How to clear Google searches?

[turtlehills]

OK, this is embarrassing!  But how do you clear all the past google searches on your browser (in my case Safari) so that someone else (a new boyfriend) using my computer doesn't know that I researched them on Google?

I know it sounds silly, but I didn't have their name right so I put in a number of versions including all of their phone numbers.  In case anyone has a solution.... thanks!

Turtle Hills

[Bruce_F]

Do you see the magnifying glass in the Google search window?

Mouse click that and a menu will open. At the bottom of the menu, you have the option of clearing the search history.

[Highmac]

Thanks, Turtle Hills. First thread I looked at this morning and it's always good to start the day with a smile

Not only that, I learned something new (thanks Bruce).

Do come back more often - 27 posts in two years is not nearly enough

[Highmac]

Now I'm embarrassed.....    Google home page (in Firefox) gives me this....



The only magnifying glass I can see is up at the top right (Google toolbar search window) and clicking on that just takes me to the Firefox home page... I'm obviously missing something - but what?

[chriskleeman]

Neil,

The solution that Bruce has for clearing Google searches seems to be Safari-specific...

Other than clearing history/cache I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you to do something similar in Firefox

Chris K

[Bruce_F]

You're right, Chris. I (assumed) the Turtle was referring to Safari.

With Firefox, I use Google Toolbar

Clear the search history by clicking on the search window toggle.

[bil207]

In Firefox if you right click ( control + click) the search box you will get the option to 'Clear Search History'.

[chriskleeman]

Now that's a couple of slick tricks! I've been using my laptop so much didn't even think about right-clickiing

I haven't really played around with any of the Firefox add-ons, but I'm thinking that I should, having downloaded that toolbar Bruce!

Neil, it works great!

Chris K

[Gregg]

QUOTE(chriskleeman @ Nov 29 2007, 07:14 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Other than clearing history/cache I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you to do something similar in Firefox.

Why isn't that an answer?

Just make sure none of the "secret" sites are bookmarked!!!

[jcarter]

Quite a while ago, someone here posted a link that had a scrolling menu that showed the Google searches that were happening at that moment.
Or something like that, scrolling the most recent searches. It was really neat.
Sort of the way that Blogspot scrolls the newest posts that are being put on blogs all the time, whew, thats a lot of info!
And all you have to do is click on whats moving up on the screen, go fast or you miss the ones that look interesting. I was looking for nature photography, and there were a few great hits.
 
Anybody remember the Google link for this?
Jane

[Mayo]

I have used NetShredX for years to automatically (and manually) "shred" Web browser temporary caches and history, along with trashed e-mail messages. It works with all Web browsers and e-mail programs.

From Mireth's Web site: "NetShredX will erase (not just delete) browser cache, history, download cache, Quicktime cache, favicons, email cache, email, junk and spam so the data can't be recovered." Deleted/trashed files can be easily recovered...

It is also available in an OS 9 flavor.  Both versions work flawlessly and are highly recommended.

I don't know the Google URL, but you can check out Metaspy.  There are "censored" and "uncensored" versions.

And while you can delete your Internet tracks on your computer, Google keeps a record of all Google searches along with the IP address of the computer where the search request originated. Originally Google kept these records forever, but I think that the company announced at some point that the records would be kept for "only" 18 months. Google has never been able to offer a satisfactory explanation for why the company needs to store that kind of data, and its existence is quite worrisome to privacy advocates.  If a person wants to maintain their privacy when using Google they need to use a VPN server so the originating IP address isn't captured by Google.

[jguti]

That's a cute tip using the magnifying glass to clear searches.  However, I have found that when you go to the Google search page & when you type the first letter of a previous search, guess what, the history shows up with whatever searches were performed even after "clearing" up the menu.  Totally unavoidable???
And that could be an embarassing situation.

[jcarter]

Thanks for the link to MetaSpy, actually thats not the one, but it does the same thing.
There is a lot of interesting stuff that comes up, great links about powerboats and stuff.  I never remember to look
though.

And Im glad that I dont have to 'cover my tracks', nobody around here looks up bad stuff.  Yet I did come across
a nasty thing about animal cruelty once, I was sooooo angry I would have shot the guy if I could have found him.
I reported it to whoever owned the site, but who knows what ever happens with that horrid stuff.

I read in the newspaper about how people peek at other's computers to see stuff, glad that most of us are not
in that category.

Jane

[Steve_J]

QUOTE(bil207 @ Nov 29 2007, 09:23 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

In Firefox if you right click ( control + click) the search box you will get the option to 'Clear Search History'.

I got the 'Clear Search History' all right, but after I click it and then go to History, everything is still there. Did I miss something?

[Mayo]

In this day and age I think that it is being prudent to be concerned about Internet privacy issues even if you don't look up "bad stuff." Ditto regarding the security of data that is stored on a computer or has not been securely deleted...