Clearing your address bar history is a useful process that can help enhance privacy. The process of clearing an address bar history will vary according to the browser program you are using as well as the operating system your computer uses, but the basic process is generally the same. The first step is to open the browser program. Some browser programs will allow you to clear the address bar history without being connected to the Internet, while others may require an Internet connection. Once the browser program is open and your home page appears, you can begin the process.
At the top of the screen, the browser program will often feature menu items, such as "File," "Edit," "View," History," "Bookmarks," and "Help." If you are new to the browser program, you can click on the "Help" menu item to find tutorials on how to use the browser, as well as how to clear your address bar history. If you are comfortable enough with the browser and feel as though you can navigate it easily, you can locate the "History" menu item if one is present. If there is no "History" menu item, look for a menu item that reads, "Preferences," "Privacy," "Settings," or something similar.
When you click on that menu item, a menu will drop down from that spot with several options. Look for the option that reads, "Clear History" or something similar. The menu may read simply "History" or "Browser History," so click on these items if they are present. Doing so will open a dialog box that may provide a list of websites you have visited in the past. This is your address bar history. There will be a menu item within that dialogue box that reads "Clear History" or a similar command. Clicking on this item will erase the record of websites you have visited, as well as any temporary stored data from those websites.
You can very often set your browser to clear the address bar history automatically after a set period of time. Such settings can usually be adjusted within the history dialog box or drop-down menu. Simply choose the amount of time you want your browser to store the data; you may choose, for example, to instruct the browser to clear browsing data every two weeks. This means the browser will delete your address bar history as well as other temporary files every two weeks from the initial setting date.
