Browsing safely
If someone is monitoring your phone or computer, your visit to this site can leave traces. This page explains how to erase them, step by step.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
What the Leave now button does
- It takes you straight to a neutral website.
- It erases the data our site has stored on your device.
- The Back button won’t bring you back to our site.
- You can also press the Esc key.
What it doesn't do
No website can erase your browsing history. The Leave now button does not delete:
- your browsing history;
- suggestions in the address bar;
- your searches on Google or any other search engine.
To erase these traces, follow the steps below.
Erase your visit, step by step
Important tip: delete only the pages from our site, not your whole history. A completely empty history can look suspicious.
Chrome
- Computer: press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Cmd + Y (Mac). Check the boxes next to our site’s pages, then click Delete.
- Phone: tap the menu (⋮ or •••), then History. Tap Edit, or the X next to our site’s pages.
Safari
- iPhone and iPad: tap the book icon, then the clock tab. Swipe left on each page from our site, then tap Delete.
- Mac: in the History menu, choose Show All History. Select our site’s pages, then press the Delete key.
Firefox
- Computer: press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + H (Mac). Right-click a page from our site, then choose Forget About This Site. All of the site’s pages are erased at once.
- Phone: tap the menu, then History. Delete our site’s pages one by one.
Microsoft Edge
- Computer: press Ctrl + H. Hover over a page from our site and click the X.
- Phone: tap the menu (•••), then History, and delete our site’s pages.
Samsung Internet
- Tap the menu (☰), then History. Press and hold a page from our site, then tap Delete.
Menu names may vary slightly depending on your browser version.
Other traces to check
- Address bar suggestions: if our site’s address appears when you start typing, delete it from your history (steps above).
- Google searches: if you’re signed in to a Google account, your searches may be saved there. Go to myactivity.google.com to delete them.
- Downloads: delete any files downloaded from our site, then empty the trash or recycle bin.
- Calls, texts and emails: delete calls or messages with the Pad8ban Home, if it’s safe to do so.
Next time
- Use private browsing. It doesn’t save your history. In Chrome and Edge: Ctrl + Shift + N (Cmd + Shift + N on Mac). In Safari (Mac): Cmd + Shift + N. In Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P (Cmd + Shift + P on Mac).
- Use a safe device if you can: a friend’s, a co-worker’s or one at a library.
If your device is being monitored
Some spyware records everything you do, even in private browsing. If you think your phone or computer is being monitored, use another device to look for help. Changing your habits all at once can draw attention, so talk it over with a support worker first.
