Victim Not Suspect

Cover Your Tracks

Safety guide · Plain English

Cover your tracks

If someone else might see your phone, laptop or browser history, this page covers the basics: clearing your tracks, what private browsing actually hides, and signs a device may be monitored. There are no perfect answers. Some steps are safer than others depending on who has access to what.

Before you start

  • Sudden changes can be noticed. If your browser history is normally full and suddenly empty, that itself can look suspicious. Sometimes the safer option is to use a different device or a private window from the start rather than clear history afterwards.
  • Public devices are an option. A library computer, a friend's phone, or a work device (if appropriate) may be safer than a shared home device.
  • If you are in immediate danger, call 999. If you can't speak, dial 999 then press 55 when prompted.

Clearing your browsing history

Every browser keeps a record of pages you visit, things you search, and (often) usernames and form data. Clearing this removes the local record on that browser. It does not remove records held by your internet provider, your employer's network, or anyone who has installed monitoring software.

Chrome (desktop and Android)

Menu → History → Clear browsing data. Choose All time. Tick history, cookies and cached files. Click Clear data.

Safari (Mac and iPhone)

Mac: Safari menu → Clear History → All history. iPhone: Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data.

Firefox

Menu → History → Clear recent history. Set the range to Everything and tick all options.

Edge

Menu → Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data → Choose what to clear.

If you are signed into a Google, Apple or Microsoft account, history may sync across all devices on that account. Clear it on each one, or sign out before browsing.

What private or incognito browsing actually does

Private or incognito mode does one thing well: when you close the window, the browser does not save your history, cookies or form data on that device. It is genuinely useful for keeping a search off the family laptop's history. But it is widely misunderstood.

What it does

  • Does not save browsing history on the device.
  • Does not save cookies or site data after the window closes.
  • Does not autofill from previous sessions.

What it does not do

  • Does not hide your activity from someone with physical access to the device (screen recording, parental controls, MDM profiles).
  • Does not hide your activity from your internet provider or mobile carrier.
  • Does not hide it from a workplace, school or public network administrator.
  • Does not protect against stalkerware or keyloggers already installed on the device.
  • Does not anonymise you. Sites can still see your IP address.

For genuine anonymity, the Tor Browser is the tool to look up. It is free, legal in the UK, and designed for situations like this.

Signs a device might be monitored

Stalkerware is software installed on a phone or computer, often without the user's knowledge, that reports location, messages, photos and activity to someone else. It is often installed by a current or former partner with physical access to the device. The following are common signs. Any one of them on its own may have an innocent explanation. Several together are worth taking seriously.

  • Battery drains unusually fast, or the phone runs warm even when idle.
  • Mobile data use is much higher than your habits would explain.
  • Unfamiliar apps, particularly ones with generic names like "System Service" or "Sync" that you don't remember installing.
  • Permissions you didn't grant - apps with access to your microphone, camera, location or accessibility services that shouldn't need them.
  • The other person knows things they shouldn't, such as where you have been, who you have spoken to, or details from private conversations.
  • Settings change on their own, or two-factor authentication codes arrive that you didn't request.
  • An MDM or "device management" profile (iPhone: Settings → General → VPN & Device Management) that you do not recognise and didn't install for work.

If you think a device is being monitored, getting help from a specialist before changing anything can be important. Removing stalkerware can alert the person who installed it. The Refuge Tech Safety team offers free, confidential advice in the UK.

A short checklist

  1. Where possible, use a device the other person does not have access to.
  2. Sign out of shared accounts (Google, Apple, Microsoft) before sensitive browsing.
  3. Use a private window from the start, rather than clearing history after the fact.
  4. If you must use a shared device, close all windows when you finish.
  5. Keep an exit plan in mind: a tab you can switch to, a reason for being on the site if asked.

Specialist support

Who to talk to

See the Useful Links directory for the full list of UK support organisations.

This page is a general guide, not personalised security advice. For a high-risk situation, a specialist tech safety service is the right next step.