How to cover my tracks online

Sometimes you might not want others to know that you’ve been looking for support or searching for information online. Most phones, tablets, and computers save a “history” of the websites you visit, but there are steps you can take to help keep your browsing more private.

⚠️ There is no way to completely cover your movements online. The only way to be sure is to use a completely different computer.

Protecting your privacy online

Here are some practical steps you can take to make your online activity more private.

Delete your browser history

You can delete the history of pages you’ve visited. But be aware: if you share a device, the other person may notice missing pages or saved passwords.

Find out how to delete your browsing history from the most commonly used browsers:
How do I clear my Internet browser history?

Use private browsing

Most browsers offer an “incognito” or private mode, which doesn’t save your history or cookies. You can usually find it by opening a new tab and choosing “New incognito window.”

This option is available on the most commonly used web browsers:
How do I turn on private browsing?

Staying safe with your email

Keep any abusive or threatening emails — they can be used as evidence.

Check your Drafts and Sent Items folders, as old messages may still be stored there.

When you delete emails, remember they often move into a Deleted Items folder first. To fully remove them, delete them again from that folder.

Searchbars

If you use a search engine like Google or Yahoo, your searches may be recorded. To protect your privacy:

1. Browser History

Open your browser settings (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari).
Go to History → Clear browsing data.
Select search history and any other data you want to remove.

2. Google Account Searches

Visit myactivity.google.com.
You can view, manage, and delete your search activity.

3. Privacy Settings

Consider using private/incognito mode for searches you don’t want saved.
Check your browser and search engine settings regularly.

Mobile phone location

Many apps and social media platforms (like TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook) automatically share your location. This can put you at risk, especially if you’re planning to leave.

Here are some steps to stay safer:

Check privacy settings on all apps and switch them to the highest level.
Turn off location services in photos.
Remove apps that could let someone monitor your calls, texts, or location.
Reset your passwords using something random and hard to guess — this can also log out anyone else who’s signed into your accounts.

You can google how to do this for the each app, website, or system when you’re trying to disable tracking.

⚠️ Important: making changes to apps or settings may alert someone to your actions. If you can, wait until you’re in a safe place to do this.

Don’t forget to log out

If you use social media or any site that requires a login, always log out when you finish. Otherwise, someone else could access your accounts.