Hotkey for clearing browser history in Firefox

Moderation Note: Moved from Log out of Forum

I’m sure that you have seen the answer to your question but here is another “quick” way to logout of the forum if you are using Firefox:

Shift+Ctrl+Del

Click on those keys all at once and you are logged out. But be careful: that command will log you out of everything to which you are logged into at that time - you would have to log back in to other accounts if you wanted to continue.

Lawrence

Moderation Note 2: This clears your browser history which may have effects beyond logging out of the forum depending on how you use your browser.

Did not work for me. I have Firefox.

In Vivaldi that gets me to “Clear Browser History”.

Shift+Ctrl+Del

What do those keys, pressed together, do on your computer if you are logged into anything?

Lawrence

Whatever that key combination is bound to in their installation.

Nothing! Nothing happens!

I find that to be somewhat confusing. I was under the impression that Shift+Ctrl+Del always clears Mozilla Firefox’s history (which would log you out of anything to which you had been logged in).

Assuming that you have the Menu Bar activated in your Firefox installation, why not try going to Edit->Preferences->Privacy & Security->History and make sure that “Clear history when Firefox closes” is checked; then go into Settings of that option and make sure that under Settings for Clearing History everything is checked. Then close this tab.

Then, above the Settings tab from which you just exited, you will see a tab called Clear History. Enter that tab and again make sure that everything is checked and, in the box above (Time range to clear), select Everything.

Then exit from Preferences and try the key combination again. You may have to adjust some things in the box which opens but the changes needed should be self-evident.

I certainly hope that this is of some help to you. Please let me know.

Lawrence

My Firefox is always in private mode. Maybe that’s why? Because nothing happens here.

I’m sorry, I cannot comment on that. We do not use Private Mode. Perhaps someone else here can offer some advice about Private Mode and the Shift+Ctrl+Del key combination.

But at least you do now know how to log out of this forum the ‘regular’ way.

Best of luck.

Lawrence

Clearing your browser’s history is a completely different end result to logging out of the forum - “tricking” people into data loss might be viewed as malicious.

Please make sure that you provide full information about commands so that people avoid data loss.

2 Likes

In my original post I did mention that you must be careful in using this key combination Shift+Ctrl+Del as it will log you out of everything to which you’re logged into. That’s applicable if you are logged into more than one site at a time (even on separate Desktops).

In my own case, I am generally logged into only one site at a time.

Years ago (and it’s still true today) some sites made logging out difficult; they “buried” their logout button so that it was difficult to find. By inquiring on a Firefox forum (back when Firefox was new), I found out about this key combination and now all I have to do is to “hit” it and I’m out.

Personally I think that all sites (including this one) should have a definite logout button in the top menu so that the original poster would not have had to ask. And while it’s relatively easy to find here on this forum, the key combination I recommended will do the same thing.

I personally, in well over ten years of using that combination, have never suffered any loss of any kind when using it. I hope that, if someone does use it, neither he nor she will suffer any particular consequences.

Frankly, I cannot imagine what kind of consequences could happen other than perhaps losing a form you have filled out (but if you have such a form, why would you want to log out before it has been submitted?).

If there are other kinds of untoward consequences, perhaps someone here would tell me what they are.

Lawrence

Removing your entire browser history without expecting that to happen is unintentional data loss.

Clearing local cookies and storage does not end the remote session, it just removes your ability to connect to it. That is, your session remains valid (up until it times out, assuming it does) because you have not used the logout function.

2 Likes

I’m afraid that I do not quite follow you. When I press the Shift+Ctrl+Del keys together, that clears the entire memory of my Firefox browser and, believe me, I am logged out of whatever I had been logged into. To regain my session, I must log in again.

Perhaps you have your browser settings set differently than I do.

Lawrence

ctrl-shift-del

Exactly - it clear the memory of your browser not the web server. Sessions have two ends - your end, and their end. You just invalidated your end, their end is still open. This is why you’ll often see advice along the lines of “log out, don’t just close your browser”.

That’s starting a new session, not regaining the old one.

Thank you. Now I understand what you and some others have said. Nonetheless, the command works for me and my wife, especially when sites “hide” their logout (sign out) button and we shall continue to use the command when appropriate for us.

I repeat that I hope that my suggestion about this command doesn’t cause anyone any problems.

Lawrence

P.S. When I use the key combination here on this forum, I get a pop-up message stating that I have been logged out. So, at least here, it appears that the session is completely ended, both on my browser and on the site itself. I really wish that there were an easily visible sign out button always present right at the top of the screen. Then I would use that (I always log out when I’m done with a session on any site).

How about just opening a new private window when you search for “one legged gimp midget pron”? :wink:

1 Like

I just use an extension to manage history, been using it for a few years:

1 Like