If you do not want other people to know that you have been searching for information or help from this website (or from other websites), please take a few minutes to read the following safety information
General advice
If you do not use a password to log on to your computer, tablet, or phone, someone else can track your internet usage, and may be able to access your accounts, including your email account. Make sure you change passwords regularly and that you do not store them. Try to use passwords which are difficult for someone to guess, and include letters, numbers, and symbols to increase security.
Adding a password may not always be possible or safe and, if that is your situation, it may be better not to use your own computer, tablet, or mobile phone to access information that you wish to keep private. Instead, use a computer at a local library, at a friend or relative’s house, or at work.
If you are browsing this website, and you do not want someone else to see, you can:
- Click on the green ‘exit’ button in the top right of every screen, which will take you away from this site to the BBC homepage.
- Keep another document, website, or app open in a new tab or window while you look at this site, then you can quickly switch to another window or tab if you need to.
Tips for browsing the internet securely
When you browse the internet on a computer, tablet, or mobile phone, you leave a ‘history’ trail of your online activity. This includes the information you have entered into search engines (for example, Google), the pages and sites that you have visited, and any images and files you have viewed. It is impossible to completely avoid being tracked online, but by following the instructions below you can reduce the chances of someone finding out that you have looked at this website.
Finding out which browser you are using
In order to follow the instructions below, you first need to know which browser you are using to look at websites (for example, Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge/Internet Explorer, and Firefox), because the instructions are different for each browser. If you know which browser you are using, you can skip to the relevant instructions below.
If you are unsure which browser you are using, you can easily find out. To do this, most browsers have either 3 dots or three horizontal lines in the top right of the screen (just above the website page). If you click on this, a dropdown menu will appear, and you can select the ‘Help’ option. When you click on ‘Help’, one of the choices in the list that appears will usually be ‘About Google Chrome’, ‘About Microsoft Edge’, ‘About Firefox’, or something similar. This tells you which browser you are using, so you can refer to the relevant instructions below.
Setting up private browsing
All popular web browsers have a ‘private browsing’ or ‘incognito’ mode. When you choose to browse ‘incognito’, the internet browser will not record your browsing history, or any cookies activated on the computer, tablet, or mobile phone. The ‘incognito’ mode allows you to temporarily browse websites that you do not want other people to know that you have looked at. You can then return to the usual mode for looking at information that you do not mind other people seeing. If you think someone is looking at your browser history, switching between ‘incognito’ mode and usual mode is a good idea, because it won’t make them suspicious; the browser history will not appear completely empty, it just won’t record the sites you have visited that you do not want other people to see.
This private browsing, ‘incognito’ option is available on web browsers that most people use, and is straight forward to set up. If you click on the relevant link below it will take you to the instructions for your particular browser:
- Google Chrome: Browse in private
- Firefox: Private Browsing – Use Firefox without saving history
- Microsoft Edge: Browse in Private in Microsoft Edge
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Safari: Use Private Browsing in Safari on Mac
Deleting information saved in your browser history, cookies, and temporary website files
If you have looked at websites (including this one) without setting up ‘private browsing’ first, the pages you have looked at, and any cookies and temporary website files activated, will be stored as a ‘history’ trail which someone else could look at if they have access to your computer, tablet, or phone. You can delete this history trail, but it is important to remember that if you delete your whole browsing history, it may look suspicious to someone else. It may be better, if your browser allows it, to simply delete the particular information that you do not want them to see from the history. For example, if you want to remove information about you accessing this website, follow the instructions below for your browser, and delete entries which start with ‘www.domestic-abuse-friends-and-family’
Click on the relevant link below to take you to the instructions for your particular browser:
- Google Chrome: delete your Chrome browsing history
- Firefox: Delete browsing, search and download history on Firefox
- Microsoft Edge: Microsoft Edge browsing data, and privacy
- Microsoft Internet Explorer: View and delete your browsing history
- Safari: How to Manage Your Browsing History in Safari
Clearing searches from search engines
Search engines such as Google, Microsoft Bing and Yahoo! keep a record of the words you have typed into the search box. In order to erase the words you have typed in, you will need to follow the instructions for the particular search engine you have used.
- Google: Delete your activity
- Microsoft Bing: Turn search history off or on – Clear search history
- Yahoo!: View and manage your Yahoo Search history
If you are unsure about any of the instructions above or feel that carrying them out may not be possible or safe, it may be better not to use your own computer, tablet, or mobile phone to access information that you wish to keep private. Instead, use a computer at a local library, at a friend or relative’s house, or at work.
If you would like further information and support about online and digital abuse, for yourself or to share with someone else, Women’s Aid have produced a really helpful guide
