This site will have limited functionality while we undergo maintenance to improve your experience. If an article doesn't solve your issue and you want to ask a question, we have our support community waiting to help you at @FirefoxSupport on Twitter and/r/firefox on Reddit.

Search Support

Avoid support scams. We will never ask you to call or text a phone number or share personal information. Please report suspicious activity using the “Report Abuse” option.

Learn More

Why is private browsing retaining form history?

  • 6 cavab
  • 8 have this problem
  • 24 views
  • Last reply by dinotex

more options

I have regular Firefox browsing windows open. I open a new private window and visit a web site. I close the private window. When I open a new private window and go back to the previous site the form history is still there. I expected the history to be gone when I closed the private window.

I have regular Firefox browsing windows open. I open a new private window and visit a web site. I close the private window. When I open a new private window and go back to the previous site the form history is still there. I expected the history to be gone when I closed the private window.

All Replies (6)

more options
more options

Those settings apply to regular widows and works correctly there. Private windows are not supposed to keep form history when the window is closed.

more options

Do you also keep this history when you close and restart Firefox?

Are you sure that you haven't visited the site before in a normal session? I'm not sure if form data is stored site dependent or only as connected to an input field with a specific name (there is a GUID (hash) and a fieldname present with SQLite Manager in formhistory.sqlite)

Note that in PB mode you have access to stored form data from a regular session, but you can't delete it as long as you are in permanent private browsing mode (never remember history). You would have to open a regular session and visit the site to remove that data or use "Clear Recent History"..

more options

Even in a regular window when I Clear Recent History selecting Everything for the time range the form history is not cleared. Is this a bug in Firefox 31?

more options

Try to rename (or delete) the formhistory.sqlite file in the Firefox profile folder to clear all stored saved form data.

You can use this button to go to the currently used Firefox profile folder:

more options

I can't delete the file because it's locked by Firefox.