Here’s a New Year’s resolution for 2018: declutter your digital history. Your computer stores vast amounts of browsing data, and in places you might never even think of looking. This subtle chronology leaves you vulnerable to spies and ad trackers. Solution: Get over it.
Here are three ways to cover your tracks, using two of the biggest services on the Internet. You might be surprised by how closely these companies follow you, but what might surprise you even more is how much control you have over them. Later at the end of this post, don’t forget how to clear your search history on your phone.
1. Delete your Google search history
Google’s mission is to know everything, so few are surprised that the world’s most famous search engine keeps a close record of your browsing history. It may seem harmless at first: Your computer remembers the websites you visit, so it’s easy to access them later, right? what’s the big deal?
But here’s another way to look at it: The tech giant knows everything you’ve ever searched for. If you have a Google Account, the corporation stores it not only on your computer, but in its own database. Therefore, you cannot simply erase your search history from your browser and hope for the best. Google still knows everything.
Talking about tracking, many people are unaware that Google also tracks your physical location. You can see where and when you go on the map. Click here to learn about the Google Tracking feature you didn’t even know you’ve switched on.
The good news is that you can delete all that data, and you don’t have to storm Googleplex headquarters to do it. Instead, you can clear your history from the comfort of your personal computer, thanks to a little feature called “My Activity.”
Google has dozens of basic features, and most people would never have looked at this option. But if you click on My Account in the top right corner, you can find My Activity >> Delete Activity. A small box will appear, and you can change the Delete by date field to All Time. Google takes pains to remind you how useful your search history is, but now you have the option to remove all this data forever.
2. Delete your Facebook search history
Would you believe Facebook keeps records just like Google? If anything, Facebook’s data is even more personal, such as clubs and pastimes, than we share with our social network.
Facebook also mines when you see an ex or a neighbor. If someone accidentally accesses your account, that information is completely accessible.
Facebook tracks where you’re logged in. You can delete it. Facebook also tracks you in pictures. You can review all photos tagged with you in them. To review these data points on your Facebook account, click here for steps to check other hidden Facebook settings.
Luckily, you can clear your Facebook search history in just a few clicks. To clear past searches, log into Facebook and go to the inverted triangle in the upper-right corner. Click on Activity Log. The Activity Log is where Facebook tracks your actions within the site.
In the left column of the activity log, under Photos, Likes and Comments, click the More link. Then scroll down and click on the Search link. Here you’ll see a list of each Facebook search you’ve organized to date. You can clear searches individually by clicking the cross-circle icon on the right.
Then click Remove in the box that appears. To clear each search, click the Clear Search link at the top-right of the list.
3. Use a Secret Search Engine
Google has hundreds of millions of users around the world, and the company’s name has become synonymous with “finding information”. But remember, you don’t have to use Google, and as easy as the service is, there are other ways to navigate the web.
DuckDuckGo’s mission is to keep users’ information private and prevent personalized search results. The search engine includes great calculators and other tricks, and you can customize its interface with search shortcuts and a quick answer feature.
You might be surprised by the quality of Instant Answers, which easily rivals Google’s knowledge graph. You can also make DuckDuckGo an extension of your browser and enable more privacy settings to keep your search history as secure as possible.
Ixquick calls itself the world’s most private search site. Ixquick does not record your IP address, browser information or search history.
The real magic of Ixquick is its “Search by Proxy” feature. This means that websites have no idea which IP address you are using. As a customer browsing your page, you are basically invisible. This feature has the potential to slow down your searches, but it’s worth paying for those.