Clear GNOME Web browsing history

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Works with any Linux distroWorks with any Linux distribution that can run bash scripts.

• Single actionThis page belongs to a script, containing basic changes to achieve a task.
• Linux onlyThis script improves your privacy on Linux
• Impact: MediumSystem Functionality Loss Risk: Moderate
  This action improves privacy with minimal impact when you run the recommended script.
  This action improves privacy with some impact when you run the recommended script.
• Bash (Shell script)These changes use Linux system commands to update your settings.
• Fully reversible

  You can fully restore this action (revert back to the original behavior) using this website.

  The restore/revert methods provided here can help you fix issues.

Overview

Your browsing history consists of the web pages that you have visited ¹. The history database is ephy-history.db ² and uses -shm and -wal files during operation ³.

Use with Caution

This script is only recommended if you understand its implications.

Some non-critical or features may no longer function correctly after running this script.

This script can be fully reversed to restore changes if something goes wrong.

Sources

PrivacyLearn.com maintains strict sourcing standards for accuracy, integrity and up-to-date content. Our content relies on authoritative sources including vendor documentation, industry standards, and verified research. Learn more about our verification process and quality standards in our editorial standards page.

• Browsing history. GNOME Help. help.gnome.org. (2022).
  Original: https://help.gnome.org/users/epiphany/stable/history.html.en
  Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20220810160903/https://help.gnome.org/users/epiphany/stable/history.html.en
• Maintainer defining ephy-history.db. GNOME/epiphany. GitLab. gitlab.gnome.org. (2022).
  Original: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/issues/1169
  Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20221030154804/https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/issues/1169
• Logs showing ephy-history.db-shm. GNOME/epiphany. GitLab. gitlab.gnome.org. (2022).
  Original: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/issues/1642
  Archived: https://web.archive.org/web/20221030154903/https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/epiphany/-/issues/1642

Apply Now

Choose one of three ways to apply:

Download script

Download and run the script directly

• No app needed
• Offline usage
• Free
• Open-source

Apply protection

Help

How to apply or restore "Clear GNOME Web browsing history" using script

• ≈ 3 min to complete
• Tools: Web Browser
• Difficulty: Medium
• ≈ 5 instructions

1. 1

   Download

   Download the script file by clicking on the   Apply protection  button above.
   Use   Undo protection button above to restore changes.
2. 2

   Keep the file

   If warned by your browser, keep the file.
3. 3

   Open

   Open the downloaded file.
4. 4

   Exit

   Once it's done, press any key to exit the window.
5. 5

   Restart

   Restart your computer for all changes to take effect.

Apply with privacy.sexy

Guided, automated application with safety checks

• Recommended for most users
• Includes safety checks
• Free
• Open-source
• Popular
• Offline/Online usage

Open privacy.sexy

Help

How to apply or restore "Clear GNOME Web browsing history" using privacy.sexy

• ≈ 3 min to complete
• Tools: privacy.sexy
• Difficulty: Simple
• ≈ 4 instructions

privacy.sexy is free and open-source application that lets securely apply this action easily with more advanced options.

1. 1

   Open or download

   Open or download the desktop application
2. 2

   Choose script

   1. Search for the script name: Clear GNOME Web browsing history
   2. Check the script by clicking on the checkbox.
3. 3

   Run

   Click on ▶️ Run button at the bottom of the page.

   This button only appears on desktop version (recommended). On browser, use 💾 Save button.

Run commands

Copy and run commands manually Requires technical knowledge

Apply

Apply changes

# ephy-history.db: Global installation
rm -fv ~/.local/share/epiphany/ephy-history.db
# ephy-history.db: Flatpak installation
rm -fv ~/.var/app/org.gnome.Epiphany/data/epiphany/ephy-history.db
# ephy-history.db: Snap installation
rm -fv ~/snap/epiphany/*/.local/share/epiphany/ephy-history.db
# ephy-history.db-shm: Global installation
rm -fv ~/.local/share/epiphany/ephy-history.db-shm
# ephy-history.db-shm: Flatpak installation
rm -fv ~/.var/app/org.gnome.Epiphany/data/epiphany/ephy-history.db-shm
# ephy-history.db-shm: Snap installation
rm -fv ~/snap/epiphany/*/.local/share/epiphany/ephy-history.db-shm
# ephy-history.db-wal: Global installation
rm -fv ~/.local/share/epiphany/ephy-history.db-wal
# ephy-history.db-wal: Flatpak installation
rm -fv ~/.var/app/org.gnome.Epiphany/data/epiphany/ephy-history.db-wal
# ephy-history.db-wal: Snap installation
rm -fv ~/snap/epiphany/*/.local/share/epiphany/ephy-history.db-wal

Revert

Restore changes

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Help

How to apply or restore "Clear GNOME Web browsing history" using commands

• ≈ 2 min to complete
• Tools: Terminal
• Difficulty: Medium
• ≈ 3 instructions

1. 1

   Open terminal

   Open your terminal application.
2. 2

   Copy code

   Copy the code:

   Copy Apply Code Copy Revert Code
3. 3

   Paste & run

   Paste the commands into terminal application and press Enter to run.

   Some changes require a system restart to take effect

Similar Guides

Wider Goal

Guides below includes this guide to achieve a wider goal.See other more general settings that includes this one as one of its actions.
These plans combine multiple privacy settings, including this one, for stronger protection.

Clear GNOME Web (Epiphany) history

GNOME Web (called Epiphany until 2012) is a free and open-source web browser based on the GTK port of Apple's WebKit rendering engine, called WebKitGTK. ...

— Clear GNOME Web (Epiphany) history

Clear browser history

A web browser (commonly just called a browser) is software that is used to visit websites. The browsing history, cache entries, and other potentially sen...

— Clear browser history

Privacy cleanup

These scripts allow you to increase privacy by deleting collected data about you and your behavior.

— Privacy cleanup

Same Goal

Other guides in Clear GNOME Web (Epiphany) history See settings that are in the same category as this guide.
Using other actions in the same category may help you achieve your goal better.

Clear GNOME Web cache

Clear GNOME Web cookies

Clear GNOME Web bookmarks

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About the Creators

These people have authored this documentation and written its scripts:

• 

  undergroundwires

  • Certified security professional
  • 7+ years experience securing banks
  • Open-source developer since 2005
  • EU advisor, Public Speaker, Moderator
• Open-Source Contributors

  • Hundreds across the globe
  • Testers, reviewers, developers
  • Companies, military agencies
  • Community since 2017

About Us

Reviewed By

This guide has undergone comprehensive auditing and peer review:

• Expert review by undergroundwires

  • Verified technical accuracy and editorial standards
  • Assessed system impact and user privacy risks
  • Audited and verified using automated security tests

• Public review by large community

  • Privacy enthusiasts and professionals peer-reviewed
  • Millions of end-users tested across different environments
  • Audited and verified using third-party security software

History

We continually monitor our guides, their impact and other potential privacy options. We update our guides when new information becomes available. On every update, we publicly store who made the change, what has been changed, why the change was made and when the change was made.

Review Change History Our Change Process