Browser Data Storage

TL;DR

Your browser saves lots of things to your computer’s disk: browsing history, cookies, cached files (images, scripts etc.), form data, passwords, and more. Where it’s saved depends on the browser you use. This guide shows how to find and manage this data in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

What Gets Saved?

• Browsing History: Websites you visit are recorded.
• Cookies: Small files websites use to remember your preferences or login details.
• Cached Files: Images, scripts and other website content stored locally for faster loading.
• Form Data: Information you type into online forms (names, addresses etc.).
• Passwords: Login credentials saved for convenience. Be careful with this!
• Local Storage & Session Storage: More advanced ways websites store data on your computer.

1. Chrome

1. Accessing Browser Data: Type chrome://settings/siteData into the address bar and press Enter. This shows all stored site data. You can search for specific websites.
2. Clearing Browsing Data: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac). Select ‘All time’ in the Time range dropdown to clear everything. Choose what you want to delete (browsing history, cookies, cached images and files etc.) and click ‘Clear data’.
3. Managing Passwords: Type chrome://settings/passwords into the address bar. You can view, export or remove saved passwords here.
4. Viewing Local Storage: Open Developer Tools (right-click on a webpage and select ‘Inspect’). Go to the ‘Application’ tab, then expand ‘Storage’ in the left sidebar. Look for ‘Local Storage’ and ‘Session Storage’.

2. Firefox

1. Accessing Browser Data: Type about:preferences#privacy into the address bar and press Enter. This takes you to the Privacy & Security settings.
2. Clearing History: Click ‘Clear Data…’ under ‘Cookies and Site Data’. Select what you want to delete (cookies, site data, cached web content) and click ‘Clear’.
3. Managing Cookies: In the same Privacy & Security settings, click ‘Manage Data…’ under ‘Cookies and Site Data’. You can search for specific cookies or websites.
4. Managing Passwords: Type about:logins into the address bar. You can view, export or remove saved passwords here.
5. Viewing Local Storage: Open Developer Tools (right-click on a webpage and select ‘Inspect’). Go to the ‘Storage’ tab. Expand ‘Local Storage’ in the left sidebar.

3. Microsoft Edge

1. Accessing Browser Data: Type edge://settings/siteData into the address bar and press Enter. This shows all stored site data. You can search for specific websites.
2. Clearing Browsing Data: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete. Select ‘All time’ in the Time range dropdown to clear everything. Choose what you want to delete (browsing history, cookies, cached images and files etc.) and click ‘Clear now’.
3. Managing Passwords: Type edge://settings/passwords into the address bar. You can view, export or remove saved passwords here.
4. Viewing Local Storage: Open Developer Tools (right-click on a webpage and select ‘Inspect’). Go to the ‘Application’ tab, then expand ‘Storage’ in the left sidebar. Look for ‘Local Storage’ and ‘Session Storage’.

Important Notes

• Regular Clearing: Regularly clearing your browsing data can improve privacy and performance.
• Password Managers: Consider using a dedicated password manager instead of relying solely on the browser’s built-in feature for better security.
• cyber security Risks: Be cautious about saving passwords, especially on shared computers.