How To Delete Incognito Search History

Users often use incognito mode while browsing the internet for privacy. However, it might come as a rude shock to many that this is actually not the case. 

The incognito mode, which is a feature in most web browsers, prevents the storage of browsing history, cookies, and site data, ensuring that your activity isn’t recorded locally on your device.  However, entities like your internet service provider, network administrators can still track your activities. 

Many websites, apps and other platforms can still see your data. The search history, DNS queries or cached data might be accessible in certain scenarios. Therefore, it is recommended to delete incognito search history on different devices in order to enhance your privacy further. 

In this article, we will guide you on how to delete incognito search history on various devices including Android, iOS, Windows and Mac users. 

Delete Incognito Search History on Android

Browsing in incognito mode on Android devices doesn’t save history directly in your browser. But, traces might still be stored in other areas like DNS cache or network logs. To clear your history, follow these steps:

Clear App Cache:

• Go to Settings > Apps.
• Select your browser (e.g., Chrome or Firefox).
• Tap on Storage > Clear Cache.

Clear Activity on Google Account:

• Open the Google app or visit My Activity.
• Tap on Delete activity by > Select Incognito activities > Confirm deletion.

Delete Incognito Search History on iOS

You need to clear browser data and DNS cache to remove the history of your activities on iPhones or iPads. Here are the steps: 

Clear Browser Data:

OnSafari

1. Go to Settings > Safari
2. Select Clear History and Website Data.

Chrome

1. Open Chrome
2. Tap the three-dot menu
3. Go to Settings
4. Select Privacy
5. Click Clear Browsing Data.

Clear DNS Cache

• Go to the Settings app.
• Toggle Airplane Mode on and off, or restart your device to refresh the DNS cache.

• Check any apps linked to your browsing activity to ensure no logs are stored.

Delete Incognito Search History on Windows

You can delete incognito history on Windows in following steps:

Clear DNS Cache:

• Open the Command Prompt (as Administrator).
• Type ipconfig /flushdns and press enter.

Delete Temporary Files:

• Press Win + R, type %temp%, and hit enter.
• Select all files and delete them.

Clear Browser Data:

Chrome

1. Go to Settings
2. Select Privacy and Security
3. Click on Clear Browsing Data
4. Choose “All Time”
5. And then Clear.

For Edge

1. Go to Settings
2. Go to Privacy, Search and Services
3. Click on Clear Browsing Data.

Also Read: How To Delete Google Search History On PC, Mac

Delete Incognito Search History on Mac

To clear incognito search history on macOS, focus on clearing browser data and DNS cache. Follow these steps:

Flush DNS Cache:

• Open the Terminal app.
• Type sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder and press enter.

Clear Browser Data:

Safari

1. Go to Safari
2. Then Preferences
3. Click on Privacy
4. Go to Manage Website Data
5. Select Remove all.

Chrome

1. Open Chrome
2. Click the three-dot menu
3. Go to Settings
4. Click on Privacy
5. Select Clear Browsing Data.