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Clearing Your Browser Cache

Clearing your browser cache

If you are dealing with someone who is controlling, monitoring, or surveilling your email or internet activity you may be interested in learning how to clear your browser cache. The purpose of the cache is to remember the websites visited so they load faster on your next visit. However, clearing the cache can be a red flag if someone is monitoring you, especially if you do not do this regularly. It would be a good idea to access some of your regularly visited sites after you cleared the cache.

Please know it is possible that clearing your cache will not remove all traces of your online activity. (There are instances including but not limited to keylogging software or programs that back up computers.) If you are using your home computer to find help, first determine if it is a safe computer to access. If you are concerned about your computer safety, use a public computer such as one at a library, at work, or at the home of a trusted friend. Additional internet and computer safety information can be found here. 

Desktop Browser
Chrome

Additional Information:

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/32050?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en&oco=1

Option 1

  1. In the URL bar at the top of the window enter: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData
  2. Go over to Advanced and make sure all the following are selected:
    1. Browsing History
    2. Download History
    3. Cookies and other site data
    4. Cached images and files
  3. Select a time range (Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, All time).
  4. Click Clear data.
  5. Sign out of your account
  6. Close/exit all browser tabs and windows.

Option 2

  1. Go into your History (ctrl+H).
  2. Click on Clear browsing data on the left-hand side.
  3. Go over to Advanced and make sure all the following are selected:
    1. Browsing History
    2. Download History
    3. Cookies and other site data
    4. Cached images and files
  4. Select a time range (Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, All time).
  5. Click Clear data.
  6. Sign out of your account
  7. Close/exit all browser tabs and windows.

Firefox

Additional Information:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-clear-firefox-cache

  1. Go into the History menu, click Clear Recent History. (If the menu bar is hidden, press Alt to make it visible).
  2. Select a time range (Last Hour, Two Hours, Four Hours, Today, Everything).
  3. Select all the following under History:
    1. Browsing & Download History
    2. Cookies
    3. Active Logins
    4. Cache
    5. Form & Search History
  4. Click OK.
  5. Close/Exit all browser tabs and windows.

Safari (Mac)

Additional Information:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204098

  1. Click Safari and select Preferences.
  2. Select Privacy and open Manage Website Data.
  3. Select the websites you want to remove the data or select Remove All.
  4. Then go to History and select Show All History.
  5. Click Clear History and select a time range (the last hour, today, today and yesterday, all history).
  6. Close/Exit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Microsoft Edge

Additional Information:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/view-and-delete-browser-history-in-microsoft-edge-00cf7943-a9e1-975a-a33d-ac10ce454ca4

Go into your History (ctrl+H)

  1. In settings, there will be an option to Clear browsing data. Select the following:
    1. Browsing history
    2. Download history
    3. Cookies and other site data
    4. Cached images and files
  2. Select a time range (Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, All time).
  3. Click Clear now.
  4. Sign out of your account.
  5. Close/exit all browser tabs and windows.

Opera

  1. Go into Settings (gear icon on the left-hand toolbar) and click Clear browsing data under Privacy and security.
  2. Go over to Advanced and make sure all the following are selected:
    1. Browsing History
    2. Download History
    3. Cookies and other site data
    4. Cached images and files
  3. Select a time range (Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, All time).
  4. Click Clear data.
  5. Sign out of your account
  6. Close/exit all browser tabs and windows.

Internet Explorer (9 and Above)

Additional Information:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/view-and-delete-your-browsing-history-in-internet-explorer-098ffe52-5ac9-a449-c296-c735c32c8678

  1. Go into Tools (the gear icon), select Safety and then Delete browsing history.
  2. Select the following:
    1. Temporary Internet files and website files.
    2. Cookies and website data.
    3. History.
    4. Download History.
    5. Form data.
  3. Make sure Preserve Favourites website data is not selected.
  4. Click Delete
  5. Close/exit all browser tabs and windows.

Mobile Browsers
 

Android
Default Internet App

Note: these instructions may differ slightly depending on the app.

  1. Go into the Settings App.
  2. Select Apps and tap the internet browser.
  3. Tap Clear Data, Clear Cache, and Clear History.
  4. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Chrome

  1. Open Chrome on your device.
  2. Touch the Settings button (three-dot icon on the top right).
  3. Select History then Clear browsing data.
  4. Go over to Advanced and make sure all the following are selected:
    1. Browsing History
    2. Download History
    3. Cookies and other site data
    4. Cached images and files
  5. Select a time range (Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, All time).
  6. Click Clear data.
  7. Sign out of your account
  8. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

iPhone
Safari

Additional Information: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201265

Option 1

  1. Go into the Settings App.
  2. Scroll down and click on Safari.
  3. Scroll down and click on Clear History and Website Data.
  4. Click Clear History and Data
  5. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Option 2

  1. Open the Safari App.
  2. Click on History (book icon at the bottom).
  3. Click Clear
  4. Select a time range (The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, All time).
  5. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Chrome

  1. Go into Settings (ellipses at the bottom of the window) and select Settings.
  2. Click on Privacy.
  3. Select Clear Browsing Data.
  4. Select a time range (Last Hour, Last 24 Hours, Last 7 Days, Last 4 Weeks, All Time).
  5. Make sure the following are selected:
    1. Browsing History.
    2. Cookies, Site Data.
    3. Cached Images and Files.
  6. Click Clear Browsing Data
  7. Exit/quit all browser windows and re-open the browser.

Sources

https://www.uoguelph.ca/ccs/cache

https://libanswers.uwaterloo.ca/faq/74591

https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/iits/clearing-your-browser-cache

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=315&top=23