Would you be in danger if someone found out what you were looking at online?
Here are some simple things you can do to cover your tracks and keep yourself safe.
Browse safely
Use another device
The best way to stop someone checking up on you is to use a device that they don't know about or wouldn't have access to.
Browse the internet at a library, at work or an advice centre. Use a friend or relative’s device where you can’t be watched.
Private browsing
Your device is likely to keep a record of pages you’ve viewed and searches you’ve made – unless you use private browsing or incognito mode which means this information isn't saved.
This will stop someone checking up on you after you've been browsing the internet.
But beware that at work, employers can often track the websites you've visited, even in private mode.
Use Online Safe Spaces
Online Safe Spaces is a website for people experiencing domestic abuse, which features information, resources and links. It's accessed from certain everyday national websites and doesn't show up on your browsing history. Look for the Safe Spaces logo on websites including:
- Royal Mail
- Post Office
- Parcelforce
- Thames Water
- Network Rail
Delete your history
If you haven’t been using private browsing, you’ll need to delete the record of all the websites you’ve visited, called a history.
You can usually select the entries you want to remove or delete everything.
A completely blank history might look suspicious to someone regularly checking up on you. Think about deleting sensitive websites only, but leaving a record of plenty of harmless ones.
Windows PC
Press Ctrl and H to bring up your browsing history. Select individual files to delete, or click on ‘Clear browsing data’.
Mac
Press Command and Y. Select individual files to delete, or clear everything.
iPhone
Go to Settings. Choose the Safari tab, and press Clear History and Website Data.
Other phone browsers
Open the app and click on the three lines, three dots, or menu symbol. Look for settings, history or privacy, where you should find options to delete your history.
Use strong passwords and sign out
Use a password or passcode to log into your device, email and other online accounts. A strong password will stop someone else hacking, monitoring or taking control of your accounts. Consider changing your passwords regularly.
Sign out of your accounts, including social media, Facebook and YouTube, when you’re not using them, so that no one can get in when you’re not at your device.
Quick close
If you press quick close, you’ll immediately leave SupportNav and go to the Google homepage.
Pressing on the back button will take you back to SupportNav, so close the browser too for safety if you can. You’ll still need to delete your history if you haven’t been using private browsing.
More information
How else can we help?
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