6 Ways to Recover Deleted Safari History on iPhone/iPad

Safari is the default browser on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, and it keeps a record of your browsing history. But sometimes, you might accidentally delete that history on your iPhone or iPad.

So, how can you recover deleted Safari history on your iPhone? Don’t worry – in this guide, we’ll walk you through six simple methods to help you view or restore your lost Safari history. Keep reading to learn more!

Can You Retrieve Deleted Safari History on iPhone?

Yes, you can. When Safari history is deleted on an iPhone or iPad, Apple temporarily stores the data in different parts of the device’s memory. On iOS devices, this deleted history can remain retrievable for up to 30 days. On a Mac, the data may be stored for even longer – sometimes up to a year – giving you a chance to recover it if needed.

Now that you know it’s possible to recover deleted Safari history on your iPhone, let’s explore the most effective methods you can try right away.

Way 1. View Deleted Safari History from iPhone Settings

iPhones store website data for up to 30 days, so if you deleted your Safari history within that time frame, you may still be able to view and recover it through the Settings app. Here’s how to do it:

1. Head to “Settings” on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Safari” .
3. Scroll to the bottom and select the “Advanced” option.
4. Click on “Website Data” to find your previously visited sites, including some that were deleted.

Note: If you’ve cleared cookies, website data, and cache, or browsed using Private (Incognito) mode, the deleted Safari history won’t appear in this section.

Way 2. Recover Safari History on iPhone/iPad without Backup (Recommended)

If you don’t have a backup of your deleted Safari history, using a third-party tool can help. Fucosoft iPhone Data Recovery is a powerful solution that allows you to quickly view and recover deleted Safari history on your iPhone with ease.

Key Features of Fucosoft iPhone Data Recovery

• Recover deleted Safari history, photos, messages, contacts, WhatsApp, and more directly from your iPhone – no backup needed.
• Preview and selectively restore data from iTunes or iCloud backups without performing a full reset.
• Supports data recovery in various situations, such as accidental deletion, system crashes, water damage, factory reset, and others.
• Fully compatible with all iPhone and iPad models, including the latest iPhone 16 running iOS 18, and offers the highest recovery success rate.

How to recover deleted Safari history on iPhone or iPad directly:

Step 1: Download, install Fucosoft iPhone Safari History Recovery on your computer. Run the program, choose “Recover from Device” and click “Start”.

Step 2: Now connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer using a USB cable and wait for the program to detect the device. Once detected, click “Next” to continue.

Step 3: In the next screen, choose “Safari Bookmarks”, “Safari history” or any other data you wish to recover, then click “Scan” to begin scanning the device.

Step 4: When the scan is complete, you can preview all browsing history in details. Then select the items you need and click “Recover” to save deleted history to your computer.

Way 3. Recover Deleted Safari History from iCloud Backup

If you regularly back up your data to iCloud, you can restore your deleted Safari history by simply recovering your iCloud backup. However, keep in mind that this process will erase all existing data on your device, so it’s important to back up your current data before proceeding with the recovery.

1. Open the settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Tap on the “General” option.
2. Now tap on “Transfer or Reset iPhone” and then select “Erase all Content and Settings” .
3. Once the factory reset process is complete, set up the device as a new one. In the “Apps & Data” screen, choose “Restore from iCloud Backup”.
4. When the restore process is complete, your browser history will be restored to the device.

Way 4. Restore Safari Browsing History from iCloud Web

If you have enabled iCloud auto-sync for Safari bookmarks on your iPhone, you can visit iCloud.com to restore your lost bookmarks from a previous version.

1. Sign in to iCloud.com with your iCloud account and password.
2. Scroll down to the “Advanced Settings” and click “Restore Bookmarks”.
3. Select an archive of bookmarks to restore and click “Restore”

Please be aware that restoring from a selected version will replace the existing bookmarks across all your devices. Additionally, this method can only recover bookmarks deleted within the last 30 days.

Way 5. Recover Safari History from iTunes/Finder Backup

If you regularly back up your iPhone using iTunes, you can recover deleted Safari history by restoring your device from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that restoring a backup will replace all current data on your device with the data from the backup, potentially causing loss of any unsaved or unbacked-up data.

1. Start by opening Finder/iTunes Mac or PC and use a data cable to connect the iPhone/iPad to the computer.
2. Select the iPhone or iPad when it appears and then select “Restore Backup.”
3. Select the relevant backup that you’d like to use and click “Restore” to begin the restoration process.
4. When it is complete, set up your device and you should get your browsing history back.

Note: With Fucosoft iPhone Data Recovery, you can easily and quickly recover deleted Safari history from your iTunes backup using the “Recover from iTunes Backup” mode.

Way 6. Recover iPhoneDeleted Safari History from Mac

If you’re using the same iCloud account on both your iPhone and Mac, you may be able to retrieve your browsing history from there. This is because data from both devices syncs when they’re connected to the same account. You can then use the Time Machine feature on your Mac to recover your lost browsing history.

1. Open Finder on your Mac, and make sure Safari is closed before you begin.
2. Click on “Go > Go to Folder”, then type “~/Library/Safari” in the bar and click “Go”.
3. Locate the History.db file, which stores your browsing history.
4. Select the “Time Machine” icon in the menu bar, then click on “Enter Time Machine”.
5. Once you’ve found the desired files, click “Restore” to recover them.

FAQs About iPhone Safari History Recovery

How Do I Avoid Losing My Safari History?

You can easily avoid the loss of your Safari history by always making sure to sync your bookmarks and browsing history to your iCloud account. Follow these simple steps to turn this feature on permanently;

• Access the Settings on your iOS device. Tap on your Apple ID at the top.
• Tap “iCloud” and scroll down to find “Safari.” Turn it on and all your bookmarks and browsing history will be synced with iCloud.

How Long Does Safari Keep History on iPhone?

Safari on Mac will keep your history for up to a year while Safari for iOS will keep your history for up to 30 days. Apple does this to help you restore your history easily in case of accidental deletion.

Can I Recover Deleted Safari History on iPhone without Backup?

Recovering deleted Safari history directly on your iPhone without a backup can be difficult, as iOS doesn’t store this data separately once it’s deleted. However, you can try using a third-party tool like Fucosoft iPhone Data Recovery to help recover the deleted history.

How Do I Recover Deleted Safari History on iPad?

All the solutions that we have outlined above are also applicable when you want to recover the missing Safari history on your iPad.

Why Does My Safari History Delete Itself?

While your iPhone can store Safari history for up to 30 days, the device may delete some of the Safari history automatically for several reasons including available storage space, how much you access Safari, iCloud storage, the number of sites visited, and other problems.

Can I Transfer Safari History between iOS devices?

Yes. You can use the same iCloud account to sync Safari browser history across multiple devices and therefore easily transfer the history to any one of the devices connected to the same iCloud account.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve explored several methods to recover deleted Safari history on your iPhone. You can choose the one that works best for you. Among these options, Fucosoft iPhone Data Recovery stands out for its simplicity and efficiency. Whether you’re trying to recover deleted Safari history or any other lost data, it can help you retrieve data even without a backup.