does safari keep all history

Clear your browsing history

You can remove all records that Safari keeps of where you’ve browsed during a period of time you choose. If your Mac and your other devices have the iCloud Safari feature turned on, your browsing history is removed from all of them. Clearing your browsing history in Safari doesn’t clear any browsing histories kept independently by websites you visited.

Open Safari for me

Choose History > Clear History and Website Data, then click the pop-up menu and choose how far back you want your browsing history cleared.

When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including:

History of webpages you visited

The back and forward list for open webpages

Top Sites that aren’t marked as permanent

Frequently visited site list

Cookies and website data saved while visiting webpages

Recent searches

Icons for open webpages

Snapshots saved for open webpages

List of items you downloaded (downloaded files aren’t removed)

Websites added for Quick Website Search

Websites that asked to use your location

Websites that asked to send you notifications

Websites with plug-in content you started by clicking a Safari Power Saver notice

Responses to requests to let websites use WebGL

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

How to clear browsing history on Safari on iPhone or Mac

You can clear your Safari browsing history on both iOS and Mac

As tracking goes, Safari keeping your browsing history is less about privacy-busting security and more about just being useful. It's your history that means Safari remembers where to go to when you choose forward and back within a site, for instance.

It's also how Safari is able to offer you a list of sites that you regularly go to, on account of how handy it is to be able to back to them with a click. History also does keep things you may not expect, though, such as a list of items you've downloaded.

If you don't want that, though, or you're just fed up of Safari going to site addresses you haven't looked at in years, you can wipe the whole browsing history.

On a Mac, you can also wipe, for instance, just the last hour's browsing history. So if you share Safari and it's someone's special birthday coming up, you can avoid them inadvertently finding out you plan to surprise them with dance lessons.

How to clear search history on Safari on Mac

• In Safari, choose the History menu
• Select Clear History from the very bottom of the menu
• In the dialog box that appears, choose from clearing the last hour , today , today and yesterday , or all history
• Click on Clear History

Alternatively, within Safari you can press Command-Y and the current page will be replaced by a history list. There's a Clear History... button toward the top right.

Clicking on that gives you exactly the same dialog about choosing how far back you want to clear your browsing history. But this page does also give you one extra option — the ability to delete one specific item.

How to clear one item from Safari search history on Mac

• In Safari, press Command-Y
• From the long list, click once on a history item to select it
• Right-click to bring up a menu, then choose Delete

Alternatively, if you select one, two, or more items in the history list, you can then press the Delete key to remove them all.

That kind of precision removal is only possible on your Mac, not on iOS . However, whether it's precision or wholesale clearing of your history, though, there is a way to replicate it on iOS.

If you have set iCloud to share your Safari history, then just doing this on your Mac also removes the history from your iPhone, and iPad.

Otherwise, you're stuck with going to your iOS device. And then with clearing the entire history.

How to clear search history on iPhone

• Go to Settings on your iOS device
• Tap on Safari
• Scroll down to Clear History and Website Data
• Tap that, then tap Clear History and Data to confirm

One important thing to note is that you can't selectively remove, say, today's browsing history on the iPhone or iPad . It's all or nothing, with iOS.

What you leave behind

Clearing your history like this does remove the list of sites and pages you've visited. It does mean you can't go back to that site you read last Tuesday, not without remembering what it was and going there yourself.

What it doesn't remove, though, is the information that gets used by something like AutoFill. If you have your address, for instance, and you're used to online forms being filled out with it, you've still got that feature.

You've also still got anything you downloaded. It's purely that Safari won't keep the list of downloads.

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How to view and clear your web browsing history in Safari on iPhone or iPad

Easily wipe your browsing history in Apple's Safari web browser in seconds.

How to find your web-browsing history

How to clear your web browsing history.

Clearing your browsing history on iPhone and iPad in Safari has been a straightforward affair for years now.

Sometimes, you may want a fresh start with your web browsing — perhaps to get rid of some history that may bring up a memory you'd rather forget as you type in a website URL in the address bar.

Apple makes this feature very easy to access on both the iPhone and iPad by offering two ways to clear your history. So with this in mind, here's how you can do just that and make a fresh start in Safari .

Viewing your web history in iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 is very easy to do — and it's all done from Safari.

• In Safari, tap the Bookmarks button in the toolbar that's below the address bar.
• Tap the History icon in the upper right corner. Here, you can view your entire web history.

• Use the History search bar to find previously viewed pages.

If the time calls to wipe most or all of your web browsing history in Safari, here's how to do it on both iPhone and iPad.

To note, the below steps will be the same if you attempt to wipe your web browsing history on an iPhone 15 Pro Max , and an iPad Mini 6 for example.

• In Safari, tap the Bookmarks button.
• Select the History icon in the upper right corner.
• Tap Clear and select how much history you'd like to clear: the last hour, the last day, 48 hours' worth, or all recorded history.

One more thing… A feature no one talks about

Privacy on the web matters more than ever in these modern times. Websites store the pages you click on, especially when you sign into a page that can contain personal information about you.

Master your iPhone in minutes

iMore offers spot-on advice and guidance from our team of experts, with decades of Apple device experience to lean on. Learn more with iMore!

It's great to have a feature like this in Safari — but it would be good to have this automated. To tell Apple's web browser to automatically clear history after 24 hours would be very useful, as you wouldn't leave a trail behind.

Regardless, it's still a good feature, and one you should use every week.

Daryl is iMore's Features Editor, overseeing long-form and in-depth articles and op-eds. Daryl loves using his experience as both a journalist and Apple fan to tell stories about Apple's products and its community, from the apps we use everyday to the products that have been long forgotten in the Cupertino archives.

Previously Software & Downloads Writer at TechRadar, and Deputy Editor at StealthOptional, he's also written a book, ' The Making of Tomb Raider ', which tells the story of the beginnings of Lara Croft and the series' early development. He's also written for many other publications including WIRED, MacFormat, Bloody Disgusting, VGC, GamesRadar, Nintendo Life, VRV Blog, The Loop Magazine, SUPER JUMP, Gizmodo, Film Stories, TopTenReviews, Miketendo64 and Daily Star.

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How to Check and Search Safari History on Mac

Browsing history is one of the essential features of Safari that keeps a detailed record of your online activity, allowing you to quickly access previously visited websites and track your digital footprint. Whether you need it for research or personal security, learning how to manage Safari’s browsing history is essential for every Mac user. Follow this guide to learn how to check, search and clear your Safari browsing history on a Mac.

How to Check Safari Browsing History on a Mac

How to manage browsing history in safari.

Safari for Mac offers several different methods to access your browsing history. You can do it via the Safari menu, toolbar, or a keyboard shortcut.

Use the Safari Menu to Access Browsing History

The easiest way to check browsing history in Safari is from the web browser’s menu. Follow the steps below to check Safari history on your Mac.

Launch the Safari browser on your Mac. Find the ribbon menu in the upper-left corner of your screen, and select History .

You’ll get access in the drop-down menu to a list of all the websites you’ve previously visited.

If you want a more detailed view, click on Show All History at the top of the drop-down menu. This opens a dedicated browsing history window where you can search for specific websites and delete individual entries.

View Browsing History in the Safari Toolbar

If you often need to check or search Safari history, customize your Safari toolbar, and add a button to quickly access your browsing history.

Open the Safari browser on your Mac. From the ribbon menu, select View -> Customize Toolbar .

Drag History from the options and place it in any place you would like on the Toolbar.

Select Done in the bottom right of the window.

If you want to change the position of this button later or delete it from the toolbar altogether, follow the same steps and drag the button back to the items menu.

Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Check Safari History

For those who prefer using keyboard shortcuts, you can use a shortcut to open and check Safari history.

When you have a Safari window open, press the Command + Y keys to open your browsing history in a new window.

Along with viewing your browsing history, you can also keep your history organized.

Search Your History for Specific Websites

It’s easy to locate a particular website in your Safari history. When you open your browsing history, use the Search bar in the upper-right corner of the window to search within the list of your previously visited websites.

Enter the website’s name or any related keywords, and Safari will display all relevant results.

Clear Safari Search History

See something you don’t like in your browsing history? Or maybe it’s something you want to hide from prying eyes, should someone else access the list? You can delete specific entries from Safari history.

Open your browsing history window in Safari on either your Mac, right-click on the website entry you wish to delete, and select Delete .

You can also clear your entire browsing history or auto-delete it instead.

Open your browsing history window in Safari on your Mac. Look for the Clear History or Clear option at the bottom of the screen and select it. Select the time range of your browsing history that you want to clear (e.g., last hour , today , today and yesterday , or all history ).

Confirm your selection by clicking on Clear History or Clear Browsing History .

Improve Your Safari Experience

Mastering your Safari browsing history is essential for efficient web browsing and maintaining privacy on your Mac. With the various methods outlined here, you can easily access, search, and clear your browsing history to suit your needs. For those looking to optimize the Safari experience and protect their privacy, we recommend taking the next step and learning how to create Safari profiles on Mac, iPhone and iPad .

Image credit: Unsplash . All screenshots by Anya Zhukova.

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Anya is a bilingual writer who has spent over 8 years writing about all things tech. She's contributed to high-traffic tech publications such as MakeUseOf, Online Tech Tips, Help Desk Geek, and Switching to Mac. Anya's always looking for new ways to make life easier using technology. When she's not writing, you can find her shredding fresh pow on a snowboard, or exploring new mountain bike trails.

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2 Easy Ways to Check Your Safari Search History

Last Updated: January 17, 2024 Fact Checked

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Do you need to check your Safari browser history? In a few simple steps, you can easily view all the websites you accessed in the past. You can also search for specific websites in your history and clear any website data you don't want. This wikiHow will teach you how to view and delete your Safari history on iPhone, iPad, and macOS.

Things You Should Know

• On iPhone and iPad, you can click the book icon, then the clock icon to find your Safari history.
• On macOS, you can click the "History" tab, then "Show History".
• You can search for specific websites and clear your history data.

Using iPhone and iPad

• If needed, you can change your General Settings .

• If you're signed in with the same Apple ID to you use to log into your Mac, your Mac's Safari history will appear in this list as well.

• You may have to swipe down on the History page to find it.
• The results will load as you type.

• Tap a time period to delete the history from just that time period. To delete the entire log, select All time .
• You can also swipe left on individual websites in your history, then click Delete .

Using macOS

• Be sure to update Safari.

• If you're logged into the computer with the same Apple ID you use on your iPhone or iPad, you'll also see sites you've visited on those devices.

• A list of matching results from your history will appear. Click a site to load it in Safari.

• Select a time frame from the drop-down menu, then click Clear History .
• You can also delete cookies from Safari .

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/safari/search-your-browsing-history-ibrw1114/mac
• ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201265

About This Article

iPhone/iPad: 1. Open Safari . 2. Tap the book icon. 3. Tap the clock button. macOS: 1. Open Safari . 2. Click History . 3. Click Show All History . Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Manage Browsing History on Safari for iPad

Protect your privacy on your mobile device

What to Know

• Open Safari . Select the Bookmarks icon.
• Choose the Clock icon to open the History pane displaying the list of sites visited during the past month.
• Select Clear and indicate which entries to delete using one of the four options: The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, and All Time.

This article explains how to manage browsing history on Safari for iPad, including how to view and delete the iPad Safari history, cookies, and stored website data. This article applies to all iPad devices with iOS 10 or iPadOS 13 or later. The process for managing browser history in Safari on an iPhone is slightly different.

How to View and Delete Your iPad Browser History in Safari

Reviewing your iPad browser history is a straightforward process. Safari stores a log of websites you visit along with other related components, such as the cache and cookies. These elements enhance your browsing experience, but you may want to delete your browsing history for privacy reasons.

You can manage your web browsing history on the iPad in two ways. The easiest option is to do it directly in Safari:

Open the Safari web browser.

Select the Bookmarks icon (it looks like an open book) at the top of the screen. 

Select the clock icon to open the History pane. A list of sites visited over the past month appears.

To delete a single website from the browser history, swipe left on its name.

Select  Clear at the bottom of the panel to reveal four options: The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, and All time.

Select your preferred option to remove the browsing history from your iPad and all connected iCloud devices.

How to Delete History and Cookies From the iPad Settings App

Deleting the browser history through Safari doesn't remove all the data it stores. For a thorough cleaning, go to the iPad Settings app. You can also delete the browsing history and cookies from the Settings app. Clearing the history this way deletes everything Safari saved.

Select the gear icon on the Home screen to open the iPad Settings .

Scroll down and select Safari .

Scroll through the list of settings and select  Clear History and Website Data to delete the browsing history, cookies, and other cached website data.

Select  Clear to confirm, or select Cancel to return to the Safari settings without removing any data.

How to Delete Stored Website Data on iPad

Safari sometimes stores additional website data on top of a list of web pages you visited. For example, it can save passwords and preferences for frequently visited sites. If you want to delete this data but don't want to clear the browsing history or cookies, selectively delete specific data saved by Safari using the iPad Settings app.

Open the iPad Settings app.

Scroll to the bottom of the Safari settings screen and select Advanced .

Select  Website Data to display a breakdown of the data each website currently stores on the iPad.

Select Show All Sites to display the expanded list if necessary.

Select  Remove All Website Data  at the bottom of the screen to delete the site data at once, or swipe left on individual items to clear items one at a time.

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How to Clear Safari Profile Web History on iPhone

In iOS 17 , Apple has increased the options available for clearing Safari's web history and website data. You can even clear Safari's cache for a specific Safari profile. Keep reading to learn how it works.

If a site you regularly frequent has elements that have stopped working, or if a site has stopped loading completely, there may be a conflict between an older version of it that Safari has cached and a newer one. Or perhaps you simply want to protect your privacy by wiping the slate clean and removing all the data associated with websites you've visited.

With ‌iOS 17‌, Apple doesn't just let you clear Safari's history and website data for a specific timeframe. You can also clear the cache for a specific Safari Profile. (Profiles are is designed to help separate your browsing sessions into things like Work, School, or Personal: For more on how to use Profiles, click this link .)

How to Clear Safari Cache

Here's how to clear Safari history and website data on iPhones running ‌iOS 17‌, and iPads running iPadOS 17 .

• Open the Settings app.
• Scroll down and tap Safari .
• Tap Clear History and Website Data in blue.
• Choose a timeframe in which to clear your history: Last hour , Today , Today and yesterday , or All history .
• Choose a specific profile to clear from the list, or check All Profiles .
• To close all open tabs within your timeframe and profile(s), toggle on the switch next to Close All Tabs .
• Tap Clear History , then confirm when prompted.

That's all you need to do. The next time you open the associated profile(s), you should notice that all web history for the chosen timeframe will be gone.

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How-To Geek

How to clear your history in any browser.

Looking to delete your browsing history?

Read update

Quick links, clear browsing history in google chrome for desktop, clear google chrome browsing history on android, iphone, or ipad, clear browsing history in safari on iphone and ipad, clear browsing history in mozilla firefox, clear browsing history in microsoft edge, clear browsing history in safari on a mac, internet explorer, key takeaways.

Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to clear your browsing history on a Windows PC, or press Command+Shift+Delete on a Mac. Check your browser's settings to find this option on a mobile device.

All web browsers remember a list of the web pages you've visited. You can delete this list at any time, clearing your browsing history and erasing the tracks stored on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. Each browser has its own separate history, so you'll need to clear the history in multiple places if you've used more than one browser.

In the future, you can use private browsing mode to browse sensitive websites without your browser saving any history. You won't have to clear your history afterward.

To clear your browsing history in Chrome , on Windows , Mac , or Linux , click the three-dot menu icon found in the top-right corner of the browser, hover your mouse cursor over "More Tools," and choose "Clear Browsing Data." You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open this screen on Windows, or press Command+Shift+Delete on a Mac.

On a Mac, the backspace key is labeled "Delete." Pressing the Delete key beside the Home and Edit keys doesn't work.

To delete your entire browsing history, select from "the beginning of time" in the drop-down box at the top of the screen and check the "Browsing history" option. You can also choose to clear other private data from here, including your download history, cookies, and browser cache.

Related: How to Clear History in Google Chrome

To clear your browsing history in Google Chrome on Android , iPhone , or iPad , tap the three-dot menu icon > Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data.

You'll need to choose a time range that you want to delete from the drop-down list at the top of the screen. Select from the "beginning of time" to clear everything.

Related: How to Clear Your Browser History on Android

Ensure the "Browsing history" option is checked here and tap the "Clear Data" or "Clear Browsing Data" button. You can also choose to clear other types of personal data from here, including cookies and cached files.

Related: How to Clear Your Browsing History in Chrome for iOS

To clear your browsing history on Safari on an iPhone or iPad , open the Settings app and then navigate to Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Tap the "Clear History and Data" option to confirm your choice.

This button will clear all sensitive browsing data, including your cookies and cache.

Related: How to Clear Your Browsing History in Safari for iOS

To clear your browsing history in Firefox  on the desktop, click the three-line menu icon in the top-right corner of the browser and then navigate to History > Clear Recent History. You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open this tool on Windows or press Command+Shift+Delete on a Mac.

To delete your entire browsing history, select "Everything" at the top of the window and check "Browsing & Download History" in the detailed list of items to clear. You can also choose to clear other types of private data from here, including your cookies, browser cache, offline website data, and website-specific preferences.

Related: How to Clear Your Browsing History in Firefox

To clear your browsing history in Microsoft Edge , click the Three-Dot Menu > History > Three-Dot Menu Button > Clear Browsing Data. You can also press Ctrl+Shift+Delete to open these options on Windows or Command+Shift+Delete on Mac.

Ensure the "Browsing History" box is checked and click "Clear." You can also choose to clear other types of private data from here, including your download history, cached data, cookies, and tabs you've set aside . Just check the type of data you want to delete and click the "Clear" button.

Related: How to Clear Your Browsing History in Microsoft Edge

To clear your browsing history in Safari on a Mac , click History > Clear History from the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select the time period you want to clear history from and click "Clear History." To clear everything, select "all history".

Safari will delete your browsing history as well as your cookies, cached files, and other browsing-related data.

Related: How to Clear Safari's Browsing History and Cookies on macOS

To clear your browsing history in Internet Explorer , click menu > Safety > Delete Browsing History or press Ctrl+Shift+Delete.

Ensure the "History" option is checked here and click "Delete". You can also choose to delete other types of private data from here, including your temporary Internet files, download history, and cookies.

Microsoft has removed Internet Explorer and urges everyone to switch to Edge. Internet Explorer has repeatedly been used by  hackers to attack Windows users.  We recommend you immediately stop using Internet Explorer if you're still able to launch it.

By default, Internet Explorer will keep cookies and temporary Internet files for websites you've saved as favorites. Uncheck "Preserve Favorites website data" here to ensure Internet Explorer deletes everything.

If you're using another browser, you should be able to easily find a "clear browsing history" option somewhere in its menus or on its settings screen. For example, in Opera, this option is at menu > More tools > Clear browsing data.

Related: How to Clear Your Internet Explorer Browsing History

Why Does Safari Keep Deleting My History?

Safari is a popular web browser on Apple devices, but understanding its history deletion settings can be confusing. Here, we’ll take a look at why Safari may be deleting your browsing history and how you can adjust the settings to suit your needs.

First off, it’s important to note that by default, Safari deletes only the last hour of browsing history. If you want to delete all your history in one go, there is an option for that as well. However, users often forget to check this setting and end up deleting their entire browsing history accidentally. It’s also worth mentioning that Safari on macOS can be set up to automatically delete your browsing history at specified intervals; however, this won’t affect other Apple devices such as iPhones or iPads and so you’ll need to remember to manually wipe your history from those devices too.

It could also be the case that there is just a lot of data that needs to be cleaned up and deleted from your system. This can be especially true if you’ve recently downloaded a file that has replicated itself in multiple places on your system. Every time the browser tries to clean out the browsing history, it will attempt to delete this replicated file again, causing it not to get fully deleted from your system.

All in all, understanding why Safari may be deleting your browsing history can help you adjust the setting accordingly so as not to lose any important information – or any of those embarrassing searches! Remember that if you want more control over when and how much of your browsing data gets deleted, adjusting the settings within Safari should do the trick!

The Mystery of Disappearing Safari History

It’s possible that your Safari history has disappeared because you accidentally selected the option to delete all browsing history. This is a common mistake as the default setting for deleting browsing history in Safari is set to erase only the last hour.

To check if this has happened, open up Safari and go to History > Clear History and Website Data. If the option to ‘clear’ everything is already selected, it means you have already cleared your entire browsing history. To prevent this from happening in the future, make sure that ‘all history’ is not selected when you are deleting browsing data.

Does Safari Automatically Delete History?

Yes, Safari does delete history by itself. You can set the intervals at which it should automatically clear your browsing history in your browser’s settings. However, keep in mind that this setting won’t affect other Apple devices such as your iPhone and iPad, so you’ll need to remember to manually wipe your history on those devices.

The Consequences of Automatically Deleting History

It is possible that your browsing history is being automatically deleted due to a setting on your device. Many devices have built-in settings that allow the browser to delete the history after a certain period of time, or when the device is shut down or restarted. It may also be possible that a virus or malware is deleting your browsing history, as some malicious software can set itself up to delete data from your device. If you suspect this is happening, it’s best to run an antivirus scan on your device and remove any malicious software that may be present.

Safari History Not Showing Up on iPhone

There could be a few reasons why your Safari history is not showing up on your iPhone. One possibility is that you are using Private Browsing in Safari, which prevents websites from being stored in the browsing history. To check if this is the case, look at the top of the Safari window – if the top border is gray, Private Browsing is enabled and you will need to turn it off. Another possibility is that you have enabled Restrictions on your phone, which can prevent websites from being stored in the browsing history. To check this, go to Settings > General > Restrictions and make sure it’s disabled. Finally, it’s possible that you have cleared your browsing history recently – either manually or through an automated setting. To check this, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data and see if it has been cleared recently.

Restoring Safari Browsing History

Restoring Safari browsing history is simple and easy. The first step is to open the Settings app on your iPhone, scroll down, and select Safari. Then under the Safari settings, choose “Advanced”. Finally, select the “Website Data” option which will provide you with a list of all your Safari history. You can then select the items you wish to restore and click on the “Restore” button at the bottom of your screen. This will bring back your deleted browsing history in no time!

Does Browsing History Remain Forever?

No, your browsing history does not go away by itself. Although it may seem like the data stored in your browser history is gone after you clear your browser history, this only applies to the local data stored on your computer. Your actual browsing history is still stored in the servers of websites you visited and can be accessed by those websites. To fully erase your browsing history from all places, you must take additional steps such as deleting your account and/or using a private browsing window.

In conclusion, Safari is a great browser with many features to help you keep your browsing history secure and private. It can automatically delete your browsing history after a certain period of time, as well as allow you to manually delete it all at once. However, if you find that Safari is not wiping your browsing history properly, it could be due to the presence of certain files which are replicating themselves on the system. In this case, it’s best to take extra precautions and use an additional tool such as an anti-malware program to ensure that all unwanted files are removed from the system.

Related posts:

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Safari Automatic Delete History Options still Not working

System Upgraded to Ventura 13 and Safari 16 and under General, Remove History Items, After One Day will still not work Automatically. It only works Manually if you change say to After One Week then back to After One Day which then triggers a pop up asking do you really want to delete this etc. Any thoughts?

Posted on Oct 31, 2022 3:02 AM

Posted on Dec 17, 2022 3:04 AM

Now on Safari 16.2 and still AUTO delete history options not working.

Can anyone out there confirm or otherwise that it works on their machines, as I previously asked?

Similar questions

• Safari Keeps Deleting all history automatically I asked to delete the history about a week ago (now every time I open it) , my history isn't being saved. 1632 1
• Safari: Does "Removing history items" clear site data too? Hi, I am pretty sure I know the answer already, and that is no 🙂. When automatically Remove history items in Safari after 1 day or a week, it only clears the browsers history and doesn't include site data. 445 1
• Safari 12.1.2. Clearing "recently closed" menu without deleting cookies. Impossible? How do I clear "recently closed" menu in Safari WITHOUT clearing cookies and website data? To clear my history in Safari I go to the History drop-down menu, I choose "Select All History" and then press delete. This doesn't clear cookies. This is what I want. However, this history still appears in "recently closed". That is ridiculous. I DELETED history. That means I want to delete it. I don't select "Clear All History" at the bottom of the History drop-down because that deletes cookies. I don't want to delete cookies. This is such a basic thing that is unfathomable to me that it is not possible. 307 3

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Dec 17, 2022 3:04 AM in response to JMAMBP14

Nov 2, 2022 10:57 AM in response to JMAMBP14

Hello JMAMBP14,

Being able to clear the history in Safari is great feature. If you haven't already, restart your Mac using the steps listed below. While restarting is a simple step, it can help resolve many issues. You can also find these steps outlined in the following article.

• Click the Apple logo towards the top left.
• Click Restart in the menu.
• After restarting, test to see if the issue persists.

Shut down or restart your Mac - Apple Support

We look forward to the results!

Nov 2, 2022 11:13 AM in response to Todd0213

Hello Todd?

Whilst I appreciate your reply, I can assure you that I have only resorted to this discussion group in the hope that someone out there will have enough experience and expertise to suggest a solution that is not so obvious. I and others have this issue and restart, safe mode etc do not resolve the bug. I have reported this in Monterey 12 and earlier Safari 15 since first owning my MBPro14M1 late 2020, to Apple Feedback and still no resolution. The same bug still in Ventura 13 And Safari 16. The Automatic Options to delete History Do Not Work!

Nov 2, 2022 12:23 PM in response to JMAMBP14

Hi there JMAMBP14,

Thanks for letting us know. Did you also get to test to see if this might happen in a temporary new user? We ask this as a new user doesn't have data or custom changed settings, which can help isolate if the issue is happening in multiple users in Safari or if there might be an issue with a specific user on your Mac. If needed, the steps below show how:

" Add a user

• Click the Add Account button below the list of users on the right (you may be asked to enter your password.)
• Click the New Account pop-up menu, then choose a type of user."

Those steps are from this article: Add a user or group on Mac - Apple Support  

If the issue happens in both your user and a new user, then you could backup your Mac and then reinstall macOS:

"Intel processor

Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold  Command (⌘)-R  until you see an Apple logo or other image."

If you need directions for Apple silicon, then you can find that and the steps above, from this article: How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

If needed, this article shows multiple options on how to back up a Mac: How to back up your Mac - Official Apple Support

If you've already tried those steps or if the issue continues, you can contact Apple Support for further assistance here: Contact - Official Apple Support

Nov 4, 2022 9:23 AM in response to claire504

Hello, thanks for reply and yes have tried all suggestions.

What would be useful is if someone out there was to set their Safari to automatically delete history after one day, then check their history each day afterwards to see if safari does actually delete on a day by day basis without any further manual intervention.

Dec 18, 2022 3:38 AM in response to J_Johnnyboy

Thanks for your reply. All avenues tried and no resolution.

It would be great if one of you community specialists out there could simply do what I have asked above. It would only take a day to see the result and seconds to instigate. Just want to know if anyone else has the same issue!

Nov 4, 2022 9:38 AM in response to JMAMBP14

Hey JMAMBP14,

Did you also reach out to Apple Support to report this? If not, do that so they can look further into this with you. Here’s the link to reach out to them for your convenience:

Contact Apple Support

Dec 17, 2022 3:00 PM in response to JMAMBP14

JMAMBP14, If you're seeking immediate help with your issue, then we recommend that you contact Apple Support directly so that they can work with you to find a solution. Contact - Official Apple Support Thank you for participating in the Apple Support Communities. Cheers!

Why Can’t I Clear My History on Safari? Solutions and Answers

• Safari allows you to clear your history for a certain length of time, or you can clear the whole thing.
• You may just need to restart your device to clear your history.
• Remember that the steps for iPhone and iPad will be roughly the same. 

If you’re having issues because you can’t clear your Safari history, know that a solution isn’t too far behind. I love using Safari for a great browsing experience, but I was recently unable to clear my history, which was giving me some problems. Fortunately, I discovered a solution to my problem. Let’s take a look at some troubleshooting steps and solutions. 

Why Is My Clear History Button Grey?

If your Clear History button is grey, the most likely reason is that you do not have any History to clear. However, you may also be experiencing a grey Clear History button due to certain Content & Privacy Restrictions within Screen Time being enabled. You can check on iPhone via Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Allowed Apps and ensure that Safari is enabled. Note, however, that this will require your password.

On Mac, you can disable Screen Time via System Settings > Screen Time>  Content & Privacy > Content Restrictions . Ensure Access to Web Content is set to  Unrestricted.  Of course, if you didn’t set up Screen Time in the first place, this likely isn’t your issue. Keep reading for further solutions.

How Do I Clear My Safari History and Cache?

1. how to clear your safari browser history.

If you need to clear your Safari history, you can check out our full guide here . However, note that on iOS, clearing your history is as easy as going to Settings >  Safari > Clear History and Website Data . For Mac, all you need to do is open Safari and select History > Clear History from the menu bar. With both Mac and iOS you are able to choose how much of your history you delete based on time. 

2. Disable iCloud Sync for Safari

If you’re still having issues clearing your Safari browsing history, it may just be that you need to disable iCloud sync for Safari. This default option shares your history and your reading lists across all your Apple devices. It may be the case that some history or content did not sync properly. 

Disable iCloud Sync iOS

Time needed:  2 minutes

If you need to disable iCloud Sync on iOS, follow these steps.

Disable iCloud Sync macOS

• From the Apple Menu, go to System Settings .
• Select [Your Name] .

3. Reset Network Settings (iOS Only)

If you are still looking for an effective solution to your clear history issue, you may want to consider resetting your network settings. 

• Go to the Settings app. 

4. Delete History Manually (Mac Only)

If you need to clear your Safari history on Mac and are having problems, remember you can delete your history manually. 

• While holding down the Command key, select the following items: History.db , History.db-lock , History.db.shm and History.db.wal . 

• Empty your Trash. 

Why Can’t I Clear History in Safari?

The most likely reason that you’re unable to clear your Safari history is that there is no history left to clear. However, if you’re having issues, look at basic things, such as restarting your Apple device or ensuring that Screen Time restrictions are not preventing you from clearing your history. You may also want to consider that iCloud Sync may prevent you from properly clearing your history. 

Being able to clear your entire history from Safari is incredibly useful. However, it’s only useful if it’s working correctly. Fortunately, solutions for your history clearing problems are rather easy, so there’s little to worry about. Not clearing your history can be a common issue for many users. However, a comprehensive solution is available.

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• Nick deCourville

How to Check Your Safari History on iPhone 12: A Step-by-Step Guide

Checking your Safari history on an iPhone 12 is a breeze. In less than a minute, you can find what websites you’ve visited, when you visited them, and how often. All you need to do is open Safari, tap the book icon, and voilà – your browsing history is at your fingertips.

Step by Step Tutorial on How to Check Your Safari History on iPhone 12

Before we dive into the steps, it’s important to note that checking your Safari history can help you find that website you forgot to bookmark or even help you keep tabs on your browsing habits. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Open Safari

Open the Safari app on your iPhone 12.

Opening Safari is as simple as tapping on the Safari icon on your home screen. It’s the one that looks like a blue compass. If you can’t find it, swipe down on your home screen and use the search bar to locate it.

Step 2: Tap the Book Icon

At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see a book icon. Go ahead and tap it.

The book icon is your gateway to your bookmarks, reading list, and, most importantly, your history. It’s typically located on the bottom bar of your Safari screen. If you don’t see it, make sure you’re on the main Safari page and not in a new tab.

Step 3: Select the Clock Icon

Once you’re in the bookmarks menu, you’ll see a clock icon at the top. That’s your history tab.

The clock icon represents your browsing history. It’s where Safari keeps a record of every website you’ve visited, organized by date. Tapping on this icon will show you a list of all the sites you’ve been to on your iPhone 12.

Step 4: Browse Your History

Now, you can scroll through your history to find the websites you’ve visited.

Your browsing history will be displayed in reverse chronological order, meaning the most recent sites you’ve visited will be at the top. You can scroll down to see older entries. Tapping on any entry will take you directly to that webpage.

After completing the steps, you’ll have successfully accessed your Safari browsing history on your iPhone 12. From here, you can revisit old sites, clear your history, or keep it as a record of your browsing habits.

Tips for Checking Your Safari History on iPhone 12

• If you want to clear your history, there’s an option at the bottom of the history page. Remember, once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
• You can also search your history if you’re looking for something specific. Just pull down on the history list to reveal the search bar.
• If you’re concerned about privacy, consider using Private Browsing mode in the future, which doesn’t save your history.
• Keep in mind that if you’re signed into iCloud, your history may be synced across your devices.
• If you can’t find your history, it’s possible that the settings have been changed to clear history automatically, or someone else with access to your iPhone may have cleared it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i recover deleted safari history on iphone 12.

Once you’ve cleared your Safari history, it’s permanently deleted from your iPhone and cannot be recovered.

Can I check my Safari history from another device?

Yes, if you’re signed into the same iCloud account, your Safari history is synced across all your Apple devices.

How far back does Safari history go?

Safari keeps a record of your browsing history for at least one month. However, it may store history for up to a year depending on your settings and available space.

Does Safari history show websites visited in Private Browsing mode?

No, Private Browsing mode does not save any history, so those websites will not appear in your history.

Can I stop my Safari history from syncing across my devices?

Yes, you can stop syncing by going to your iCloud settings and turning off Safari syncing.

• Open Safari.
• Tap the Book Icon.
• Select the Clock Icon.
• Browse Your History.

Knowing how to check your Safari history on your iPhone 12 is a handy skill that allows you to keep track of your digital footprint. Whether you need to find that one website you forgot to bookmark or you’re just curious about your browsing patterns, your history can tell you a lot. Remember, your browsing history can also be a privacy concern, so make sure to manage it according to your needs, whether that’s clearing it regularly or using Private Browsing mode. Stay savvy with your browsing, and you’ll be a pro at navigating your digital world. And that’s how you check your Safari history on iPhone 12!

Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.

After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.

His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.

Read his full bio here.

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Safari doesn't save my history

• Thread starter anonymous4a
• Start date Nov 25, 2014
• Sort by reaction score
• Older macOS Versions
• OS X Yosemite (10.10)

anonymous4a

Macrumors 6502.

• Nov 25, 2014

Safari isn't keeping a record of my history after each session and all of my previous history is gone . I can no longer see website suggestions when I enter the first few letters of a website. This all started about a week ago but before that it was fine . Is there something changed in the settings ?  

macrumors Westmere

• Nov 26, 2014

anonymous4a said: Safari isn't keeping a record of my history after each session and all of my previous history is gone . I can no longer see website suggestions when I enter the first few letters of a website. This all started about a week ago but before that it was fine . Is there something changed in the settings ? Click to expand...

macrumors 68000

• Nov 27, 2014

For general > preferences .. I selected "remove history items manually" . Is that right ? I am not in private browsing mode , whenever I quit out of safari and open it back up , I lose all my history from my previous session . I used to have 1+ years worth of history in safari and up until last week , it's no longer showing up in safari . BUT when I go to /library/safari/history.plist , I can clearly see history.plist ( about 20 mb)  

• Nov 28, 2014

anonymous4a said: For general > preferences .. I selected "remove history items manually" . Is that right ? Click to expand...

• Nov 30, 2014

GGJstudios said: Yes. Click to expand...

macrumors newbie

• Dec 15, 2014

I had the same problem for the last 7 days and didn´t know where it came from. The solution was to delete all history and data via the last option in the history field. Maybe this will help one another. Greets from Germany  

• Dec 5, 2017

macrumors member

• Sep 16, 2018

Mysha said: Hello, was there ever a fix found on this problem with safari all of a sudden not saving browsing history. My history is cleared every day even when the window stays open. I'm on remove history manually, I don't see any extensions or plugins... Any suggestions? Click to expand...

• Dec 12, 2018

Personal Safety User Guide for Apple devices

• Personal safety at a glance
• What’s new in personal safety
• Use Safety Check to stop sharing
• How Safety Check works
• Additional considerations when using Safety Check
• Intro to review and take action
• Secure AirDrop and NameDrop
• Securely control whom you share content with from iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch
• Securely control whom you share content with from Mac
• Share or stop sharing your location
• Manage automatic ETA sharing in Maps
• Manage Location Services settings
• Stop and remove location metadata in Photos
• Stay safe with AirTag
• Safely manage how you forward content
• Reject unknown sign-in attempts
• Record suspicious activity
• Store your data securely in iCloud
• Delete suspicious content
• Manage Family Sharing settings
• Avoid fraudulent requests to share info
• Securely control your Home accessories
• How to erase all content and settings
• Restore the data you backed up
• Intro to privacy and safety tools
• Update your Apple software
• Set a unique passcode or password
• Secure your iPhone or iPad with Face ID
• Secure your devices with Touch ID
• Delete unknown fingerprints from iPhone or iPad
• Add or delete fingerprints on your Mac
• Keep your Apple ID secure
• Use two-factor authentication
• Help prevent being locked out of your device
• Keep your device, app, and website passwords secure on iPhone and iPad
• Manage shared password and passkeys
• App privacy features in Apple products
• Harden your devices against mercenary spyware
• Manage safety settings in Messages
• Use Check In for Messages
• Block calls and messages
• Receive warnings about sensitive images and videos on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
• Keep your browsing history private
• Make an emergency call or text on iPhone or Apple Watch
• Obtain evidence related to another person’s account
• See who has access to your iPhone or iPad
• How to stop sharing your iPhone or iPad content
• How to stop sharing your iPhone or iPad location

Keep your browsing history private in Safari and Maps

Reviewing and clearing search history and caches for browsers and other apps may be a good practice if you’re concerned someone has access to your device. Many apps store information about what you’ve searched for and what you’ve looked at so that it’s easy for you to rediscover it in the future. For example, when you use the Maps app, having a history of locations you’ve searched for or navigated to can make it easier to navigate back to a place you recently visited.

If you’re in an unsafe personal situation and need to look up safety strategies online but don’t want Safari to keep a record of what you’ve viewed, you can open a Private Browsing window on iPhone , iPad , and Mac . When you use Private Browsing, the details of your browsing aren’t saved, and they aren’t shared across your devices. Additionally, if you’ve updated your devices to iOS 17 , iPadOS 17 , or macOS Sonoma 14 , Safari locks Private Browsing tabs after a period of inactivity so that they can be opened only with your password, passcode, Face ID or Touch ID , protecting your privacy when you’re away from your device. You can clear your browsing history and open a Private Browsing window on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Clear your browsing history in Safari

If you’ve been looking up information about safety strategies online and are concerned someone may see your browsing history, you can remove all records that Safari keeps about where you’ve browsed.

When you clear your history, Safari removes data it saves as a result of your browsing, including:

A history of the webpages you visited

The back and forward list for open webpages

A list of frequently visited sites

Recent searches

Icons for webpages

Snapshots saved for open webpages

A list of items you downloaded (downloaded files aren’t removed)

Websites you added for a Quick Website Search

Websites that asked to use your location

Websites that asked to send you notifications

Clear recent directions and favorites in Maps on iPhone and iPad

Do one of the following:

Swipe a recent route left.

Tap More directly above the list, then swipe a recent route left; or to delete a group of routes, tap Clear above the group.

Clear recent directions and favorites in Maps on Mac

Below Recents, click Clear Recents.

If you want to remove a Favorite location, Control-click a location (in the sidebar below Favorites), then choose Remove from Favorites.

Open a Private Browsing window on iPhone

Open the Safari app.

The tab is automatically added to a Tab Group called Private. You can open multiple private tabs in the group.

You can easily confirm that you’re in Private Browsing Mode by checking that the search field bar is gray or that it displays the word Private.

Open a Private Browsing window on iPad

While Private Browsing Mode is on, the search field background is black instead of white and sites you visit don’t appear in History on iPad or in the list of tabs on your other devices. You can open multiple private tabs in the Private Tab Group.

Open a Private Browsing window on Mac

A window using Private Browsing has a dark Smart Search field with white text.

Browse as you normally would.

If you want to always open windows with Private Browsing on Mac

Click the “Safari opens with” pop-up menu, then choose “A new private window.”

If you don’t see this option, do one of the following:

To further enhance Safari privacy

In your Downloads folder, delete any items that were downloaded while you were using Private Browsing windows.

Close any other Private Browsing windows that are still open, to prevent other people from using the Back and Forward buttons to see pages you visited.

Download this guide as a PDF

How to View Safari History on iPhone

The Safari Web browser on your iPhone keeps a record of the websites you visit.

This can be a useful tool, especially if you’ve already read something and want to go back to it.

Our tutorial below will show you how to view Safari history on iPhone by completing just a few steps.

You can also visit ashevilleatc.com for additional iPhone tutorial topics.

How to See Safari History on iPhone 11

• Launch Safari.
• At the bottom of the screen, tap the book icon.
• To examine your history, tap the clock symbol.

Our explanation continues below with further information on seeing your iPhone’s Safari history, as well as screenshots of these procedures.

When you use your computer or smartphone’s Web browser without using a private browsing session, the browser saves your browsing history.

When iPhone users are concerned about their phone’s browsing history, they frequently want to delete it. That history, though, can be valuable.

It can assist you with locating an intriguing article that you read earlier but can’t remember the address for, or it can assist you in determining which store had the greatest pricing on a product that you were looking at from a range of various retailers.

When you use the Safari Web browser on your iPhone, it saves a history of all the pages you visit.

Possessing this history makes it much easier to return to a previously visited page, as you can access that history and simply tap on the page that you want to visit.

Our article below will show you how to quickly discover and use your Safari iPhone history.

Related: Find out what that delivered message means that shows up under some of your iPhone texts.

How to Locate Safari History on Your iPhone (Guide with Pictures)

The procedures in this post were carried out using an iPhone 11 running iOS 13.6.1. The same methods will work on most other iOS versions and iPhone models.

If you’ve updated to iOS 15, your address bar may now be at the bottom of the screen. If this is the case, your screen may differ from the examples in the guide below. Yet, the buttons for accessing the history remain in the same locations.

Step 1: Launch the Safari browser.

Step 2: Tap the icon that looks like an open book at the bottom of the screen.

Step 3: Click the clock-shaped tab at the top of the screen.

Now that you know how to discover your Safari history iPhone data, you may utilize it to find information that you previously saw and either wanted to double-check or share with someone else.

You should now be able to see your browsing history. You can navigate to the page by tapping on an item in the list. Individual Web pages in this history can be deleted by swiping to the left and hitting the Delete button.

Your browser’s search history will be mixed in with the pages you’ve visited. This implies that the terms you entered in the search field at the top or bottom of the screen will be visible as well. Depending on your selected search engine, your search phrases will appear beside domains such as “google.com” or “bing.com.”

Continue reading our tutorial below for more information on locating and using history data in your iPhone’s Safari browser.

Further Details about Checking Safari History on iPhone

It is important to note that Safari does not save your history for pages visited while using Private Browsing. Toggling between ordinary and private browsing is as simple as touching the Tabs icon (two overlapping squares) at the bottom of the screen and selecting the Private option.

Safari also does not save browsing history for other iPhone browsers, such as Google Chrome or Firefox. Instead, you’d have to open those browsers to see their history.

Also, deleting the browsing history for Safari will only affect the browsing history for the Safari app. Other browsers’ history menus will remain accessible on your iOS device unless you opt to delete the existing data for those browsers as well.

Go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data to remove your Safari history. This will also clear your cookies and log you out of any accounts you are presently signed into.

When you remove Safari’s browser history, you won’t be able to view Safari history for any browsing sessions that occurred before the deletion. Safari will only display your Online surfing history when that information has been removed.

If you haven’t erased Safari history previously, your browser history can be quite large. Normally, the device’s full history will be available for 30 days.

How to Lookup Safari History on an iPhone

Searching through your iPhone Safari history is another intriguing thing you can do with it.

When you open Safari, press the book symbol at the bottom of the screen, then select the History tab at the top of the screen, you’ll notice a “Search History” area.

When you tap inside that field and type a search query, you’ll see a list of pages from your history that contain those search terms.

This is especially useful if you recall a single word or term but don’t remember where you saw it or the name of the website where you saw it.

If you have another browser installed on your iPhone, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, those browsers will also retain history, which you may search through in the same way.

Commonly Asked Questions About iPhone History in Safari

How can i view my iphone’s safari history.

By opening Safari and clicking the book symbol at the bottom of the screen, you may access the history of all Web pages you’ve visited in the iPhone Safari Web browser.

Then, at the top of the window, select the tab with the clock on it. This is your browsing history, arranged chronologically. You may either search through it or scroll down to see everything. Touching on a location in your past will take you there.

How can I view my whole Safari history?

When you pick the book symbol, and then the History tab in the Safari browser on your iPhone , the full Safari history that is available is displayed.

To view your whole history in the Safari app on a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air, go to the History tab and then click on Show All History.

How long does the iPhone Safari history last?

The Web sites you visit in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch’s Safari browser are saved for one month.

Safari history on a Mac is retained for one year.

How can you check your iPhone’s history?

On your iPhone, you can view your history at any moment by launching Safari, selecting the open book button, and then pressing on the History symbol to see a list of Web pages that you have viewed.

Pages viewed in Private tabs, as well as pages viewed in other Web browsers such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, are not included in this history.

To view the history in Chrome, open the browser, hit the three dots in the bottom-right corner, and then tap the History button.

To view the history in Firefox, launch the Firefox iPhone app, tap the three lines in the bottom-right corner, and then select the History option.

It is important to note that the history displayed in the Safari browser on your iPhone is distinct from the history displayed in other phone browsers such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

Also, clearing the history in Safari does not remove the history in the other browsers, and vice versa.

Video on Safari History 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.

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China Launches Spacecraft to the Far Side of the Moon

If successful, the Chang’e-6 mission will be the first in history to return a sample from a part of the moon that we never get to see from Earth.

By Katrina Miller

On Friday, China launched a second lander to the lunar far side. If the mission is successful, it will be the first in history to bring back a sample from the part of the moon that Earth never sees.

The mission is called Chang’e-6, named after the Chinese moon goddess and pronounced “chong-uh.” It lifted off on time at 5:27 p.m. local time under gloomy skies from the Wenchang space site on Hainan Island in southern China, carried to space by a Long March 5 rocket. About 32 minutes after the launch, the spacecraft separated from the rocket and the mission proceeded on a 5-day journey to the moon.

Why the far side of the moon?

Unlike Earth, whose erosion and shifting crust constantly renew its surface, the moon remains frozen in time. By studying samples from different parts of the lunar surface, scientists seek information about the origin and evolution of Earth’s satellite. But so far, the United States, the former Soviet Union and China have gathered samples only from the near side of the moon.

The far side of the moon — it is not actually the dark side of the moon — is distinct from the near side. It has a thicker crust, more craters and fewer maria, or plains where lava once flowed. But no one really knows why the two sides of the moon are so different.

“People want to know why this happened,” said Yi Xu, a professor at the Space Science Institute of Macau University of Science and Technology and a member of the Chang’e-6 science team. “If we can collect some samples on the far side, then we can maybe get some clues to these questions.”

What will Chang’e-6 do?

Chang’e-6 is the latest in a series of Chinese lunar missions designed to orbit or land on the moon. The mission will last 53 days.

The first to visit the far side of the moon, in 2019, was Chang’e-4, which included a rover to explore the moon’s Von Karman crater. China remains the only nation to send a lander to the other half of the moon.

“China has found its niche, to explore the lunar far side,” said Roberto Bugiolacchi, a planetary geologist also at Macau University of Science and Technology who has analyzed data from prior Chinese moon missions.

In 2020 another mission, Chang’e-5, gathered nearly four pounds of regolith from the moon’s near side and brought it to Earth. Scientists in other countries, including some in the United States, recently petitioned to study those samples.

Chang’e-6 will follow in Chang’e-5’s footsteps, but on the lunar far side. It will take five days after launch for the mission to reach the moon . There, it will orbit the moon for about 20 days. Then, after a brief stay on the surface of 48 hours, it will spend additional weeks in lunar orbit preparing for a five-day return trip to Earth.

The mission’s orbiter will circle the moon while its lander descends into the 1,616-mile-wide South Pole-Aitken basin on the lunar surface. The impact that created the basin — among the largest in the history of the solar system — is thought to have dug up material from the lunar mantle. If that material can be retrieved, scientists can learn more about the history of the moon’s insides.

“It’s very, very exciting,” said Jim Head, a planetary geologist at Brown University who collaborated with Chinese researchers to analyze the Chang’e-5 lunar sample. “Just like before the Apollo samples were returned. But now, it’s the other side of the moon.”

According to Yuqi Qian, a lunar geologist at the University of Hong Kong, the Chang’e-6 lander is equipped with a camera, spectrometer and radar to investigate its surroundings and pick a spot to collect a sample. It will gather soil from the surface using a mechanical arm and collect a subsurface sample from as far down as 6.5 feet with a drill.

A vehicle on the lander will then lift off from the moon, passing the sample on to the orbiter’s re-entry module for its return back to Earth.

Because the same side of the moon always faces Earth, it is impossible to directly establish communications with the lunar far side. In 2018, China sent the Queqiao satellite into lunar orbit to relay information from Chang’e-4 to Earth. In March, it launched a second satellite called Queqiao-2. The pair will be used in tandem to remain in contact with Chang’e-6 during sample collection.

How does Chang’e-6 fit into China’s broader space exploration goals?

China’s lunar exploration program is one facet of the nation’s growing presence in space, which includes missions to Mars and future visits to asteroids . The Chang’e mission series, designed in the 1990s, included three phases: orbiting, landing and sampling. So far, it has a 100 percent success rate.

With the return of the Chang’e-6 sample, Dr. Qian said, China’s lunar exploration will pivot to a new strategy: investigation, construction and utilization. Its next two missions are already in development.

Chang’e-7, expected to launch in 2026, will search for water near the lunar south pole. Chang’e-8 will survey material in the same region that could potentially be used to build future infrastructure, according to the China National Space Administration .

China hopes to send astronauts to the moon in 2030 and is also working on establishing a permanent, international lunar research base by the 2030s.

What other missions have been to the moon this year?

If the first leg of Chang’e-6’s journey is successful, the spacecraft will be the third to land on the moon in 2024.

Japan reached the moon with the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, on Jan. 20. The small spacecraft ended up in an awkward configuration, with its engine nozzle pointed toward space . But it also made Japan the fifth country to reach the moon’s surface. Unexpectedly, the SLIM lander has continued to function on the lunar surface long after Japan’s space agency had expected to lose contact with the robotic vehicle.

The year’s second moon landing was the first by a privately operated spacecraft. Odysseus, built by Intuitive Machines of Houston, reached the lunar surface on Feb. 22 . But the spacecraft toppled over , limiting the amount of science it could finish before freezing during the lunar night. Intuitive Machines has plans for another mission soon.

Katrina Miller is a science reporting fellow for The Times. She recently earned her Ph.D. in particle physics from the University of Chicago. More about Katrina Miller

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