To clear history in Firefox on an iPhone, tap the menu button, choose History, tap the trash icon, and pick Today, Today and Yesterday or Everything. To delete cookies and other site data, go to Settings > Data Management and tap Clear Private Data, or tap Website Data to clear just one site.
These steps follow Mozilla’s Clear browsing history in Firefox for iOS help article. They work the same on an iPad, except the menu button is at the top right instead of the bottom of the screen.
In this article:
- Clear your history
- Remove one site from your history
- Delete all cookies and site data
- Clear cookies for one website
- What each type of data means
- Browse without saving history
- FAQs
How to Clear Your History in Firefox on iPhone
Use this when you want to wipe the list of sites you visited over a set period.
- Open the Firefox app.
- Tap the menu button. It is at the bottom of the screen on an iPhone and at the top right on an iPad.
- Choose History to see the sites you visited.
- Tap the trash icon in the bottom-left corner.
- Choose Today, Today and Yesterday or Everything.
Result: The sites from the time range you chose are gone from your history, and they also disappear from the top sites on your Firefox Home page.
How to Remove One Site From Your History
If you only want to hide one page, you do not have to clear everything.
- Tap the menu button and choose History.
- Find the site you want to remove.
- Swipe right on the site name and tap Delete.
This removes the history entry only. Mozilla notes that it does not remove that site’s data or saved logins, so use the website data steps below if you also want to clear its cookies.
You can also clean up the Recently Visited section on the Firefox home page. Long-press an item there and tap Remove to delete that page and its related details from your history.
Result: The site no longer appears in your history list or under Recently Visited.
How to Delete All Cookies and Site Data in Firefox on iPhone
This is the option to use if you want a clean slate, for example before handing your phone to someone else.
- Tap the menu button and tap Settings.
- Under the Privacy section, tap Data Management.
- At the bottom of the list, tap Clear Private Data to remove all website data.
Caution: Mozilla warns that this clears all of your private data and cannot be undone. Because cookies store things like your sign-in, you may be signed out of websites afterward.
Result: Firefox removes the cookies and other website data stored in the app.
How to Clear Cookies for One Website
If a single site is misbehaving or you want to sign out of just one account, clear only that site’s data.
- Tap the menu button and tap Settings.
- Under Privacy, tap Data Management.
- Tap Website Data.
- Tap the site you want to clear. If you don’t see it, tap Show More to find it.
- Tap Clear Items at the bottom of the list.
Result: Only the selected site’s data is removed. Your other sites stay signed in. If you cleared a site because it would not open a sign-in or print window, also check the pop-up setting in Firefox on iPhone.
What Each Type of Data Means
Mozilla lists these types of information you can remove in Firefox for iOS:
- Browsing History: addresses and cached text for websites you visited. Clearing it also removes those sites from your top sites on Firefox Home.
- Cache: parts of web pages stored in the browser so they load faster next time.
- Cookies: files with information about your visit to a website, such as site preferences and user information.
- Offline Website Data: files a website stores on your device, if you allowed it, so you can keep using it offline.
- Tracking Protection: sites you added as exceptions to Tracking Protection.
- Saved Logins: saved usernames and passwords. If you want to keep these, see how to save passwords in the Firefox iPhone app.
How to Browse Without Saving History
If you would rather not clear your history after the fact, use private browsing. According to Mozilla’s private browsing in Firefox for iOS article, it lets you browse without saving your history, cookies or passwords, and Firefox deletes private tabs when you leave Private Browsing or quit the app by default. Bookmarks and downloaded files are still saved.
To switch it on, see how to use private browsing in Firefox on iPhone. Mozilla also points out that private browsing does not make you anonymous online. Websites, your internet provider and the network you use can still see your activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting a site from my history remove its cookies?
No. Swiping to delete a history entry leaves that site’s data and logins in place. Use Settings > Data Management > Website Data to clear its cookies.
Can I undo Clear Private Data?
No. Mozilla says the action cannot be undone, so make sure you know your passwords for important sites before you use it.
Where is the menu button on an iPad?
On an iPad, the menu button is at the top right of the screen. On an iPhone, it is at the bottom.
Will clearing my history change my Firefox home page?
Yes. Clearing browsing history also removes those sites from the top sites shown on Firefox Home.
More Firefox iPhone Guides
- How to set the home page in Firefox on iPhone
- How to reload a page in the Firefox iPhone app
- How to clear history in the Microsoft Edge iPhone app
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.