4 Ways to Fix Unable to Clear History in Safari for iPhone

Quick Tips

• Clearing your Safari browsing history can help erase your online activities, free up space, and troubleshoot temporary browser-related issues.
• Temporary glitches, Screen Time restrictions, and persistent cookies are among the reasons you may encounter difficulties clearing your Safari history on your iPhone.
• Consider restarting your iPhone to see if that resolves the issue.

Fix 1: Disable Web Content Restrictions

The Screen Time feature on your iPhone lets you apply content restrictions and block inappropriate websites. If you’ve previously enabled this feature, you may run into problems while clearing your Safari history. Hence, it’s best to remove any web content restrictions on your iPhone.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and tap on Screen Time.

Step 2: Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and select Content Restrictions from the following menu.

Step 3: Tap on Web Content and select the Unrestricted option.

Fix 2: Disable iCloud Sync for Safari

Enabling iCloud sync for Safari allows you to sync your browsing history, bookmarks, open tabs, and other data across your Apple devices. However, this sync feature can sometimes cause conflicts with Safari and hinder your ability to clear your browsing history.

To avoid this, temporarily disable iCloud sync for Safari using these steps:

Step 1: Open the Settings app, tap your Apple ID at the top, and select iCloud.

Step 2: Under Apps Using iCloud, select the Show All option. Turn off the toggle for Safari.

Fix 3: Temporarily Block Cookies in Safari

Safari saves cookies to remember your preferences, keep you logged in to websites, and improve your browsing experience. However, certain persistent cookies, specifically designed to remain on your device, may interfere with clearing your browsing data. To check for this, temporarily block cookies in Safari.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and scroll down to tap on Safari.

Step 2: Under Privacy & Security, turn on the toggle for Block All Cookies. Select Block All to confirm.

Fix 4: Reset Your iPhone

If you still can’t clear your browsing history in Safari, try resetting your iPhone. This will restore your iPhone’s settings to default without affecting your personal data. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap on General.

Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Transfer or Reset iPhone.

Step 3: Tap Reset and select Reset All Settings from the menu. Enter your iPhone’s passcode when prompted and follow the on-screen instructions.