Believe it or not, you don’t need a browser add-on for small tasks like clearing browser data such as your cache, cookies, or stored passwords, and sometimes you could be offering up your personal browsing information to third parties by using add-ons and plugins for every little task.
Why would you want to erase your browsing data?
Well, you could be on a publicly accessible computer and you’d definitely want to clear your data after using the computer, regardless if you sign out of your account. You’d never want the next user to be able to access your email or social media, would you? Another example, you could be working on a website and need to delete your cache or cookies to view newly updated files. Or, you might even be OCD like me and clear browsing data every so often for security purposes.
You have to be careful about which add-ons you install inside your web browser. While there are add-ons that clear your cache and browsing data with one click, I prefer to do this manually in my browser with a quick keyboard shortcut. My browser runs faster without the additional add-on and I don’t have to worry about a third party getting my information.
How to clear browsing data in Firefox with a keyboard shortcut:
On Mac OS: Press “Command + Shift + Delete” and then select a time frame of data which you’d like to erase, and also select the checkboxes of data you wish to erase. When ready, click “Clear Now.” Firefox will remember these settings the next time you perform the task, so be sure to alter the settings each time if you need to clear a different set of data.On Windows: Press “Control + Shift + Delete” and repeat the same steps.
Refresh your web page by pressing “F5” or “Command/Control + R” and all of your browser data should be cleared!
This keyboard shortcut is so quick and easy. I’ve used it for so long that I’ve almost forgotten how to clear my browsing data by using the mouse and finding it in all the browser settings drop-down menus. Who needs that hassle when you can clear your browsing data in about 5 seconds with a super easy hot key?
Important Note: Clearing your cache will empty out the static storage assets from your browser such as image, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files which are often necessary to load a web page. Clearing browser cache is typically done to retrieve the most up-to-date versions of a website’s files. On the contrary, clearing out cookies or stored passwords from your browser will log you out of all the websites that you are currently using. Be absolutely sure you want to clear your cookies and stored passwords beforehand or you will be forced to log in every time you clear the cookies. You may want to uncheck certain boxes to better suit your needs.