I know that many people use Firefox as their go-to browser, and I also know that many people like to keep track of their browsing history. So if you’re one of those people, and you happen to accidentally delete it, don’t worry! I’m here to help.
This article will show you how to recover deleted history in Firefox on Mac. I will walk you through the steps you need to take to restore your history and give you some tips on how to prevent this from happening in the future.
- Recover your Firefox browsing history using backup copies
- Use Time Machine to go back to that time before you deleted the history
- And restore that version
- Or, use third-party software to recover web history
Key Facts:
- If you deleted the Firefox history while offline, you can recover it using the Firefox account.
- You will get a backup on your iCloud within 30 days of deletion.
- Time Machine is the most reliable and secure solution for any data recovery.
- Fone is a trusted third-party application for Mac data recovery.
Does Mac Delete History On Firefox?
The Mac does not delete history on Firefox. Firefox saves your browsing history on your computer to access later. Firefox also saves your bookmarks, passwords, and other information, so you can easily access it later.
If you want to delete your history, bookmarks, passwords, or any other browser information, you can do so by deleting the Firefox profile that contains that information.
Recover Deleted Firefox History on Mac: How To Recover Deleted History From Mac?
Usually, Mac keeps deleting files on iCloud for one month. So, if you deleted the Firefox history within 30 days, it will be easier to recover.
Moreover, if you deleted anything on your Mac, it is easy to recover through the new tool called “Time Machine.” The tool also allows you to recover any web browsing history. Besides, you can take help from a third-party recovery tool to recover deleted Firefox history.
Restore Your Deleted Firefox History Utilizing the Backup Copies
By default, the backup copies of Firefox’s deleted history are stored in the hidden files, which are named index.dat files. You can easily retrieve your accidentally deleted Firefox history using the backup copies of index.dat files.
Step 1: Click on the “Start” menu > go to the “Search” option > “Tools”> “Folder Options”
Step 2: Now tap on the “View” option > choose “Show hidden files and folders”> Uncheck the “Hide extensions for known file types” along with “Hide protected operating system files”.
Step 3: Go to C drive and search for “All Files and Folders”> type “index.dat” in the search bar and press enter.
Step 4: Now, before diving into the next step, download an index.dat file reader on your Mac if there is no pre-installed one.
Step 5: Open the index.dat file with the reader > Click on the Firefox browsing history that you like to restore again. > Just click on “Restore”.
Go to your Firefox browser and check all the restored history, and you’ll find all the deleted history that you’re looking for.
Retrieve your Firefox History Using DNS Cache
Remember, this method only work if you didn’t shut down your Mac device right after deleting the Firefox history accidentally. If you shut down or restart your Mac device, then the DNS Cache method won’t work.
Step 1: Open the terminal, type cmd, press enter, and click ok.
Step 2: Open the Command prompt, type ipconfig /displaydns, and press enter.
Now you can see your recently visited websites. You can view, copy and paste any important websites into your Firefox browser and save them as bookmarks.
Retrieve Deleted History in Firefox on Mac Using iCloud
iCloud is only able to recover the data that’s been lost in the last 30 days. Here is how to recover history using iCloud.
- Go to your iCloud account and provide login criteria.
- Then Select Firefox
- Go to the recently deleted folder and find the Firefox backup
- Restore the backup file and all the data deleted in the last 30 days will be restored to Firefox.
Recover Deleted History Firefox Mac using Time Machine
Time Machine is a default recovery tool for your Mac. Consequently, it takes backup from your browsing history too. So, all you need is to recover that history using this tool. Here is how you do it.
Step 1: First of all, go to the preference (on your Mac) and search for Time Machine. Then run the software.
Step 2: Click on the showtime machine on the taskbar and click okay. If you have already enabled Time Machine, you can skip this part.
Step 1: Now click on the “go to” option and enter the address. Just copy and paste this address there (~/Library). Usually, browsing history is stored in the library folder. So, you have to run Time Machine on this folder to get back your older files.
Step 3: Finally, click on the Time Machine icon from the taskbar and start scanning while the library folder is opened.
Step 4: And, scroll to go back and see the backup and determine which version you want to restore. In that case, you have to select the backup earlier than when you deleted it.
Step 5: After that, click on that backup and restore.
That is how you successfully recover your deleted Firefox history.
Recover Deleted Firefox History on Mac using Dr. Fone
If Time Machine is unable to recover Firefox browsing history, you may need third-party software. There are many recovery tools available. However, I recommend Dr. Fone, and that’s the app I’ll use in this case.
Dr. Fone for Mac is a data recovery software that can be used to recover deleted data from Firefox. It is a very reliable and easy-to-use software that can recover a wide variety of data, including deleted history from Firefox.
To recover deleted history from Firefox using Dr. Fone for Mac, follow these simple steps:
- Download and install Dr. Fone for Mac on your computer.
- Launch the software and connect your Firefox browser to your computer.
- Click on the “Firefox” tab and select what type of data you want to recover.
- Then click on the “Start Scan” button to scan your Firefox browser for deleted data.
- After completing the scan, you will see the recovered data.
- Finally, click on the recovery button and save it to your pc
See Also: How to Recover Deleted YouTube History?
How Long Does The Mac Keep Deleted History On Firefox?
The Mac will keep deleted history on Firefox for a certain amount of time, depending on your configured settings. For example, if you have the “Remember History” setting enabled, then the Mac will keep deleted history on Firefox for 30 days.
If you have the “Cache Web Pages” setting enabled, then the Mac will keep deleted history on Firefox for seven days. Therefore, it will be easier to recover deleted history using iCloud.
After 30 days, you have to use the Time Machine app. Until your disk space is full, Mac will never erase any data, and it can be retrieved anytime you want.
Conclusion
Firefox is an excellent solution for experiencing the fastest web browsing on Mac. However, if you accidentally deleted your Firefox history, always try to get recovery as early as possible. It will be harder to recover any data by the time it goes.
Using Time Machine recovery tools or Dr. Fone can solve this problem. Despite using these tools, if you are still unable to recover the data, it may be gone forever. So, it’s best to recover deleted Firefox history on Mac before it’s too late.