How to Check Search History on iPhone | Step-by-Step Guide
Every time you browse, your iPhone keeps a record of where you’ve been online. This can be helpful if you forget a website or if you're keeping an eye on your child’s browsing habits.
Wondering how to check the search history on your iPhone or a loved one's phone? Don't worry—it's easy! In this guide, we'll show you how to view web browsing history on an iPhone, along with other useful tips.
Part 1. How to Check Search History on iPhone: Step-by-Step Guides
Let’s discuss three methods to help you easily check your search history on your iPhone.
Method 1. Check history on iPhone via Browser
One easy way to check your search history on an iPhone is through the web browser you use. Let’s walk through how to do this with Safari, Chrome, and Firefox, the three most common options.
(1) View Safari history on iPhone
Since Safari is the default browser on iPhones, you’re likely familiar with it. To know how to check your safari search history on your iPhone follow these steps:
Step 1. Open the Safari application and select the "Bookmarks" icon, which resembles an open book.
Step 2. Select the "History" option to see your full browsing history.
Step 3. You can scroll or use the search bar to find a specific website from your past sessions. For instance, if you’ve forgotten the name of that recipe website you visited last week, just search for it here, and you’ll find it in seconds.
(2) View Chrome history on iPhone
Chrome is another popular browser for iPhone users. To know how to check your search history on iPhones, do the following:
Step 1. Open the Chrome app and tap the three-dot menu at the bottom of the screen.
Step 2. Select "History" from the menu.
Step 3. A list of all the sites you’ve visited will appear.
(3) View Firefox history on iPhone
You can easily search for your browsing history for your iPhone to find websites you've previously visited. Here’s how;
Step 1. Tap the menu icon (three lines) in the bottom-right corner of Firefox.
Step 2. Select "History" from the options.
Step 3. Scroll through or tap a result to revisit a specific site.
Method 2. Check history on iPhone via iCloud backup
iCloud is Apple’s cloud storage service that automatically backs up your iPhone data, including your Safari browsing history, as long as iCloud Backup is enabled. This can be especially handy if you’ve accidentally deleted your history or want to access past searches.
Let’s say your child cleared their browser history, and you’re trying to make sure they weren’t visiting inappropriate websites. By using iCloud Backup, you can easily recover and check their deleted Safari history and see which sites they’ve visited.
Here are the steps to check search history using iCloud backup:
Step 1. Open a browser on your device and go to the iCloud website.
Step 2. To log in to iCloud, enter your Apple ID and password.
Step 3. After signing in, you’ll receive a confirmation code on your iPhone—enter it to proceed.
Step 4. Once logged in, locate “Safari” among the apps listed.
Step 5. Click on Safari or any other browser to view your browsing history.
Method 3. Check history on iPhone via iTunes backup
iTunes backups store almost all your iPhone’s data, including search history from web browsers like Safari. If you’re more comfortable using your computer to check your search history, this method is for you.
Steps to check search history via iTunes backup:
Step 1. Use a USB cord to connect your iPhone to your Mac or PC.
Step 2. Open Finder on a Mac or iTunes on a Windows PC.
Step 3. In the app, click the iPhone icon and select your device.
Step 4. To check and restore your backed-up data, click "Restore Backup" or "Back up data." This is also the process of learning how to check deleted search history on iPhones.
Step 5. Choose the backup file that contains your browsing history and press “Restore.”
Step 6. After the restore is complete, you can check your Safari or other browser history.
Part 2. How to Check Someone's Search History on iPhone without Them Knowing
If you want to see someone’s search history on an iPhone without them knowing, then Msafely is a must-have tool. Msafely does such tasks exceptionally well.
2.1. What is Msafely
Msafely is a robust monitoring app designed to track and record various activities on someone’s device without their knowledge. It operates quietly in the background, ensuring that the user being monitored remains completely unaware.
This software delivers real-time updates via a control panel, allowing you to view a variety of data from search history to social media activity.
Msafely works on both iPhones and Android devices, making it a popular tool for parents and others who want reliable, stealthy monitoring. So If you’re worried about the sites your kid visits or whether they are getting into the wrong things, you can find this information in Msafely in no time.
2.2. Advantages of Msafely for checking someone's search history on iPhone
Msafely has many features that give it many advantages for checking someone's search history on an iPhone. Here are some of them;
- Check the list of all visited website URLs.
- See all browser bookmarks.
- View the number of times each website was visited.
- Check the date and time stamps for each visit.
2.3. Msafely offers more amazing monitoring features
Beyond search history, Msafely offers a range of advanced monitoring tools that give you a broader view of someone’s iPhone activity:
Whether the message is an SMS or an iMessage, Msafely records both the sent and the received message. This is particularly useful for parents who would like to know who their child is sending texts to.
Whenever there is a missed call, received call, or dialed call, it is possible to access the logs of the calls together with the duration of the remaining/ and when the call was made.
Msafely monitors the target iPhone by means of GPS, which is particularly useful in knowing the whereabouts of your child at any given period of time.
Thanks to Msafely, you can perform monitoring of social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. This is useful in case you need to have a wide picture of the person’s online activities.
You are allowed to view sent and received emails
Msafely even tracks the Wi-Fi networks the iPhone has connected to, giving you a clear picture of the device’s internet usage history.
2.4. How to use Msafely to check someone's search history on iPhone secretly
Setting up Msafely to monitor someone’s iPhone search history is straightforward. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1. Visit Msafely's official website and register a free account with your email.
Step 2. Indicate whether the target device is an iPhone or an Android.
Step 3. Choose the subscription plan that fits your needs, then add the target device to Msafely.
Step 4. After completing the installation, go to the Msafely control panel, which allows for the tracking of search history, social media, and more.
Part 3. FAQs about Checking Search History on iPhone
Q1. Can I still access the search history I have deleted from my iPhone?
In the event that search history was kept in iCloud or iTunes backups previously, then the deleted search history can be retrieved since the accounts were active before the history was deleted.
Q2. How do you find your browsing history in Safari?
Go to the Safari browser, click the book image, and navigate to the tab labeled “History” to check your previous activities.
Q3. Is it possible to see someone else’s search history on their iPhone?
Yes, this is very possible because there are third-party applications such as Msafely that can be used to check history even without the other person’s awareness.
Q4. Is it ethical to look for someone’s search history on an iPhone?
It depends on your relationship and intent. Monitoring a minor’s activity is legal for parents, but always respect privacy laws for adults.
Q5. How long can my iPhone save the search history?
While Safari can save page visited history for several months, the duration is exclusively determined by your configuration as well as free space.
Part 4. Conclusion
On iPhone, search history can be very helpful in remembering some websites visited as well as overseeing the online activity of your kid. With options to create backups like iCloud and iTunes, it becomes easier to check search history on iPhone.
And if you're looking to secretly keep tabs on someone's iPhone, tools like Msafely offer a range of features to monitor search history, social media, and more.
With the information in this guide, you can stay informed about web activity and enjoy a safer, more secure browsing experience.