Do you often clear your browsing history for privacy or to free up space? You might have realized later that you needed to revisit a page from the past but found out that it had been deleted. Losing important browsing history can be frustrating, especially when you need to trace your online activity. If you have no prior knowledge of how to check your deleted browsing history, this article will guide you on how to recover your Google Chrome history.
What’s Needed
Before we proceed with the methods, you need to ensure that you have everything necessary for this procedure. Here’s what you will need:
– A computer or a mobile device.
– A stable internet connection.
– Installed Google Chrome Browser.
– A third-party software (optional).
What Requires Your Focus?
Checking your Google Chrome history after you have deleted it can be a technical process, so one might need to give it some maximum attention to avoid jeopardizing the method. Also, it’s important to ensure you don’t waste time trying to retrieve history that you permanently deleted. Therefore, determining whether the history was just cleared or permanently deleted is crucial. Anytime you clear your browsing history, it merely erases browser data but doesn’t get rid of it. However, when you delete browsing history, it irreversibly erases data that you can’t recover using the regular simple browsing steps.
Method 1: Using The Chrome Custom Recovery Tool
Google had initially created this tool to enable their technicians to track user activity. However, it’s also available for you to use to check the deleted browsing history. It allows you to retrieve caches and cookies if you had just cleared your browsing data. This is how you can use it:
1. Launch Google Chrome browser.
2. In the search box, type "chrome://recovery."
3. Select the recover button, and the chosen data will be restored.
Pros:
– You can recover browsing history quickly using this tool.
– The method is effortless to use, even for people with minimum technical knowledge.
Cons:
– The method only allows the retrieval of data that was cleared but not permanently deleted.
– The tool doesn’t allow you to recover data that was deleted a long time ago.
Method 2: Using Data Recovery Software
If you want to retrieve browsing history that was accidentally or permanently deleted, you can turn to data recovery software like EaseUs Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, or Disk Drill. These are all tools that scan your computer and generate a list of deleted files.
Steps to use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard:
1. Download and install the software on your computer.
2. Select the location from which you want to recover data.
3. Scan the selected location by clicking on the "Scan" button.
4. After scanning, preview all recoverable files and select the browsing history you want to restore.
5. Finally, click on the "Recover" button to restore the browsing history.
Pros:
– The software can retrieve browsing histories that were permanently deleted.
– It supports various file formats, which is useful when dealing with different kinds of browsing data.
Cons:
– The process can be prolonged, especially if you have lots of files on your computer.
– Some data recovery software can be expensive.
Method 3: Using Google Account Activity
Google account activity allows you to check your browsing activity across your devices. This method should only be used when you know Google has your browsing data stored in its servers. Here are the steps to follow:
1. Log in to your Google account.
2. In the search box, type "Google Activities."
3. Click on the "Manage Activities" option. Then select "Other Google Activity."
4. Select the date range that you want to recover the browsing history.
5. Click on the three dots "…" on the top-left corner of the screen. Then select "Download."
6. Finally, sign in again, and Google will show you all browsing history for the selected date range.
Pros:
– The method does not require third-party software.
– It allows you to view and restore browsing activity on your account across multiple devices.
Cons:
– You can only recover browsing data that Google has stored on its servers.
– It can be time-consuming to check all your activity on various devices and accounts.
Method 4: Check Your Router’s Log
If you have not cleared your router’s history, you can still check your browsing activity from there. Most routers keep a detailed log of online activity, including your browsing history. To retrieve your router history, follow these steps:
1. On your computer, open your web browser.
2. Type your router’s IP address into the browser’s address bar.
3. Log in using your router’s credentials.
4. Look for the activity log, which can usually be found in the Firewall or Security section.
5. The option will have a different name depending on the device.
6. Once you find the log, check your browsing history.
Pros:
– This method doesn’t need any third-party software.
– It can track browsing history for all devices connected to the router.
Cons:
– Router history only shows activity within a certain time frame, usually a few days.
– Router logs can be challenging to navigate, especially if you’re not tech-savvy.
Video Tutorial:
Why Can’t I Check My Google Chrome History?
1. You are using incognito mode – The purpose of the incognito mode to leave no traces of your online activities. Therefore, no browsing history will be recorded in the first place.
Fix: To recover history from Incognito mode, you need to use the third-party data recovery software like Disk Drill, Recuva or EaseUs Data Recovery Wizard, which we discussed in Method 2. But, keep in mind that the history recovered may be incomplete.
2. Google account was not synched – If you didn’t synch your google account, the browsing data may not be stored on google servers.
Fix: Connect all your devices with your google account and ensure synching is active.
3. Browsing history permanently deleted – Once you permanently delete your browsing history, you cannot restore it using your browser settings. The file is entirely wiped out from the computer’s hard drive and can only be recovered using third-party software.
Fix: Use Data Recovery Software like EaseUs Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, or Disk Drill discussed in Method 2.
Implications and Recommendations
Deleting browsing history can be a good practice for online security and privacy. However, losing important information can be frustrating. Here are some recommendations:
1. Keep essential browsing data safely stored in bookmarks.
2. Use alternative methods for recording data instead of your browser’s history.
3. Regularly back up your browsing history.
4. Use data recovery software for permanent data removal.
In case you deleted your browsing history accidentally, act fast while it’s still retrievable. The more time you take, the more likely the file will be overwritten by newly created data.
FAQs
Q1. How can I prevent losing my browsing data?
A1. You can keep essential browsing data safely stored in bookmarks or use alternative methods for recording data instead of your browser’s history.
Q2. Can I retrieve browsing history that was deleted a year ago?
A2. Yes, you can recover your browsing history that was deleted a year ago using third-party data recovery software like Disk Drill, Recuva, or EaseUs Data Recovery Wizard, which we discussed in Method 2.
Q3. Can I recover browsing history from a synced device?
A3. Recovering browsing history from a synced device is easy. All you need to do is sign in to that device and follow any of the above-discussed methods.
Q4. Can I recover history from incognito mode?
A4. You can recover history from Incognito mode, but you need to use third-party data recovery software like Disk Drill, Recuva, and EaseUs Data Recovery Wizard as discussed in Method 2.
Q5. Can I recover browsing activity without technical knowledge?
A5. Yes, some methods do not require any technical knowledge, such as Google account activity. Moreover, the third-party software discussed in Method 2 is effortless to use, even if you have minimum technical knowledge.
In Conclusion
Checking or retrieving accidentally deleted or lost browsing history is possible. You only need to follow the right steps, keep focused on the task, and determine the history’s activity status. The most comfortable method is using Google account activity, but you can also try using data recovery software like EaseUs Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, or Disk Drill. Remember, once you lose your browsing history, act fast before it’s overwritten by other data.