All our personal information is stored on our Android smartphone: from the browser's browsing history, passing through geo-location data and quick access data from the on-screen keyboard. Whichever app we use, we generate a stream of personal data that is stored in Android's internal memory are form of cache, temporary files or cookies.
Sometimes it is a good idea to delete all this personal data, so that no one else can spy on what we look at on the Internet from the phone and the access data to some sensitive site, especially when we lend the cell phone to a friend.
In this guide we will show you how to erase history and personal data on Android, so that we can secure our privacy when we use the mobile phone in the presence of other people.
How to clear history and personal data on Android
Below we have collected all the histories that can be found on an Android smartphone and the methods to delete them, so as not to keep any personal data for a long time. The methods shown are valid on any type of Android smartphone, from the oldest to the most recent.Clear the history of web browsers
On Android we can find Google Chrome as a pre-installed browser, even if it is often supported by the browser of the smartphone manufacturer (especially on Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi).
Below we have collected all the methods to clear the history from the most famous web browsers:
- On Chrome for Android, clearing the history is really simple: just press the menu button at the top right, view the history, press the Clear browsing data button, go to the Advanced section, select the time interval All, put the sign check all the items and finally tap at the bottom on Clear data .
- On Firefox for Android we can clear the history by pressing the menu button at the top right, selecting the History menu and pressing the Delete history button at the bottom.If you want to use Firefox without leaving traces of navigation, in the Settings menu -> Privacy we can activate the item Delete personal data on closing to automatically delete all data when the browser is closed.
- On Android smartphones with a system browser or manufacturer's browser, to clear the browsing history, simply open it, press the Menu button, touch Settings, go to the Privacy and security section and touch the option that says Clear history or Clear data . Obviously the paths may change according to the manufacturer, but the steps are very similar to how they are described.
If we also want to clear the cache and data on other browsers and on the Android system, we advise you to read our guide on how to clear the cache of the app, browser and Android system to recover memory .
Clear the call history
The call history or call log can be deleted from the app with which we make the calls or from the Contacts app, by going to the Recents or similar names tab, holding down one of the contacts and selecting the Delete the call log item.
On other systems or on Android smartphones of other manufacturers this item is present in the menu at the top right.
Clear the notification history
Notifications from an Android phone appear on the top bar of the phone and can be hidden with a swipe of the finger on the screen.These, however, even if they are not visible, are still in the phone's memory and can pose a privacy hazard as they contain fragments of emails and WhatsApp messages, a summary of the missed calls and can also reveal the username for certain applications.
To clear this information, we can use the free Notification History app.
With this app we will be able to see all the notifications received on the phone and delete them all. To learn more, we recommend reading our article on how to see all the notifications received from Android .
Clear the history of the Play Store
The Play Store also maintains its history, containing the searches made in the top bar. To clear the searches on the Play Store, open the app of the store, touch the three horizontal lines in the upper left corner, press the Settings menu and select the item Clear search history .
In this way, all the apps we have searched for or the searches we have started will be deleted from our Play Store.
Clear the history of geo-location
Another very important history concerns the geo-location of the Android system and the Google account, which collects data on our position even when we do not use the map apps. To view this history, go to the Geolocation, GPS or Location menu of the Settings menu, then press on Google Location History .
In the new screen we press on the Manage activity item, we press the menu with the three dots at the top right, we select the Settings and privacy item then we press the Delete all Location History button.
To learn more, we can read our article on how to manage location history on Android and how to disable it .
Clear the keyboard history
If you use the Google Gboard keyboard it is important to know that it maintains a history of the words added to the dictionary, the searches made and the GIFs sent.To delete this history, go to the Settings -> Languages and input path, press the Gboard keyboard, select the Advanced menu, then press the Delete words and learned data item .
If we use a keyboard supplied by the manufacturer, it will offer a similar option to clear the learned words. If we are looking for a new keyboard, we recommend you read our guide Best keyboards for Android, to change the way you type .
Clear the history of Google services (YouTube, Maps etc.)
Each Google app has its own history and stores a large amount of personal data; luckily we can check most of this information from the Google Dashboard.
From this site we can check all the data that Google stores on us, including searches on the Google site, searches on YouTube, viewed videos, locations and places where we have been, pages viewed on the internet and even commands vowels.
To find out more, we recommend that you also read our guides on how to delete the voice command history and how to delete the search and video history seen on Youtube .
Clear the history of social apps (Facebook etc.)
The searches you do on Facebook are something you would rather keep private and not let anyone see. If we have to lend the phone to someone or if there is a risk that a family member or friend may look at our phone, it is better to clear the search history on Facebook. At the top of the Facebook app, we touch the magnifying glass button, press the Edit button in the upper right corner and delete the activities stored by tapping on the Delete searches item .
To learn more, we can also read the dedicated guide on how to clear the history of searches made on Facebook .
Conclusions
Given the large amount of personal data saved in any Android smartphone, it is advisable to periodically delete those data and histories that we do not want to be read or recovered by other users, especially if we often leave the phone unattended or in the hands of children or relatives . To protect all personal data of our smartphone more effectively, we recommend you read our guides on smartphone protection and more secure screen unlock for Android and on the apps to block the opening of applications on Android .
