To see your Safari history on an iPhone, open Safari and go to your bookmarks, then tap the clock icon. On iOS 26 and later with the default Compact layout, tap the More button (three dots) next to the address bar, then tap Bookmarks. With the Bottom or Top layout, or on iOS 18 and earlier, tap the Bookmarks button (it looks like an open book). Your history appears grouped by day, newest first, and you can swipe down to search it.
Applies to: iPhone with iOS 17, iOS 18, iOS 26 and iOS 27. Last reviewed October 7, 2026.
View Safari history on iOS 26 and later
iOS 26 redesigned Safari, so the history button moved. Which steps you follow depends on your tab layout, which you can check in Settings > Apps > Safari under Tabs.
Compact layout (the default)
- Open Safari.
- Tap the More button (three dots) at the right of the address bar.
- Tap Bookmarks.
- Tap the clock icon in the bar at the top of the panel to switch to History.
Bottom or Top layout
- Open Safari.
- Tap the Bookmarks button (open book).
- Tap the clock icon to see your history.
View Safari history on iOS 18 and earlier
- Open Safari.
- Tap the Bookmarks button (open book) in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the clock icon at the top to open History.
Tap any entry to open that page again.
See the pages you visited in one tab
To go back several pages in the current tab without opening History, touch and hold the Back button (the left arrow). A list of the pages you visited in that tab appears. Tap one to jump straight to it. Touching and holding the Forward button works the same way.
Search your Safari history
- Open History using the steps above.
- Swipe down on the list to reveal the Search History field.
- Type a word from the page title or web address, such as a store name.
Safari searches the titles and addresses of pages, not their full text.
See history from your other Apple devices
If you’re signed in to iCloud with the same Apple Account on your iPhone, iPad and Mac, Safari syncs your history between them. To make sure it’s on, go to Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, and check that Safari is turned on under Saved to iCloud (you may need to tap See All).
If you use Safari profiles, such as Personal and Work, each profile keeps its own history. Switch profiles in the tab overview to see the other profile’s history.
Delete Safari history
Delete one page
In History, swipe left on the entry and tap Delete.
Delete history for a time period
- In History, tap Clear at the bottom.
- Choose Last hour, Today, Today and yesterday or All history.
- Tap Clear History.
Delete all history and website data
Go to Settings > Apps > Safari and tap Clear History and Website Data. Choose a time frame and confirm. This also signs you out of websites. Apple explains the options in its guide to deleting Safari history, cache and cookies.
Clearing history on one device clears it on every device signed in to the same iCloud account with Safari sync turned on.
Browse without saving history
Pages you visit in a Private tab aren’t saved to history. Open the tab overview, swipe to Private, and open a new tab. Private tabs lock when you leave Safari if you’ve turned that on in Safari settings. See how to close all private tabs on iPhone.
See websites visited on a child’s iPhone
If you manage a child’s iPhone with Family Sharing, you can see which websites they’ve used in Screen Time, even if they clear Safari history. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Screen Time, select your child’s name, and tap See All App & Website Activity. Screen Time shows time spent per website rather than every page visited.
Safari history on iPad and Mac
- iPad: tap the Show Sidebar button in the top-left corner of Safari, then tap History. On iPadOS 26 you can also open it from the More button, the same way as on iPhone.
- Mac: in Safari, choose History > Show All History from the menu bar, or press Command + Y. Use the search field in the top-right corner to find a page. To change how long a Mac keeps history, choose Safari > Settings > General and set Remove history items.
With iCloud sync on, pages you visit on any of these devices appear in History on all of them, so you can find a page on your iPhone that you opened on your Mac earlier in the day.
Troubleshooting
I can’t find the Bookmarks button
On iOS 26 with the Compact layout, it’s inside the More menu. Scroll up slightly on a webpage if the toolbar is hidden, then tap the three dots.
My history is empty
You may have been in a Private tab, history may have been cleared on another device, or a Screen Time setting may be limiting Safari. Check Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
Clear History is grayed out
There’s no history to clear, or Screen Time restrictions on web content are turned on. A parent or the device’s administrator needs to change the restriction.
History from my Mac doesn’t appear
Check that both devices use the same Apple Account and that Safari is turned on in iCloud settings on each one. Syncing can take a few minutes after you browse.
Frequently asked questions
How far back does Safari history go on iPhone?
Safari keeps history for a limited time and removes older entries automatically. If you need to find a page from long ago, search History first, then check your bookmarks and Reading List.
Can I recover deleted Safari history?
Not from Safari itself. If your iPhone was backed up before you cleared it, restoring that backup brings the history back, but it also replaces everything else on the phone with the backup’s contents.
Does Google Chrome on iPhone keep its own history?
Yes. Chrome history is separate. In Chrome, tap the three dots, then History.
Related: enable JavaScript on iPhone.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.