing data. This is how to do that.

Your browsing data will now be removed from your device.

Retracing Your Steps

Like many web browsers, Safari stores information on websites you’ve visited. This data can come in handy when you want to go back to a particular site. This guide shows you how to retrieve the browsing history stored on your Apple devices.

Have you viewed your browsing history on Safari? What did you think of the process? Let us know in the comments below.

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How To Check Safari History on iPhone and Mac [2024]

Recently a man in the EU discovered that his Safari browsing history was included in his Apple data download. After I discussed the issue with him and compared my data download, it turns out he received a lot more information than I did.

After this experience, I decided to research and learn different ways to manage your Safari browser history on your Mac and iPhone. But before we dive into this, what exactly is the Safari Browsing History and why is it so important?

How To Check Safari Search History on iPhone?

1.  Open Safari .

2.  In the Menu bar, look at the lower right corner of the screen and tap the History icon.

A Pop-up window showing the list of all the websites you have visited in Safari will appear. Also, If you want to, you can search the history for particular websites, and do this:

3. Enter a phrase into the search bar at the top of the screen.

This filters just the websites with that particular keyword or phrase. It is also important to know how to clear your Safari Browsing History.

To do this, follow these simple steps below.

How To Check Safari Search History on Mac?

There are a number of ways you can manage your browser history for Safari on both your macOS and iOS. Here are different techniques and how you can do it. First, let´s consider how to view your browsing history.

Time needed:  1 minute

View Your Safari Browsing History on Mac

Follow the simple steps below to view your browsing history on your iPhone as well.

Delete Your Safari Browsing History on your Mac

To clear your browser history on Mac, follow these straightforward steps:

1.  Open Safari.

2. Open the  History Bar  at the top of the screen.

3.  Click the Show All History tab in the Menu bar or press Command (⌘) + Y in Safari, which will take you to the history view.

4.  Select Clear History .

A pop-up menu will come up and it will allow you to choose how far back you want to clear the existing history. This option lets you choose if you want to clear your history from the last hour, day, week, two weeks, a month, or even for all time.

5.  Choose your preferred option and click Clear History .

Great! You have successfully cleared your Safari browsing history on Mac. Now, Let´s see how we can do this for iPhone as well.

Delete Your Safari Browsing History on iPhone

Clearing your browsing history on your iPhone is also easy. Follow these simple steps too:

1.  Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2.  Scroll through the options and click on Safari .

3.  Again, scroll and find the Clear History and Website Data option.

4. Tap Clear History and Data .

Yes! You have successfully cleared all Browsing History on Mac and iPhone.

Following these next easy steps to remove all the records of the web pages or sites you have visited over the selected period.

You can also prevent Safari from tracking your browsing history. Let us quickly dive into this too.

Prevent Safari From Tracking Your Browsing History on Mac

Suppose you prevent Safari from tracking the history of the websites you visited. In that case, it means that Safari cannot save any record of the searches you perform or the websites you visit. How can you do this?

2.  Navigate to click Safari in the Menu Ba r .

3.  Select Preferences from the Menu Ba r .

4.  Next, Click on the Privacy tab.

5. You´ll see a box that is next to Prevent cross-site tracking, Check the box.

Let me also walk you through how to do this on your iPhone.

Prevent Safari From Tracking Your Browsing History on iPhone

1.  Open the Settings  app.

2.  Scroll down to the bottom and tap Safari .

3.  On this page as well, scroll down to the Privacy and Security section .

4.  Toggle on the switch that is next to the Prevent Cross-Site Tracking .

You have successfully prevented Safari from tracking your browsing history both on your Mac and iPhone!

If you prefer additional protection for your browsing activity and for your iPhone and Mac overall, we recommend a dedicated antivirus like Intego Internet Security that can block malicious websites from accessing your data.

That is not all. Sometimes, you might not want your Safari Browser to save your browsing history, website data, or even cookies. Using the private browsing mode is the solution to this.

Keep Your Browsing History Private on Mac

To keep your browsing history private on Mac, you need to use the private browsing mode. Follow these very easy and straightforward steps to do this:

2. Look at the top of your screen, select File , and click New Private Window .

A new window will be opened and this will disallow Safari from saving your Browsing or search history.

This would also restrict Safari from sending auto-fill information to any website you visit while using the window. You can also do the same on your iPhone.

Keep Your Browsing History Private on iPhone

2.  Tap the Page tab in the bottom right corner of the Safari screen.

3. Switch the page option to Private .

4. Finally, Click the ‘+’ sign at the bottom left corner to open a new private browser.

Keeping your browsing history private is very important, but in some situations, you may have visited a website by mistake or you don´t want another person to see that you visited the website. In this situation, the best thing you should do is delete the individual website from your Browsing history. Let me quickly show you how to do this:

Delete Individual Websites From Your Browsing History for Mac

To delete individual items or websites from your Safari Browsing history, follow these very easy steps:

1.  Open your Safari Browser .

2.  Click on the History tab in the Menu bar

3.  Select the Show All History tab

4.  Find the website you want to remove and Right-click   on it.

5.  Select the Delete from History option.

Let me quickly walk you through how to do this on iPhone as well.

Delete Individual Websites From Your Browsing History for iPhone

1.  Open the Safari app.

2.  Click the history tab at the bottom right corner of the screen of the browser.

3.  Look for the website you want to delete from your history and swipe left on it.

4.  Finally, Tap the Delete  option.

Yeah! You have successfully deleted individual websites from your browsing history. But if you use Safari on multiple devices of yours such as iPhone, Mac, and maybe your iPad, iCloud sync can help you to keep all your history synchronized across all the devices you own. This means that you can start browsing on your iPhone and continue later on your Mac. Let me quickly show you how to set this up.

Manage Your Safari Browsing History Across Multiple Devices Using iCloud Sync

To use the iCloud sync feature, you must have iCloud enabled on all the devices you own and they all need to be signed in to the iCloud with the same Apple ID.

If you have Safari iCloud syncing turned on and you clear your history, it will also be cleared from all of your other Apple devices with iCloud sync enabled. How can you enable and disable iCloud sync for your Safari browsing history on your Mac and iPhone?

Manage Your Safari Browsing History Across Multiple Devices Using iCloud Sync on Mac

2. Select Safari > Preferences > iCloud Option

4. Check the checkbox next to Safari to make sure that it syncs across all your devices

To sync your browsing history across certain devices, do this:

5. Click on the Manage Devices Button and select the devices you want to sync with.

6. Click Done  

Manage Your Safari Browsing History Across Multiple Devices Using iCloud Sync on iPhone

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2.  Click on your name at the top of the settings screen.

3.  Tap the iCloud option.

4.  Under Apps Using iCloud , select Safari.

5.  Finally, toggle on the switch next to Safari.

Great! You have successfully enabled iCloud sync for Safari browsing history and it will be updated on all your devices using the same Apple ID when you visit new websites or close an existing Safari tab.

Suppose you’ve carefully followed the methods and steps I’ve provided in this step-by-step guide. In that case, you will have a great edge over efficiently managing your Safari browsing history on one or even multiple devices.

Which of these methods worked for you?  Feel free to share your thoughts here in the comment section. Also, if you are having problems with iCloud syncing on your devices, check out our guide for effective solutions.

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I like to use imymac——Browser Cleaner to clean up browser traces, historical records, etc.Browser Cleanup lets you clean up junk files, cookies, and history, eliminate deceleration reasons, clear privacy traces to protect your confidential data and more. It is performed on Mac OS and Mac OS X.

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How to View iCloud Safari History

How to access and view your Safari browsing history without restoring your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch? Try these two solutions in this post to easily make it.

iCloud Backup Tips & Tricks

Basic icloud backup tips.

• What Does iCloud Backup
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View iCloud Backup Data

• View iCloud Backups
• View Photos on iCloud
• View Text Messages on iCloud
• View Safari History on iCloud
• View Contacts from iCloud

Delete iCloud Backup Data

• Delete iCloud Backups
• Delete Photos from iCloud
• Delete Contacts from iCloud
• Delete Notes from iCloud

Fix iCloud Backup Problems

• Fix iCloud Photos Download Failed
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• Fix iCloud Backup Prevented

With iCloud Safari history, you can search your browsing history to quickly find web pages you visited on another device. However, you can’t easily access and view the Safari history on iCloud backup, except you restore your iPhone/iPad via iCloud. Because safari history is stored in iCloud together with other data like messages, as one part of the whole backup.

In this post, we are talking about how to view iCloud Safari history without restoring iOS devices and erasing data on your iPhone/iPad. And here is a way you can view safari history or bookmarks on Windows PC or Mac with ease.

Here are some more tips you may like:

• How to Download iCloud Backup >
• Fix Safari Cannot Find Server on iPhone >

How to View iCloud Safari History on Mac

Safari can use iCloud to keep browsing history the same on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac that have Safari turned on in iCloud preferences. However, your Mac can keep your browsing history for as long as a year, while some iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch models keep browsing history for a month. But you can still use this function to find some safari history on another device. And here are the steps to view web pages you visited:

Set up iCloud Safari on iPhone/iPad

Go to Settings > [your name] > Tap iCloud > Turn Safari on.

Set up iCloud Safari on Mac

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Apple ID, then select iCloud in the sidebar > Select and check Safari.

Then in the Safari app on your Mac, you can choose History and click Show All History. All browsing history is synced on your Mac. Also, you can type in the Search field at the top-right corner of the window to view what you need.

How to View your Safari Browsing History on Mac/Windows PC

Besides iCloud Safari history, here is a powerful tool, AnyTrans , which allows you to access and manage your iPhone/iPad Safari history easily. With Device Manager of it, you can easily view Safari browsing history on your iPhone, extract them out to your Mac/PC. And the newly refined AnyTrans supports merging data between two iCloud accounts  with iCloud Manager. It can also help you delete unwanted iCloud data to get more free iCloud storage.

What’s more, AnyTrans can work as an amazing iOS content management tool to transfer data (like photos, music, videos, messages, contacts, etc.) from iPhone/iPad to computer/iTunes library/other iDevices, and vice versa. And you can follow the steps below to view and transfer your Safari browsing history to Mac/Windows PC:

Step 1: Download AnyTrans  on your PC/Mac computer, install and run it. Connect your iPhone/iPad to the computer via USB cable. The homepage will be displayed as below. Then tap on Device Manager and choose More to continue.

* 100% Clean & Safe

Free Download * 100% Clean & Safe

Tap on Device Manager and Choose More

Step 2: Find the Safari button and tap on Safari History. Here you can view all browsing history on your iPhone/iPad. Then you can select some/all and click Send to PC button to transfer them to the computer. And you can view those histories on a computer.

View Safari History on Computer

Further Reading:  How to Find & Recover Safari History on iPhone/iPad >

The Bottom Line

Besides viewing iCloud Safari history on Mac, you can also use AnyTrans to manage the history on your iPhone. And this tool can also help you transfer other iPhone/iCloud/iTunes data like photos, text messages, contacts, music without restoring your iOS devices. Why not download this tool and have a free try >>

More Related Articles

• What Does iCloud Backup >
• How Long Does iCloud Backup Take >
• How to Fix Safari Not Working on iPhone iPad After iOS Update >
• How to Backup Safari Bookmarks on iPhone iPad >

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How to view and clear your web browsing history in Safari on iPhone or iPad

Easily wipe your browsing history in Apple's Safari web browser in seconds.

What you'll need

How to find your web-browsing history, how to clear your web browsing history.

Clearing your browsing history on iPhone and iPad in Safari has been a straightforward affair for years now.

Sometimes you want to clear your history to get rid of bloat and streamline your browsing experience. Other times, you're trying to hide a gift purchase from a loved one.

Apple makes it very easy to clear your browsing history on both the iPhone and iPad and we're here to show you how. Here's how you can make a fresh start in Safari and debloat your web browsing experience.

On the latest models, web browsing is smoother than ever before thanks to ProMotion in the iPhone 15 Pro and faster chipsets like the M2 found in the iPad Air 6 . If you're looking for a new Apple device, we highly recommend one of the following: 

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Viewing your web history in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is very easy to do, here's how:

• In Safari, tap the Bookmarks button in the toolbar that's below the address bar.
• Tap the History icon in the upper right corner. Here, you can view your entire web history.

• Use the History search bar to find previously viewed pages.

If the time calls to wipe most or all of your web browsing history in Safari, here's how to do it on both iPhone and iPad.

To note, the below steps will be the same if you attempt to wipe your web browsing history on an iPhone 15 Pro Max or an iPad Mini 6 , all Apple devices require the same steps.

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iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!

• In Safari, tap the Bookmarks button.
• Select the History icon in the upper right corner.
• Tap Clear and select how much history you'd like to clear: the last hour, the last day, 48 hours' worth, or all recorded history.

One more thing… A feature no one talks about

Privacy on the web matters more than ever in these modern times. Websites store the pages you click on, especially when you sign into a page that can contain personal information about you.

It's great to have a feature like this in Safari — but it would be good to have this automated in iOS 18 . If Apple's web browser could automatically clear history after 24 hours it would be very useful, as you wouldn't leave a trail behind.

Regardless, it's still a good feature, and one you should use every week.

Daryl is iMore's Features Editor, overseeing long-form and in-depth articles and op-eds. Daryl loves using his experience as both a journalist and Apple fan to tell stories about Apple's products and its community, from the apps we use every day to the products that have been long forgotten in the Cupertino archives.

Previously Software & Downloads Writer at TechRadar, and Deputy Editor at StealthOptional, he's also written a book, ' The Making of Tomb Raider ', which tells the story of the beginnings of Lara Croft and the series' early development. His second book, ' 50 Years of Boss Fights ', came out in June 2024, and has a monthly newsletter called ' Springboard '. He's also written for many other publications including WIRED, MacFormat, Bloody Disgusting, VGC, GamesRadar, Nintendo Life, VRV Blog, The Loop Magazine, SUPER JUMP, Gizmodo, Film Stories, TopTenReviews, Miketendo64, and Daily Star.

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How to See the Safari History on an iPhone: A Step-by-Step Guide

Seeing the Safari history on an iPhone is a straightforward process. Just open the Safari app, tap the book icon at the bottom of the screen, and then tap the clock icon to view your browsing history. You’ll be able to see a list of all the websites you’ve visited, sorted by date.

After completing this action, you’ll have access to the list of websites you’ve visited using Safari on your iPhone. This can be useful for finding a site you forgot to bookmark, checking what sites were visited on a particular day, or clearing your history for privacy reasons.

Introduction

Browsing the internet on your iPhone is a daily activity for many of us, but how often do we think about our digital footprints? Whether you’re a privacy-conscious individual, a parent wanting to check what your kids have been up to online, or simply trying to find that one website you stumbled upon a few days ago, knowing how to view your Safari history is essential.

Safari, the default browser on all Apple devices, keeps track of all the websites you visit, allowing you to revisit a site whenever you need to. However, not everyone knows how to access this history. This article is for iPhone users of all ages and skill levels who want to learn how to see their Safari history. It’s an important skill that can help you in a variety of situations. Plus, it’s super easy to do!

How to See the Safari History on an iPhone

The following steps will guide you through the process of viewing your Safari history on an iPhone.

Open the Safari app on your iPhone. Upon opening the Safari app, you’ll be greeted with your default homepage or the last page you visited.

Tap the book icon located at the bottom of the screen. This icon will take you to your bookmarks, reading list, and history.

Tap the clock icon to view your browsing history. The clock icon is typically at the top of the list, and tapping it will display all the sites you’ve visited, organized by date.

Additional Information

When browsing through your Safari history, you can tap on any entry to revisit that webpage immediately. Plus, if you’re looking to delete certain parts of your history, you can do that too! Just swipe left on any entry and tap ‘Delete’ to remove it from your history. If you want to clear your entire browsing history, there’s an option for that at the bottom of the history list. Remember, once it’s gone, it’s gone for good, so make sure you really don’t need that history before you delete it.

Additionally, keep in mind that if you’re using iCloud to sync Safari across your devices, your history will be visible on all devices signed into that iCloud account. This is super handy if you want to access a webpage you visited on your Mac from your iPhone, for example. However, if privacy is a concern for you, consider using private browsing mode, which doesn’t save any history.

• Open the Safari app.
• Tap the book icon.
• Select the clock icon to view history.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i delete my safari history.

To delete your Safari history, go to the history page, tap ‘Clear’ at the bottom, and choose the time range you want to clear.

Can I search through my Safari history?

Yes, there’s a search bar at the top of the history page where you can enter keywords to find specific sites.

Will my Safari history be synced across all my Apple devices?

If you’re using iCloud Safari syncing, then yes, your history will be visible on all devices signed into that iCloud account.

How long does Safari keep my browsing history?

Safari typically keeps your browsing history for up to one month, but this can be adjusted in settings.

Is there a way to keep my browsing private?

Yes, you can use private browsing mode in Safari, which does not save your history or AutoFill information.

Knowing how to see the Safari history on your iPhone is a neat trick that can save you time and ensure that you’re never too far from a useful website you’ve visited. Whether it’s for privacy, parental control, or pure convenience, mastering this skill is a must for any iPhone user. Remember to manage your history responsibly and enjoy the vast wealth of information the internet has to offer right at your fingertips. Happy browsing!

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.

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How to force sync Safari history across all your Apple devices

If your browsing history is out of sync, you can try this simple tip to fix it.

When you're logged into the same iCloud account from multiple Apple devices, iCloud will sync your Safari browsing history across the devices. Sometimes, however, your devices can get out of sync and waiting around for iCloud to catch up can be frustrating.

With little effort you can manually force iCloud to sync your Safari history using your Mac, OS X Daily reports.

The first thing you need to do is enable a hidden Debug menu in Safari using a Terminal command. You can find the Terminal app in Applications > Utilities on your Mac. Or you can search for "Terminal" on Spotlight.

After quitting Safari on your Mac, open Terminal and enter the following line of text:

defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 1

Press return, then open Safari. If it worked, you should see a new "Debug" item in the menu bar at the top of your Mac's screen.

With the previously-hidden menu now present, click on Debug . Then click Sync iCloud History , which should appear at the bottom of the list. Your Mac will then take care of the rest, and you should see your history sync between devices within a minute or two.

To hide the Debug menu, open Terminal again and enter the following line of text:

defaults write com.apple.Safari IncludeInternalDebugMenu 0

You'll need to quit Safari before the change will take place.

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How To Check Browsing History in Safari

Sometimes there are instances where you need to go back and check browsing history in Safari. Maybe you are trying to remember some information you saw on the Internet. Perhaps you want to go back and bookmark a website in your Safari browser .

Whatever the reason may be, you can easily check your Safari history in just a few steps.

Let’s take a look at how to do that.

Check Browsing History in Safari

Launch the Safari browser on your desktop. It’s a blue and white icon with a compass.

Once the Safari browser is up and running select “History” from the menu on the top left and click on it. When the drop down menu appears, highlight and click on “Show All History.”

Once you have selected “Show All History” a separate window will appear with a full list of all the websites you have visited. These will be combined by dates with a drop down of each day being made available.

Note: If you are logged into your Apple ID on your desktop, you will be able to see websites you have visited on your iPhone and/or iPad as well.

You can scroll through this list and find what you need. You can use the drop downs to find sites you visited on specific dates.

Furthermore, you can use the “Search” box on the upper right side of the screen to search specific sites and pull them up in your Safari history.

You can also clear your entire Safari history or portions of it if you need.

That’s it! It is very simple and easy to check browsing history in Safari whenever the need arises.

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5 Ways to View & Recover Deleted Safari History on iPhone/iPad

“Is it possible to recover deleted Safari history on iPhone? I want to retrieve deleted history from around 3 months earlier.”

Safari is the default browser for iOS devices and Mac computers, which is widely used among Apple users. While searching the internet with Safari, it usually keeps the browsing history and bookmarks for picking up what has been read.

What if you have accidentally deleted your browsing history, or it is suddenly gone without a record? Don't worry. You still have a chance to get back the deleted Safari history. Keep reading to find out how to recover deleted Safari history on iPhone with or without backup.

Can Safari History Be Recovered Once It Is Deleted?

Yes, you can recover deleted browsing history from Safari, but it's not guaranteed. When you clear your browsing history in Safari, it's not permanently erased from your iPhone or iPad. Instead, it's temporarily stored in a different part of your device's memory for a limited period. This storage period typically lasts around one month for iPhone/iPad and up to one year for Mac. If you act quickly, you sitll have a good chance to recover deleted Safari history.

Check iPhone Settings for Deleted Safari History

Before you try any other methods listed below, first check your iPhone itself. The simplest way of recovering your browsing history is to find them in Safari Website Data under Settings. Here's how to do it:

• On your iPhone, open the Settings app. Scroll down to find Safari and tap on it.
• On the next screen, scroll to the bottom and tap on the Advanced option.
• Now choose the Website Data and you'll view the domain of the deleted browsing history.

The drawback of this method:

This method will only show you the root domain of your visited sites. You won't be able to find a specific page you've viewed before. Also, this method only works as long as you don't clear cookies and history from Safari.

Recover Safari History on iPhone without Backup (Recommend)

If there is no backup of your deleted Safari history, FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery is highly recommended to you. As the world's 1st iPhone and iPad data recovery software, it has helped tens of thousands of iOS users find deleted or lost data. What makes it so popular? The answer is its reliability and function:

• Offers 3 recovery modes, and you can choose the one that best fits your needs to recover deleted Safari history.
• Preview the  deleted Safari history for free before the recovery process and selectively recover only the browsing history you need.
• Supports to recover many other types of data like messages, contacts, photos , videos, notes , WhatsApp messages, Viber, etc.
• Works well on all iPhone models and iOS versions, even the latest iPhone 15/14 and iOS 17/16.

Follow the steps below to recover deleted safari history on your iPhone without backup:

Step 1. Connect iPhone to Computer

To start with, install the program on your Windows PC or Mac and launch it. Choose Recover Data from iOS Devices and then connect your iPhone to the computer using a USB cable.

Step 2. Select Safari History to Scan

Once the program detects your iPhone, choose Safari History or any other type of files you would like to recover, and then click Scan to begin scanning.

Step 3. Recover Deleted Safari History

After the scan, click Safari History from the category list to preview the recoverable Safari history. Then select the ones you need and click the Recover to PC button to save the deleted Safari history to your computer.

Recover Deleted Safari History on iPhone from Backup

Option 1. recover safari history from icloud web.

You are allowed to recover only Safari history from iCloud's official site as long as you have turned on iCloud Auto Syncing on your iPhone. Follow these simple steps:

• Sign in to the iCloud official site from any browser using your iCloud account.
• Navigate to the Advanced option and scroll down to click Restore Bookmarks .
• Choose an archive of bookmarks you want and click on Restore .

Only the deleted Safari history within the last 30 days can be retrieved. Also, the existing Safari bookmarks on your iPhone will be replaced and erased, which might cause new data loss.

Option 2. Restore iPhone Safari History from iCloud Backup

If you have backed up your iPhone to iCloud, restoring your iPhone from the iCloud backup is also one of the feasible choices you can try. Doing this will get back all the app data, including the deleted Safari history. But you need to factory reset the iPhone before performing the restore.

• Open Settings and click on General , scroll down to tap on " Transfer or Reset iPhone and select Erase All Content and Settings .
• Follow the instructions to set up your iPhone until you reach the page of Apps & Data . Then, choose Restore from iCloud Backup .
• Sign in to iCloud and choose a backup to restore the device. All data in the backup file, including the deleted Safari history, will come back.

You're not allowed to preview the deleted files and selectively recover what you need only. What's worse, all the existing data on your iPhone will be erased and you'll lose your latest data that are not included in the iCloud backup.

Selectively Recover Deleted Safari History on iPhone from iCloud Backup

With FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery, you're able to preview and selectively recover deleted Safari history from iCloud backup.

• Run FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery and switch to Recover Data from iCloud .
• Sign in to iCloud with your Apple ID and password. Then select the data types you want to restore and click on Scan .
• After you've downloaded the iCloud data, preview and select the data you need, then click on Recover to PC .

Option 3. Recover Deleted Safari History from iTunes Backup

If you have made an iTunes/Finder backup before you deleted the Safari history, you can also recover the deleted browsing history by restoring your iPhone from the backup. However, to restore the backed-up data, you will have to erase the existing data on your iPhone.

• Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch iTunes or Finder.
• Click on the iPhone icon when it shows up, and then choose Restore Backup .
• Select the backup file that contains your deleted Safari history and click on Restore .

Same as iCloud, preview and selective recovery are not supported. Restoring from iTunes backup might also lead to data loss as any new files added to your iPhone since the backup will be replaced and overwritten.

Selectively Recover Deleted Safari History on iPhone from iTunes Backup

Again, we recommend you use FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery to recover deleted Safari history from iTunes backup without erasing any data.

• Launch FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery and choose the option of Recover Data from iTunes Backup .
• Select the iTunes backup file you want and click Next . Then select Safari History and click on Scan .
• After the scan, you can preview the Safari history and selectively recover those you need by clicking on Recover .

FAQs about iPhone Safari History Recovery

Q1. How long does Safari keep your browsing history?

This question has confused a lot of iPhone users. Actually, there is a definite answer to this question: your Mac can keep your browsing history for as long as a year, while iPhone and iPad keep browsing history for a month. This is what is demonstrated on Apple’s official site.

Q2. How to recover deleted Safari history on an iPad?

There are different methods for recovering deleted Safari history on your iPhone, most of which apply to iPads. You can try using FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery, which is compatible with major iOS devices, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Q3. Where is Safari history stored on your Mac?

All the Safari history you can see on your Mac is stored in the ~/Library/Safari/ folder.

• Just click on Finder > Go > Go to Folder .
• Then, enter the path in the textbox and click on OK to open the History.db file.

Q4. How to avoid losing Safari history?

To avoid the possible loss of Safari history, you can enable Safari in iCloud preferences. In this way, the Safari data will be backed up to the cloud automatically.

Besides that, you can also use some tools such as FoneGeek iOS Backup & Restore to back up iPhone data to your computer selectively or fully.

This article has outlined all feasible solutions to recover deleted Safari history on your iPhone. You can pick the one that works best for you. We strongly recommend FoneGeek iPhone Data Recovery for its easy-to-use interface and ablility to recover Safari history with or without backup.

Joan J. Mims is interested in researching all tips about iPhone, iPad and Android. He loves to share useful ideas with all users.

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• 1 Can Safari History Be Recovered Once It Is Deleted?
• 2 Check iPhone Settings for Deleted Safari History
• 3 Recover Safari History on iPhone without Backup (Recommend) Hot
• 4 Recover Deleted Safari History on iPhone from Backup
• 5 FAQs about iPhone Safari History Recovery
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Safari history not syncing to iPhone.

All my Safari history on my MacBook Pro (which I just imported from Chrome) isn’t syncing to my iPhone.

I have tried turning Safari off from syncing (and subsequently back on again, of course) but this didn’t help.

I had a similar issue with the Bookmarks, but I resolved that by “Restore Bookmarks” feature on icloud.com.

It should be noted I have also tried the force sync option in Safari’s Debug menu to no avail. Any help would be very appreciated.

Posted on Sep 22, 2019 8:43 PM

Posted on Oct 21, 2019 9:56 AM

Hi BatteriesNotIncluded,

If your Mac is under macOS Catalina 10.15 and your iPhone under iOS 13.1.2, don't worry, I have the same issue.

In fact, all my history from iPhone goes to the Mac, the opposite doesn't work.

My girlfriend has the same issue with her iPhone and iPad and my grandma as well (iPhone/iPad also).

The only workaround I’ve found so far, is to turn off Safari in iCloud (on the iPhone), wait a few minutes, then turn it back on. It forces the data to download to the iPhone. But antytime you're browsing on the Mac, if you want the history to sync, you have to redo the process on iPhone to fetch the data. I hope iOS 13.2 will solve the problem.

Let me know if you found another solution ;)

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• Safari browsing history of one device not visible on other devices on same iCloud id Safari browsing history from one iOS device is not syncing and not visible on other iOS devices logged on the same iCloud id. However the open Safari tabs and favourites are getting synced across devices as expected. Thus the history not syncing across devices, is not expected and may be a bug.  anyone else ? Any solution ? 956 2
• Safari Bookmarks and Reading list not syncing between MacOS and iOS. Hi, has anyone come across this issue? I have a Macbook (MacOS 12.2.1) and iPhone (iOS 15.3.1) and it seems everything besides Safari Bookmarks and Reading Lists are syncing. Same browse history? Yes. Same open tabs? Yes. I've tried turning off iCloud on both devices, deleting the bookmarks off of iPhone, restarting and turning everything back but to no avail. After deleting the bookmarks on the phone, the bookmarks don't seem to come back and only the history and open tabs keep syncing. What do I do now? 719 7

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Oct 21, 2019 9:56 AM in response to BatteriesNotIncluded

Oct 21, 2019 10:09 AM in response to loïcfernandezcastrillon

Interesting.

What's most curious about my situation is that my iPad safari history is functioning as it should. I can see it's history on my MacBook and vice versa (it is running latest 13 release).

It's just my iPhone that isn't working, which makes me believe it's related to iOS13 on the iPhone - at least for me. What's more, I do see the Safari icon sometimes on my MacBook displaying what's open on my iPhone. Conversely, when opening a new tab on my iPhone I can see what's open on my MacBook and iPad, so there is some communication. It's only my history that isn't syncing to and from my iPhone that's the issue.

It's frustrating as I often look back on history and it's a chore to remember which device I was using at the time.

Oct 21, 2019 11:26 PM in response to BatteriesNotIncluded

It's normal, iPad is running iPadOS.

And it's also normal that your bookmarks, tabs, reading list... are syncing.

The history sync does't work the same... since the beginning with macOS Yosemite, it has always been weird. Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes it works with delay and sometimes it works just fine. In iCloud it doesn't follow the same process.

Mostly because of security and privacy issues I guess. And now with macOS Catina, iPadOS and iOS 13 it's encrypted end to end.

Nov 9, 2019 12:04 PM in response to loïcfernandezcastrillon

Same issue here since iOS 13, iPadOS 13 and macOS Catalina. First, my iPad synced with my MacBook Pro, but not my iPhone. Then, both synced with my MacBook. Last week, my iPad stopped syncing with my Mac and iPhone was OK. But since today… neither the iPhone nor the iPad sync anymore automatically with the Mac.

The above mentioned workaround is the only solution to force sync with both I(Pad)OS devices.

Sep 23, 2019 8:49 AM in response to BatteriesNotIncluded

If your phone is running IOS 13, there have been a few posts about Safari not syncing and the suggestion that perhaps Catalina is required for the sync to be normal.

Sep 23, 2019 8:06 PM in response to Eric Root

I am running 13.

Will try and remember to report back once I upgrade MacOS. Thanks

Sep 23, 2019 8:47 PM in response to BatteriesNotIncluded

You are welcome.

Safari User Guide

• Get started
• Go to a website
• Bookmark web pages to revisit
• See your favourite websites
• Use tabs for web pages
• Import bookmarks and passwords
• Pay with Apple Pay
• Autofill credit card info
• View links from friends
• Keep a Reading List
• Hide ads when reading
• Translate a web page
• Download items from the web
• Add passes to Wallet
• Save part or all of a web page
• Print or create a PDF of a web page
• Interact with text in a picture
• Change your home page
• Customise a start page
• Create a profile
• Block pop-ups
• Make Safari your default web browser
• Hide your email address
• Manage cookies
• Clear your browsing history
• Browse privately
• Prevent cross-site tracking
• See who tried to track you
• Change Safari settings
• Keyboard and other shortcuts

Search your web browsing history in Safari on Mac

You can search your browsing history to quickly find websites you visited.

Open Safari for me

Type in the Search field at the top-right corner of the window.

Safari uses iCloud to keep your browsing history the same on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac computers that have iCloud set up for Safari . Your Mac can keep your browsing history for as long as a year, while some iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models keep browsing history for a month. To change how often your Mac removes items from your history, see Change General settings .

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This episode is available for free on 7/8, and is available early and ad-free for MSNBC Premium subscribers on Apple Podcasts. Elements of the American ultra right -- including the trailing ends of the America First movement -- begin taking up a strange new cause after the war... sympathy for Nazi war criminals. The surprising efforts to oppose the Nazi war crimes trials, and advocate for individual Nazis at home and abroad, will involve some of the most high-profile voices on the American right, and will jumpstart the career of one rising Republican star, Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

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