To stop Safari from saving new browsing history on a Mac, set it to open in a private window: choose Safari > Settings > General, then set Safari opens with to A new private window. To remove history Safari has already saved, use History > Clear History and choose a time range; these are separate actions.
Set Safari to open in Private Browsing by default
- Open Safari.
- In the menu bar, choose Safari > Settings.
- Click General.
- Open the Safari opens with menu and choose A new private window.
After this change, Safari opens a private window when you launch it. Apple documents this setting in its Safari guide.
If “A new private window” is missing
Apple says to enable the option to close windows when quitting an application. On macOS 13 or later, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock and turn on Close windows when quitting an application. On macOS 12 or earlier, use Apple menu > System Preferences > General and enable Close windows when quitting an app. Labels may differ by macOS version. See Apple’s Safari instructions and personal safety guide.
Open a private window for one session
If you only want a particular session to be private, choose File > New Private Window in Safari. A private window has a dark Smart Search field with white text, making it easier to tell apart from an ordinary window. Apple describes this option in its Safari guide.
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What Private Browsing does—and does not—save
Apple says Safari does not save visited webpages or AutoFill information from Private Browsing, excludes recent searches from Smart Search suggestions, and does not store private tabs in iCloud tabs. Changes to cookies and website data from the private session are not saved. Private downloads do not appear in Safari’s downloads list, but the downloaded files remain on the Mac. These are Safari behaviors, not a guarantee that other people, websites, or services cannot retain information.
Open private windows can still contain Back and Forward navigation that another person using the Mac could inspect. Apple’s personal safety guidance recommends closing other private windows and deleting files downloaded during private sessions when appropriate.
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Clear history Safari has already saved
- In Safari, choose History > Clear History.
- Open the time-range menu and select how far back you want to clear.
- Confirm the action if Safari prompts you.
Apple says that if Safari is set up with iCloud on the Mac and other Apple devices, clearing history removes it from those devices too. This does not erase histories that websites maintain independently. See Apple’s instructions for clearing Safari history.
Clearing history also removes more than the list of visited pages. Apple includes the Back and Forward list, frequently visited sites, recent searches, website icons, snapshots for open pages, Safari’s downloads list (but not the downloaded files), Quick Website Search sites, and sites that requested location or notification permissions.
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Use profiles to separate browsing contexts
Safari 17 and later supports profiles for contexts such as work, personal use, or school. Browsing history, cookies, and other website data are kept separate between profiles, and you can clear history for all profiles or just a selected one. Profiles organize separate contexts; choose Private Browsing when the goal is not to save details of a session. Apple explains profiles in its Safari profiles guide.
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