For some, their browsing history can have some people falling over themselves. Regardless of the nature of your browsing history, everyone has the right to keep them away from prying eyes. If you want to know how to delete WiFi history, you first need to know how to check it.
How to check browsing history of Wi-Fi router
Get your IP address
1 How to check browsing history of Wi-Fi router1.1 Get your IP address1.1.1 Windows1.1.2 Mac OS2 Go to your router’s dashboard3 Check your browsing history4 How to delete Wi-Fi history4.1 Clear log4.2 Reset button5 Delete browsing history from your device5.1 Chrome5.2 Firefox5.3 Edge5.4 Safari6 Use a VPN7 Conclusion
You can get your IP address from your Wi-FI router’s manual or at the back of your router. If you can’t physically access your WiFi router or have lost the manual, don’t panic. You can get it by following these steps:
Windows
If you’re using Windows 10, go to the Wi-Fi network on the taskbar. Select the Wi-Fi network you are using then click on ‘Properties.’ Look for the IPv4 address. Your IP address will be listed next to it. For Windows 11 users, go to Start, then select Settings. Select Network & internet, then choose Wi-Fi. Click on the Wi-Fi network you are using, then select ‘Properties.’ Your IP address is listed beside the IPv4 address. Another way for Windows users to check their IP address is by pressing the Windows button on your keyboard together with the R key. The Run box will pop up. Type in cmd in the space provided then click ‘OK.’ Next, type ipconfig/all then press the enter key. Scroll down to see your IP address which is listed in the same line as the IPv4 address.
Mac OS
For Mac users, click on the Apple logo on the top left corner of your screen. Select System Preferences. Choose Network to open your network settings. Go to Wi-Fi to see the active connections. You can find your IP address under Status.
Go to your router’s dashboard
Once you have found your IP address, you can either type it in or copy then paste it into your browser. Press enter. This will bring you to your router’s dashboard. Log in using your router’s credentials which are found either on the manual or the back of the router. If you don’t have access to both, you can call your internet service provider or the router’s hotline to ask for assistance. If you have Cox Wifi, we have a whole article which covers what to do if your Cox Panoramic Wi-Fi is not working.
Check your browsing history
Once you have successfully logged in to your router’s dashboard, you can now access the Wi-Fi history viewer and the log settings. Browse the devices connected to your Wi-Fi router and find the device you want to check the browsing history of. Things you can see in the log include:
Date and time when a site was accessed Source IP – the IP of the device browsing the internet Target address – the website or IP address visited Action – it will show whether access to the site was allowed or denied
You can take similar steps to help you find out Can the WiFi Owner See What Sites I Visit on My Phone?
How to delete Wi-Fi history
Clear log
After checking your Wi-Fi history, you now have the option to clear the Wi-Fi router history. To do this, you need to go to Logs but depending on the brand, it can also be called Event Logs, Administrator Logs, System Logs, or other terms. This option might be found in the Systems Tools settings which may be called Advanced or Administrator Tools in other router brands. Some routers give you the option to select which logs to delete. You just need to tick the boxes next to the logs you want to be erased. Click on ‘Clear log.’ If you want to delete everything, be sure to either click on the ‘Clear all log’ button or make sure all the boxes are ticked before you click on ‘Clear log.’ An alternative way to delete your Wi-Fi history, which some would argue is probably the easiest way, is by resetting the router. For this, you need to have physical access to the Wi-Fi router.
Reset button
Routers have a ‘Reset’ button at the back. In some routers, quickly pressing the reset button does a soft reset which means data like username and passwords won’t be lost. To do a hard reset, you need to press and hold the reset button for 10 to 20 seconds to restore factory settings, essentially clearing Wi-Fi router history. Note: Soft reset of the router is recommended if you want to fix io.netty.channel.abstractchannel$annotatedconnectexception for Minecraft.
Delete browsing history from your device
In instances that you cannot access your Wi-Fi router or Wi-Fi router dashboard, you can choose to delete your device’s browsing history.
Chrome
To delete Chrome browsing history:
Launch Chrome Click on the three dots on the right top corner to open a dropdown menu Select history to open the browser history Click on Clear History on the left side Choose which logs to delete, how far back you want to delete, or if you want to delete all
Firefox
To clear the browsing history on Firefox:
Launch Firefox Click the three lines on the right top side to open the menu panel Click History Select Clear Recent History Choose how much browsing data you want to delete Click the OK button
Edge
To delete Edge browsing history:
Launch Edge Click the three dots on the right top side to open the dropdown menu Right-click on History Select Open history page Click Clear browsing data Choose how much data you want to clear by ticking boxes Click Clear now
Safari
To clear the browsing history on Safari:
Launch Safari On the menu bar at the top, click History to open a dropdown menu Select Clear history Choose how much browsing history you want to delete Click Clear history
You can also hide your browsing history by activating:
Incognito mode on Chrome Private Browsing on Firefox Browse InPrivate on Edge Private Browsing on Safari
Use a VPN
To further protect your privacy, you can also use a virtual private network or VPN. VPNs hide your IP address so whatever you do on the internet is hidden. VPNs also prevent your personal information from being leaked. Your browsing history will also not be visible and cannot be used to track you for ad targeting.
Conclusion
Whether you’re hiding a surprise or just embarrassed by your browsing history, deleting your Wi-Fi history is quite easy to accomplish. You have the option to physically reset your Wi-Fi router to delete all your browsing data. You can also log into your Wi-Fi router’s dashboard and choose which data to delete. Other means of protecting your privacy include deleting your browser’s history. You can take your privacy and security a step further by using a VPN.
