Forum Discussion
Clearing Browsing Data on Close
Clearing Browsing Data on Close
Instead of manually clearing your browsing data, you can schedule Microsoft Edge to automatically delete it from the browser when you close all windows. This feature allows you to schedule the same data that can be manually cleared.
Here’s how you do it:
- Select Settings and more (…) and then Settings
- Select Privacy and services and then click on “Choose what to clear every time you close the browser”
- Toggle on or off each data type that you’d like to be cleared when all instances of your profile are closed.
Privacy and services / Clear browsing data.
The next time you launch your browser, the data you selected will be cleared. This can be verified by returning to the same page inside settings and observing if you have any data remaining for the toggles you have enabled. You may also visit edge://history to verify your history has been cleared.
If your data has not been cleared, please Send Feedback and include a description of what was supposed to be cleared, if you have any extensions installed, and the amount of data (e.g . 96 Browsing history items) that should be cleared.
Some things to consider:
- This setting will only clear data from your local device unless sync is enabled for that data type, to clear your data associated with a Microsoft account please visit the Microsoft Privacy Dashboard,
- This setting is profile specific and will only affect data from the Profile that you enabled the setting in.
- The automatic deletion will only happen once all windows of a specific profile are closed, this includes any PWAs that may be running. Having the app pinned to the taskbar does not affect this.
- If you have toggle on “Cookies and site data” and have enabled the “Continue where you left off” setting inside Settings > On startup, the same tabs will remain open in your next browsing session but you may be signed out of some sites since your cookies were cleared.
32 Replies
- Yes, be careful about clearing Password option. It will remove all your stored passwords from the Microsoft Wallet. Make sure to export them out first. I thought this option would only clear out the passwords in cache.
- This feature works well on desktop edge, but it doesn't work on mobile edge at all.
- In Internet Explorer, there is feature which you could set time like clear all data after 20 days. I believe this functionality would be interesting and also add the following options:
1) Delete files related to website if the website hasn't been visited in … days
2) Delete all data for website which you have been visited in … days ago
3) Delete data for all websites every … day/month Opera on Android (sorry to mention it hear) has two ways of closing,
1. Simply close (X in the right top corner),which is not the same as
2. File > Exit with an optional pop-up, offering to close all tabs and clearing browsing data and history, both matters being optional as well.
This way users have maximum flexibility on what(not) to keep.
Maybe something to consider?
Eric_Lawrence I think we're all agreed that having a way to delete browsing data is required, as always the devil is in the detail. Back in July I requested the ability to completely obliterate the cruft from a tab when its closed, not EVERY tab. These days even the most basic web pages are polluted with Google / doubleclick tracking data. I work hard to keep Larry & Sergei off my machine.
I visited one page the other day - just a couple of nice images of birds and some text. I F12'ed , and nearly coughed my coffee over the keyboard - nearly a Megabyte of html, javascript, and the obligatory GDPR notice, If I deny all targeted marketing, obviously it drops a cookie to say I don't want targeted marketing (still useful information). For each of the ad beacons.
On Firefox, I have the EFF's Privacy Badger, it works pretty well. Maybe we could have that in Edge?
Best to stop the pollution at source, rather than try to clear it up afterwards.
LegacyOfherot Thanks for the reply. Well, it was just an idea only and one might consider it.
Personally, what I like this method because it is simple, i.e. just File>Exit.
That's it. No special settings, no extra clicks, no nothing. I can't think of a more user-friendly way.
I am sure there are many more good ways to take care of browser data, many of them may have been suggested in this thread. The only reason for suggesting this option is because of its simplicity.
Anyway, thanks again.
Elliot Kirk The feature is really great. My suggestion is a button to select all items should be added. In case someone wants to clear all the available items on exit this will make it much easier.
Elliot Kirk When will this option be available in GPO?
Hi stesch79, I will ask the owners of this area and find out for you. Thanks - Elliot
- It looks like there is already a policy that does this: Clear browsing data when Microsoft Edge closes. It should be in the latest policy files for Dev / Canary. Thanks - Elliot
You can always (also) add a favorite to your favorite bar to Clear Brower Data which is like in a way adding your own clear data/history button. I did it, and all I do is click the icon (or right click to a new window tab) and clear data/history with in a second when I want to clear data. Its: chrome://settings/clearBrowserData (type it in to get to that setting as copy/pasting/clicking link here wont work properly) to do so and than bookmark the tab (star). One can do that, and/or also set clear data upon exit to have both routes or if they watn to clear data/history real fast when needed, but not always want it cleared upon exit. Example:
Elliot Kirk I'd like to see an option for Clear Search Strings. I've noticed that search strings previously used are coming through as top search suggestions. This is true in the standard browsing session but more concerning is that search strings used during InPrivate browsing are also coming through as top search suggestions is the standard session.
So private is really 100% private. 😒
- Eric_Lawrence
Microsoft
Can you share some examples? Is there any reason to believe that the top search suggestions in questions are not, in fact, the top search suggestions *for everyone*?Eric_Lawrence After some further experience especially with Edge for Android I'm starting to think the problem may actually be associated with the keyboard being used. The in-private mode on Edge for Android does not seem to clear out the keyboard data and as a result the words used during an in-private session appear on the keyboard as top suggested words to start your next typing session. Very obvious with SwiftKey keyboard.
I did seem to experience similar behaviour on my desktop browser but not to the same extent.
- i wanted to know, when will come the read aloud to edge chromium to read PDF ? thanks for your attention and have a nice day, see you
Chromium based browsers can use "Read Aloud" and it will read PDF pages. It's an extension rather than built-in but it will do the job until MS make it a native ability in Edge. You can get it in the Chrome store.
Elliot Kirk - how does this work relative to "Site permissions -> Cookies -> Keep local data only until you quit your browser"?
