What Happens When You Clear Browsing Data in Chrome?

Google Chrome, just like any other browser, saves various forms of data in local storage when you visit websites. This helps provide a better browsing experience, both in terms of performance and convenience. However, there are times when you might want to clear your browsing data in Chrome.

Usually, deleting browsing data such as cached images and files helps fix persistent problems with websites. Removing data types such as cookies can also improve privacy.

Let’s take a deep dive, figure out what your Chrome browsing data consists of, and then check what happens after you clear them.

What Counts as Browsing Data in Chrome?

Chrome’s browsing data dump is as follows:

Search history—a record of websites you have visited before in the past.

Download history— list of downloaded files.

Cookies and other site data—small files that help sites remember login sessions and user preferences.

Cached images and files— Cached files that help Chrome load sites faster on subsequent visits.

Passwords and other login data—Passwords you save in Chrome’s built-in password manager.

Autofill form data—form data, addresses, and registered credit card information.

Site settings—site-related permissions (such as camera, microphone, and download permissions).

Hosted app data—Local data saved offline by Chrome Web Store apps.

Note: The mobile version of Chrome does not include the “Download history” and “Hosted app data” categories.

What Happens When You Clear Browsing Data?

Here’s what happens when you choose to delete a certain form of browsing data in Chrome:

Search history

Clears history logs from Chrome’s History tab (Chrome menu > History). It also stops the browser from showing previously visited sites as suggestions in the Chrome Omnibox. Helps protect privacy in shared device scenarios.

Download History

Removes download logs from the Downloads tab (Chrome menu > Downloads). It doesn’t delete the downloaded files though. Helps protect privacy in shared device scenarios.

Cookies and Other Site Data

Requires you to log in to websites again. Sites may also lose your preferences. It helps clear tracking cookies and prevents sites from recognizing you on subsequent visits. You can also stop freeing up disk space (about 500 megabytes in most cases).

Note: Despite clearing cookies, websites may use alternative forms of tracking, such as IP addresses or browser fingerprinting, to track you.

Cached Images and Files

It helps fix problems caused by old cached data. Certain websites may soon load slowly, as Chrome needs to redownload all site-related data.

You can also delete cached images and files for only one site.

Passwords and Other Login Data

Removes passwords you’ve saved in Chrome’s built-in password manager. Before deleting them, be sure to export your passwords to a CSV file or export them to another browser or password manager.

AutoFill Form Data

Deletes form data, addresses, and credit card information. It does not delete the payment information saved in Google Pay.

Content settings

Resets site permissions to their defaults. You then need to reconfigure any camera, microphone or download permissions for sites.

Hosted Application Data

Chrome Web Store apps load slowly after a short while because they need to redownload data locally.

Note: When clearing your browsing data (last hour, last 24 hours, etc.), Chrome lets you choose time zones, so you don’t necessarily have to delete every piece of information about any particular data category.

Chrome Syncs Play a Factor

If you have Chrome Sync turned on, deleting certain data formats will cause the browser to delete them from other devices as well. This particularly affects passwords, autofill data, and browsing history data categories.

If you don’t want that to happen, turn off Chrome Sync for these specific data types before deleting your data.

To manage Chrome Sync, go to Settings > Sync & Google Services > Manage What You Sync. For example, turn off the switch next to History to prevent Chrome Sync from deleting your browsing history on all devices.

How to Clear Browsing Data in Chrome

To clear your browsing data from Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data. Switch to the Advanced tab to reveal all data formats.

Select the data categories you want to delete, select a time period (last hour, 24 hours, all time, etc.), and then click Clear Data.

Don’t Overdo

Clearing your browsing data can negatively impact your browsing experience in Chrome. So don’t make it a habit unless you run into any issues or privacy concerns with the site.

Fly: Chrome’s Incognito mode helps you browse privately and prevents your browsing data from staying local.

Also, you should take adequate care when deleting browsing data. Accidentally deleting your passwords or autofilling data (when all you want to do is clear cached files and images) can really wreak havoc on your day.

Next: Clearing your browsing data also doesn’t delete any activity saved in your Google Account. See the next article to learn how to delete it.