Methods to examine Fb browser historical past and switch it off

Internet browsers protect the historical past of all web site visits to make ot straightforward so that you can discover and revisit them later.

However with Fb’s in-app internet browser, many hyperlinks clicked from the social platform by no means really make it into your browser historical past on Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. Which means discovering a hyperlink that you simply clicked on a number of days in the past throughout the Facebook mobile app is a near-impossible feat — or a minimum of it was. At the beginning of 2024, Meta started rolling out Fb hyperlink historical past, a solution to observe what web sites you’ve visited whereas utilizing the social platform’s cell app.

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What’s Fb hyperlink historical past?

If you happen to’ve ever wished to return to an online web page you visited from Fb, hyperlink historical past is the best method to do this. The characteristic is just like historical past in an online browser like Chrome or Safari. However hyperlink historical past must be enabled first. In any other case, Fb doesn’t save a file of these internet pages you deliver up whereas nonetheless contained in the app. So, to recall your Fb browser historical past later, you’ll want to show the characteristic on.

Like most of Fb’s options, there’s a trade-off to turning the browser monitoring on, so that you would possibly wish to disable it later.

While you flip the hyperlink historical past characteristic on, you’ll have the ability to rapidly recall web sites that you simply’ve visited from the cell app — however Fb may also use that info to serve extra focused promoting. A part of studying learn how to view Fb browser historical past is figuring out whether or not the added monitoring is definitely worth the fast recall of earlier web sites — although Fb tracks you throughout web sites in additional methods than only one.

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Methods to allow Fb hyperlink historical past

Hyperlink historical past is turned off by default

Fb’s hyperlink historical past is turned off by default, so if you wish to simply recall the hyperlinks that you simply visited from the social media app, you’ll want to show it on first. Some customers might obtain a pop-up that implies turning it on, however in any other case, the characteristic is an opt-in one. Sorry, this doesn’t provide help to keep in mind the hyperlink for that humorous web site you visited every week in the past, however in the event you allow the characteristic now, you’ll keep away from this identical pitfall sooner or later.

There are two methods to activate Fb browser historical past. Each strategies require the Fb cell app, as hyperlink historical past isn’t out there when accessing the platform in an online browser. Any web sites visited from fb.com open in that browser, not Fb’s, so hyperlink historical past is pointless exterior the cell apps.

1. Open the Fb app.
2. Faucet the Menu icon on the underside proper.
3. Scroll to Settings and Privateness and faucet the arrow to broaden this menu.
4. Faucet hyperlink historical past.
5. Choose permit hyperlink historical past.

It’s also possible to dig deeper into the settings menu to toggle hyperlink historical past on and off – – that is additionally the place one can find extra associated instruments.

1. Open the Fb cell app.
2. Faucet the Menu icon on the underside proper.
3. Scroll down and faucet Settings and Privateness to broaden the sub-menu.
4. Faucet Settings.
5. Underneath Preferences, faucet Browser.
6. Faucet the toggle subsequent to permit hyperlink historical past to show historical past on and off.

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Methods to flip off Fb hyperlink historical past

Fb’s hyperlink historical past is simply as straightforward to show off as it’s on. Nonetheless, Fb should still preserve this information for as much as 90 days after you’ve got turned this characteristic off.

1. Open the Fb app.
2. Navigate to the menu by tapping the menu icon or profile image on the underside proper.
3. Faucet Settings & Privateness.
4. Faucet Settings.
5. Scroll down beneath Preferences and faucet Browser.
6. Subsequent to permit hyperlink historical past, faucet the toggle to show it off.

Fb additionally permits you to clear your complete record of hyperlink historical past without delay, or wipe out particular person web sites from the record. This lets you delete hyperlink historical past, but when you don’t flip the characteristic off, Fb will nonetheless save new hyperlinks that you simply go to.

1. Contained in the Fb app, navigate to the menu by tapping the menu or profile image icon on the underside proper.
2. Faucet Settings & Privateness.
3. Faucet hyperlink historical past.
4. To clear a person web site, faucet the X subsequent to the itemizing that you simply want to delete.
5. To clear your complete Fb browser historical past, faucet Clear All as an alternative.

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An iPhone displaying Fb browser historical past

Methods to discover your Fb browser historical past

As soon as hyperlink historical past is enabled, you will discover the record of internet sites that you’ve visited within the app’s built-in browser within the final 30 days through the use of the shortcut within the settings menu:

1. Open the Fb app.
2. Faucet the menu icon or your profile image on the underside proper.
3. Faucet Settings & Privateness to broaden the submenu.
4. Choose hyperlink historical past.
5. Click on on the hyperlink that you simply wish to go to once more.

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How does Fb use hyperlink historical past information?

Whereas turning on Fb’s hyperlink historical past makes it simpler to recall web sites that you simply’ve visited from the cell app, it’s additionally another method for Meta to gather information for advertising. Meta would not have the best reputation for user privacy. While you activate hyperlink historical past, you’ll see a be aware saying that the information can be used to enhance options like focused adverts. Which means in the event you browse for trainers inside Fb’s in-app browser, you’ll probably quickly begin seeing adverts for trainers on Fb and Meta’s different apps like Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. This is applicable to not simply hyperlinks clicked from the Fb feed, however any subsequent pages seen within the Fb browser as properly.

Fb, nevertheless, has lengthy stored information of what hyperlinks you click on on from the cell app. Critics of the new link history tool fear the choice will advert to the confusion, as hyperlink historical past isn’t the one method that Fb tracks exercise from an online browser. Even past the Fb app itself, some web sites already use Meta Pixel, an advert tracker that shares info from that web site with Meta.

Whereas hyperlink historical past will be disabled at any time, Fb notes it could take as much as 90 days earlier than that information is deleted. With hyperlink historical past on, customers can solely entry their very own historical past for 30 days, which means that Fb holds on to the information for adverts longer than it holds on to the information to your personal private use.

The privacy-concerned might wish to depart the hyperlink historical past off. If you wish to save a hyperlink to your browser’s historical past as an alternative of Fb, when visiting an internet site within the Fb app, faucet the “…” menu and faucet open in system browser. This opens the web site in your default internet browser as an alternative of Fb’s in-app browser and can save the hyperlink to your browser historical past. For instance, in the event you use an iPhone, that course of will take you into Safari and the hyperlink will change into a part of your Safari historical past.