Clear Your Chrome Autofill Data: Step by Step

What Chrome Autofill Is and Why You Might Want to Clear It

Chrome autofill is a feature in Google Chrome that stores information you type into online forms. When you enter your name, email address, phone number, or address on a website, Chrome remembers these details. The next time you visit a similar form, Chrome suggests filling in the information for you automatically. This feature saves time if you regularly shop online, sign up for services, or complete forms.

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Autofill also stores payment information when you check the box allowing Chrome to remember your credit card or debit card details. If you use the same browser across multiple devices through your Google account, this information syncs between your phone, tablet, and computer. Chrome stores this data in your browser's memory and in your Google account if you have sync enabled.

There are several reasons people clear their autofill data. Privacy is a common concern—you might not want websites to have access to your stored information, or you might share your computer with family members or coworkers. Security is another reason; if someone gains access to your browser, they could see your saved payment information and addresses. Clearing autofill can also fix problems where incorrect information keeps appearing in forms, or remove old addresses and phone numbers you no longer use.

Some users clear autofill data before selling or giving away a computer. Others do it regularly as part of routine browser maintenance. The process differs slightly depending on whether you want to remove everything or just specific entries. Understanding what autofill contains and how to manage it puts you in control of your personal information.

Practical takeaway: Autofill stores your personal and payment information to speed up form completion. Clearing it removes this saved data from your browser and Google account if syncing is enabled.

How to Clear All Autofill Data at Once

Clearing all your autofill data in Chrome removes every saved address, name, email, phone number, and payment method at one time. This is the fastest method if you want a complete fresh start. The process takes about two minutes and requires only a few clicks.

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Start by opening Google Chrome on your computer. Click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the browser window—this is the menu button. Look for "Settings" in the dropdown menu and click it. You'll see a list of options on the left side of the Settings page. Click on "Privacy and security" to expand that section.

Within Privacy and security, select "Delete browsing data" or "Clear browsing data." A popup window will appear with several options. At the top, make sure the time range is set correctly. You can choose "All time" to delete everything, or select a specific time period like the last hour, day, week, month, or year. Most people clearing autofill choose "All time."

Below the time range, you'll see checkboxes for different types of data. Look for "Autofill form data" or "Passwords and other sign-in data" depending on what you want to remove. Make sure this box is checked. You can leave other checkboxes unchecked if you want to keep your browsing history, cookies, or cached images. Once you've selected your preferences, click the blue "Clear data" button.

Chrome will process the request in a few seconds. You'll see a confirmation, and the popup will close. Your autofill data is now removed from Chrome on that device. If you have sync enabled on your Google account, this action will also delete the autofill data from all other devices where you're signed in with the same Google account.

Practical takeaway: Use Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data, check "Autofill form data," select "All time," and click "Clear data" to remove all autofill information from your browser.

Removing Individual Autofill Entries Without Deleting Everything

Sometimes you don't want to clear all your autofill data—you just need to remove a specific address, outdated phone number, or payment method that's no longer valid. Chrome allows you to delete individual entries one at a time, which is helpful when you only need to update a few items.

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Open Chrome and go to Settings by clicking the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Select "Settings," then navigate to "Autofill and passwords" in the left sidebar. You'll see options for "Addresses and more" and "Payment methods." Click on whichever category contains the information you want to remove.

When you click "Addresses and more," Chrome displays a list of all saved addresses, names, and contact information. Hover your mouse over any entry to see a delete button (usually a trash icon or an "X"). Click that button to remove just that entry. The same process applies to payment methods—go to "Payment methods," find the card you want to remove, and click the delete button next to it.

You can also edit entries before deleting them if you want to keep the information but correct an error. Click on an address or payment method to open its details, make your changes, and save. This is useful if your phone number changed but your address stayed the same, or if you need to update an expired credit card number.

Removing individual entries is safer than clearing everything if you only have a few problematic items. For example, if you moved and want to delete your old address but keep your current one, this method works better than clearing all autofill data. The individual entries you delete are removed from your browser and from your synced Google account if you have sync turned on.

Practical takeaway: Use Settings > Autofill and passwords > Addresses and more (or Payment methods), hover over the entry you want to remove, and click the delete button next to it.

Clearing Autofill on Mobile Devices

Chrome on smartphones and tablets stores autofill data the same way the desktop version does. If you use Chrome on an iPhone, iPad, or Android device, you can clear your autofill information from mobile as well. The steps are slightly different because mobile Chrome has a different layout, but the process is just as straightforward.

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On an iPhone or iPad, open Chrome and tap the three horizontal lines (menu button) at the bottom right of the screen. Scroll down and tap "Settings." Look for "Privacy" and tap it. You'll see an option that says "Clear browsing data." Tap that option. A menu will appear asking what type of data you want to clear. Make sure "Autofill form data" is checked. At the top, select the time range—choose "All time" to delete everything or a specific period. Tap the button to clear the data.

On Android devices, the process is similar. Open Chrome and tap the three vertical dots (menu) in the top right corner. Tap "Settings," then look for "Privacy" or "Privacy and security." Select "Clear browsing data." In the popup menu, check "Autofill form data" and choose your time range. Tap "Clear data" to complete the process.

Keep in mind that clearing autofill on one device affects all your devices if you have Chrome sync enabled. When you clear autofill data on your phone, it also clears from your computer and other devices signed into the same Google account. If you want to clear autofill on only one device without affecting others, you'll need to turn off sync first, clear the data, then turn sync back on if you want to re-enable it.

Mobile autofill clears work the same way as desktop clearing regarding payment information and addresses. You can also delete individual entries on mobile by going to Settings > Autofill and passwords > Addresses and more or Payment methods, then swiping left on the entry (iPhone) or long-pressing it (Android) to delete.

Practical takeaway: On mobile, tap the menu button, go to Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data, check "Autofill form data," select your time range, and confirm to clear your autofill information.

Managing Autofill Settings and Preventing Data Storage

Clearing autofill data is one way to control your information, but you can also prevent Chrome from storing new autofill data in the first place. You have the option to turn off autofill for addresses, payment methods, and passwords if you prefer not to store this information at all. This gives you ongoing control over what Chrome remembers about you.

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