PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Facebook's 'Clear History' Tool Is Finally Here for Everyone

The social network finally made its 'Off Facebook Activity' tool available worldwide. It can let you see the websites and apps from which Facebook has been collecting your user activity. But it won't let you completely stop the practice.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

You can now get a full picture of the websites and apps Facebook has linked to your account.

On Tuesday, the social network finally made its "Off Facebook Activity" tool available worldwide after previously introducing it only to Ireland, South Korea, and Spain. You can find it in the settings panel for both the mobile app and desktop site under "Your Facebook Information."

The tool is basically the company's attempt at a "clear history" button when it comes to Facebook's tracking of users through internet cookies and computer scripts placed on third-party websites and apps. The social network collects this data so it can serve you relevant ads. But the practice also means Facebook has been technically mapping out your internet viewing history, which can come off as quite creepy.

Facebook Off Activity 2

The company's "Off Facebook Activity" can give you a look into how intrusive the tracking can get. When you open up the function, you'll likely see dozens of different websites and apps that've sent information to Facebook after you visited or logged into them.

You can then (somewhat) block the data harvesting. Users can choose to "disconnect" a select website or app from sending their data to Facebook. However, the social network will still continue to collect data; it just won't be tied to your Facebook ID.

Facebook Off Activity 3

The "clear history" button does the same, except across every website and app. If you select this option, the company warns it will log you out from any third-party apps you used to login to Facebook. The number of ads you encounter on Facebook will also remain the same, they just won't be as relevant.

Finally, there's a nuclear option called "turn off future activity," which will force Facebook to never tie any of the data collection to your account. But again, the company will still collect the data "for measurement purposes." You also won't be able to log into third-party websites or apps with Facebook.

"Off-Facebook Activity marks a new level of transparency and control. We've been working on this for a while because we had to rebuild some of our systems to make this possible," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday in announcing the expanded rollout.

In the coming weeks, Facebook also plans on issuing a pop-up to users worldwide reminding them to review their privacy settings.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

Read full bio