How do I keep someone from seeing what websites I’ve visited on the Internet?

Web Browsers like Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox are designed to leave traces behind that indicate where you’ve been and what you’ve been looking at on the Internet. It’s hard to absolutely guarantee that your activity on the Internet can’t be traced at all, but here are some simple things you can do to reduce the chances that someone looking through your computer will find out what you’ve been reading.

Please read all 5 steps carefully:

1. Leaving Our Site Quickly

If while viewing our site someone enters the room, click on the Leave site now button – this will take you to The Weather Network.

2. Use a Passcode On Your Private Device

If your device (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer) is only used by you, ensure that you add a private password or passcode that only you will know. This code must be entered to unlock your device.

3. Private/Incognito Browsing

If you share a device or someone else knows your password, we recommend that you use private or incognito browsing for sensitive searches. All major Internet browsers feature optional privacy browsing modes. These restrict your browser from saving your web history in its cache.

Follow the steps below so you know how to browse the Internet privately for future searches, then read on and ensure that you clear your browser cache/history to hide the searches you have done up until now that haven’t been in private mode.

How To View the Internet Privately | Windows Computer:

Make sure that you completely close the browser when you are finished.
Please note that you will need to choose this option each time you start a new browsing session.

Internet Explorer iconInternet Explorer

  • Hold down the ctrl key, the shift key, and the letter p all at the same time, or
  • Click on the gear icon IE-gear-icon to open Tools ⇒ Safety ⇒ InPrivate Browsing.

Chrome-iconGoogle Chrome

  • Hold down the ctrl key, the shift key, and the letter n all at the same time, or
  • Click the tool icon chrome toolbar icon ⇒ New Incognito Window.

Firefox LogoFirefox

  • Hold down the ctrl key, the shift key and the letter p all at the same time, or
  • Click tools ⇒ Start Private Browsing, or
  • Click the Tools icon Firefox tools icon ⇒ New Private Window

How To View the Internet Privately | Mac Computer:

Safari browser iconSafari

  • Choose File ⇒ New Private Window, or
  • Hold down the command key, the shift key, and the letter n all at the same time.

Chrome-iconGoogle Chrome

  • Choose File ⇒ New Incognito Window, or
  • Click the tool icon chrome toolbar icon ⇒ New Incognito Window, or
  • Hold down the command key, the shift key, and the letter n all at the same time.

Firefox LogoFirefox

  • Choose File ⇒ New Private Window, or
  • Click the Tools icon Firefox tools icon ⇒ New Private Window, or
  • Hold down the command key, the shift key, and the letter p all at the same time.

4. Clearing Your Browser Cache and History

If you share a computer with someone else and you have not used private browsing, you will want to clear your browsing data. To hide your Internet use, you will need to erase two things:

  • Your Browser Cache (this is where the computer stores copies of files you’ve recently looked at with your web browser)
  • Your History List (this is a single file containing the addresses of the places you’ve recently visited)

Remove Selected Items Only

Be careful when selecting the options. If you clear all temporary Internet files, you could delete the cookies that contain login information and preferences. Browsers let you choose the type of content you want to delete. If your partner or someone else discovers that the cache and the history list have been completely emptied, they may suspect that you’re trying to hide something.

Clearing Your Browser History | Windows Computer

If You Use Internet Explorer:

  • Open the TOOLS menu, select INTERNET OPTIONS
  • Select the GENERAL tab at the top
  • In the section called “Temporary Internet Files,” click on “Delete Files”
  • Your cache will now be cleared
  • On the same screen, in the section called “History,” click on “Clear History”
  • Your history list will now be cleared
  • If there is a lot of history on your list, this might take a few moments
  • Note that clearing the cache and history in Internet Explorer also automatically clears your address bar

If You Use Firefox

  • Click the Tools icon Firefox tools icon
  • Click History ⇒ Clear Recent History ⇒ Select Time Range to Clear The last Hour (or a different duration) ⇒ Click the button Clear Now

If You Use Chrome

  • Click the tool icon chrome toolbar icon ⇒ History ⇒ Clear Browsing Data ⇒ Choose the duration such as The Past Hour ⇒ Untick boxes other than Browsing History ⇒ Click the button Clear Browsing Data

After clearing your browser history, review the history items that are left in the list and make sure that you cleared all that you needed to.

Clearing Your Browser History | Mac Computer

If You Use Safari

From the top toolbar click History ⇒ Clear History ⇒ Choose The Last Hour (or a different duration) ⇒ Click the button Clear History

If You Use Chrome

From the top toolbar click Chrome ⇒ Clear Browsing Data ⇒ Choose The Past Hour (or the Past Day) ⇒  Click the button Clear Browsing Data

If You Use Firefox

From the top toolbar click History ⇒ Clear Recent History ⇒ Select Time Range to Clear The Last Hour (or a different duration) ⇒ Click the button Clear Now

After clearing your browser history, review the history items that are left in the list and make sure that you cleared all that you needed to.

5. PDF downloads

If you view a PDF document in a website, the record of that document will be cleared with browsing data in Step 4 above. If however, if you download and save the document to your computer, you will need to locate the file and delete it.