Why are there websites in my browser history that I've never been to?
Periodically sites will show up in your browser history that you never visited. I’ll examine some possible causes.
This is a question I get relatively often, and it’s usually nothing to worry about.
Certainly viruses or spyware are a possibility. Of late I’d also call out “Foistware” – the software that often shows up on your system unexpectedly after installing something else.
However there are also more benign scripts. It’s possible your browser may simply be doing a good job protecting you.
Spyware and Foistware
Spyware often works by forcing your browser to go to places you would never go. Foistware in particular often adds toolbars and other software to your system that intercepts what you’re doing and just rudely takes over, sending you to bogus search sites or worse.
These days my very first recommendation when you run into unexpected history entries is to make sure your machine has no unexpected malware. In particular I’d have you run the contraptions outlined in How do I eliminate PUPs, foistware, drive-bys, toolbars, and other annoying things I never dreamed?
Traditional pop-ups
Many websites employ pop ups – extra browser windows that open up when you visit the site. These typically contain ads for which the site holder is getting paid.
Pop up blockers were created to prevent pop up windows from happening. Using different technologies, the blockers intercept the requests to create fresh browser windows and prevent them. Most modern browsers include pop up blocking technology of some sort.
Pop up blockers insert themselves into the normal processing of web requests, and “kick in” when they detect that a pop up window is being requested. Exactly where depends on the specific blocker and how it operates. It actually gets fairly complicated, since there are so many different ways to create a pop up window. That’s why some blockers are more effective than others.
My theory is simply this: a URL that’s been requested to open in a pop up window may actually get added to your history before the pop up blocker kills it. You’ve never seen it, but it’s there in the list.
One page, numerous sources
History entries certainly don’t have to be created by pop ups alone.
Some pages on the web that look like a single page are, in fact, a composite of more than one page or page fragment. What you see as being a single URL may in fact, have fetched content from several different sites.
Depending on how your browser treats these requests, it’s possible that these sub-pages or page elements could also display up as individual entries in your history. You wouldn’t recognize them, because they’re not pages that you explicitly went to, but they’re present because they were part of some page that you did visit.
Ultimately, unless someone else is using your computer when you’re not looking, I believe that this is typically a very benign occurrence.
However that shouldn’t stop you from taking the suitable precautions to keep your computer safe.
Read more:
- Could a technician detect my browsing history from seven years ago? A technician certainly could stumble across this. But if they’re looking at deleted files and that’s not part of what they’re attempting to recover? To me, that’s unethical.
- What’s a browser cache? How do I clear it? Why would I want to? “Clear your browser’s cache” is the very first response that tech people often give if you encounter web page problems. We’ll look at why that is and how to clear the cache.
- Does deleting things truly delete things? Deleting items on your computer usually doesn’t wipe them clean. That’s an extra step.
- Can spyware see what you did before the spyware was installed? When a hacker gets ahold of your computer they can do anything. Keeping them off is the best plan.
About Leo
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he was required to take a programming class in 1976. An eighteen year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed. After "retiring" in 2001, Leo embarked Ask Leo! in two thousand three as a place for answers to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
Comments
There's one major possibility you didn't address, Leo: just because he doesn't go to “those” kinds of sites doesn't mean other's don't, if others use his computer. Indeed, does he have teenagers in the house? They could be doing things and going places on his computer that he wouldn't approve of….
After searching for an hour online I ultimately found this clear explanation of why stuff is appearing in my history when I have never been to these sites. Most of them are porn! I'm glad my pop up blocker is working and I'm not going crazy! Every site online is telling me I'm looking at this stuff when I'm not!
thank you i think its the poker pop ups that are doing this because i click on allmost everything that comes up
Martin: You must stop that nasty habit.
A similar thing has happend to me..I found a bunch of stuff in my web history that I didn't go to. They were all from the same site and in two different web history that I have. Porn of course..is this still possible that it is spyware?
So my hubby goes on websites like flikr and too shocking and I have found some stuff in the History – but it's hard for me to get mad when i'm unassured if he's actually going on these sites.
How can i tell? is there a instrument for this?
You should stop going to that website …..I would simply block it. I have helped several friends clean their machine after visiting that particular site.
This happens fairly often to my families cpu also. The culprit in our case is angieslist and craigslist. ugh
I've observed the converse, i.e. that some sites that I've been to don't get added to the history. The includes some Ebay pages but the truly evident one is Google. At one time the pages associated with all my Google searches were added to the history. This doesn't happen any more. Is there an option that I don't know about that has been switched?
so in my playmates phone browser history was a mobidateing…..more than once apparantly browser history rekons the site was visited there was no difference inbetween that link and the other sites he visited ie, colour and of course he denies this and im presently pregnant and find this very upsetting can anyone help and shed some light on this please!!
I just had a horrible practice. My gf went through the browser history on my phone and found an entry for Yahoo login. I don't have yahoo, and never logged into Yahoo. I honestly have no idea why it's on my history, and it has ruined my relationship.
Sanjoy Kr Bandyopadhyay
Browser history shows the sites visited from other PC & other person. What the reason may be?
If you are signed into Chrome on those various computers it will sync the browsing and history. And also a good lesson that if you are asking a question about a computer it's essential to include some information about the system and programs you are using.
You would need to log out of your account on Chrome. You'll find it in settings.
So my husbands computer history keeps displaying that he is visiting some women page on Facebook. He's not friends with her on his page and says he doesn't know her. He denys it adamantly and I want be believe him, but something just doesn't add up. A boy he knows that works on computers said it could be a bot. What do you suggest?
All I can say is that there are ways it can happen without his having done it.
Months ago I confronted my spouse about the many dating sites I found he was on and wished to know if he was only looking or actually having physical affairs. I love him and wished to save our marriage. He has been dishonest a lot in the past so I have randomly checked to see if he has truly stopped the sites. On his Droid Razor Mobile phone's google chrome history it emerges he joined a Matrimonial Dating site for Muslims (he is one) and there are what look like searches of some of the profiles and talks. He said he didn't. He doesn't know how I know the info. Could it be via pop-ups? I have little computer knowlege. I do know his phone is very protected from malware etc. How do I know if these searches mean he is lieing to me again…if so, he is most likely taking a secret 2nd wifey. I am a Christian, refusing to convert to Islam. He has been angry about this for a long time. My contact with the outside world is very limited. I have children to protect too. How worried should I be?
I, my friend have had very similar practices with my current spouse for the past few years. However, after discovering on MeetMe.com that he actually was eyeing some one else, I figured out different ways to check up on all the dating, porn and any other questionable sites to find out what he was up to. Unfortunate for me, I was horrified. Very first off, create an alternate e-mail account separate from your normal one, of course with a fictitious name. Do the same with the site in question (a lot won't permit searches until you are a member). Of course only do this with those with free sign ups. Search for your hubby's name and see if he comes up. Be ready tho’… things can get graphic and fairly ugly. To be fair, mortifying. I've had to do this for several porn and dating sites, and even twitter, facebook, and more. We are presently in counseling for this as I confronted my spouse on all of these matters. Fortunately, my spouse isn't the violent type, so use discretion if you are to confront him. I don't know your situation. Good luck and best wishes. I hope you prove your suspicions wrong.
There is also a different way to see if he has accounts. Simply type in left behind password, you inject his email address and it will tell you if he has an account or not. I was unfortunate enough to realize the my beau during a break to better himself was on a ton of them.
I have websites and Google Searches on my internet history that I've never visited or searched for. It is on my Samsung Note two cell phone but doesn't display up on my laptop. The sites are POF (a dating site), Putlocker (observe online movies), reddit, Yahoo – login (I don't have a Yahoo login), Yahoo Mail (I don't have a yahoo mail account), living social – Google Search, talk line – Google Search, chatroulette – Google Search, meet up – Google Search, Slew of fish – Google Search, stubhub – Google Search. How can I prove that I did not perform these searches or access the websites? I have visited porn sites on my phone in the past and created a username/password for ashley madison (it's been deleated/account closed). I also visited craigslist to read the postings from my phone. Any help would be awsome.
Attempt calling tech support for your phone provider.
i noticed on my bf’s history that three questions had been put into the computer, firstly bed and breakfasts in truro which is in cornwall near where i live then pubs in truro and shops in truro.he said he does not know anything about it and did not come in this into the computer. could it be an accident .how could it just show up .have you any idea please. yours miss a. tyler
Hello how are you , so I found pornographic websites in my husbands iPhone five history … Is it possible that he might not have viewed this pages . .. I read what U said about this situation in computers but now does this also happen on iPhones ?
I'm afraid iPhones are not my strength. I would refer you to Apple support.
I'm having similar issues with my husbands iPhone showcasing up searches he claims he never made. My issue is that he claims he hit a link that was a spam porn site to attempt and unsubscribe, however, there was a search in actual the search bar for google, (for a specific fetish that I know he has), but my confusion is that if you hit a link from your email, won't it direct you to that site with the web address showcasing up in the web address bar (sorry not sure what its called)? This demonstrated up under http://www.google.com/search…blah blah blah, then it has the description of the search in the search bar, and that site is the only one highlighted (from what I assume being clicked on)? Am I crazy or is any of this possible? Please help. It's demolishing us!
Anyone know if this happens also on windows phones? I've been finding random porn sites on my beau’s phones along with dating sites he vows he's never visited. he has been on porn sites in the past, and admitted to that however that was a while ago & vows he hasnt been on one since (about five months). Is it possible just from visiting these sites before that he's still getting Pop ups & things are appearing in his history that he's never visited? Attempting to figure things out, it's ruining my relationship.
I have found numerous porn sites in my child's browsing history for Google Chrome on his Samsung Note Trio, is it possible for someone else's browsing history to display in his history even however he was not signed into Chrome when these sites were visited? His excuse is that he may have been signed in at a friends place, however, this history shows while he was not signed in at all. Please help! Is this possible? I truly don't believe it's any one of the reasons in the post as it's the same site over and over. Please help.
There's no way to know for sure. All I can suggest is re-reading the article you just commented on.
I have some lengthy history of porn sites that I have no been on. I went on it a few times, but now it shows some dating site called fuckbook.. I didn't even know that was there until my spouse looked through my phone. I have read a lot about this site spamming you, but dreamed to know more about how this can happen and how to make it stop and haven't been on anymore sites. he looked at a phone I don't use anymore and it said I went to some pornsite the day he looked at the phone. not like you log in or anything so it is not possible. I am so confused and feel like a bad person for something I didn't do. I truly don't have the energy to argue over something I didn't even do nor would I ever go to a dating site and even if I was single woudnt go to one asking for hookup. it is sick and I am sick my hubby would think so low of me. Any help would be good.
How does xnxx showcase up in your search history in your browser on your I-phone if you claim to have never typed it in and when he says I don't know how my browser history got deleted should I believe him? If you go to settings and click on safari and then advanced web history you can see everything. Even if you clear your browser it will still be there. Of course if private browsing this does not work. I am devastated to think that the man that promised me he was different from all the rest feels no guilt for doing this and can look me in the eyes and tell me he doesn't and accuse me of planting it there so I can accuse him of it. I can't let it go, it is eating away at me inwards. He had me apologizing for doubting him but then it happens again.
My spouse and I have been having problems lately because he tells me he doesn't use Twitter or ever go on it but I see that Twitter appeared on his website data under advanced data in safari's settings. I don't know why this is happening if he says he doesn't go on?
Many sites have links to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook which that people can click to go after that site. Things like that can end up in the browsing history if they download an pic from that site to display on the page.
hello all,i found some porn sites on my husbands i-mac , (in web history where you look up from privacy – history ) . He vows he has never been to those sites . He says it can be virus made this .Or the links he looked made that look like he entered to porn sites. He is using internet very much because he is so nosey about everything about his job and all staff .. He says because of searching to much it may have happened. Do you think he is telling truth or just lounging … im going crazy about this issue .. Pls help me ..
Everything he says is possible. Those sites you see could be pop-ups from other sites he visited, he could have accidentally clicked on things while deleting out spam emails, someone else could have used his computer, he could have malware. You truly need to use other criteria to determine if there is trust or not. Tho’ I do have to wonder why you are snooping through his computer? Sounds like you should maybe be searching help from different venues.
i was looking because we had seen same kind of bad stuff in his iphone too …This is not something ethical in marriage so i have every right to know ..And also he is a jealous man and does that kind of things to me … anyway , he is using imac and ppl say there is no weay apple to get infected by a virüs ..so im so confused..i truly need to learn the truth..Trust is everything,once its cracked ,it will take years to be like old times ..and if ur pregnant . @connie and from nine hundred fifty websites he entered there are thirty of them is porn sites…thats why its getting tighter for me to believe …i need the truth from an apple user,apple technician..
Apple machines can get infected.
Nur, i am going through the exact same thing right now, and also going crazy. only thing is, i do know my spouse has looked at these kinds of things before, which is why i “snoop” (which he knows i do, and i have total access to all the computers he uses). so, i ultimately found some articles and sites that say this could be spyware, and it all adds up, BUT all the articles i am eyeing are from two thousand eleven and earlier. is this spyware and malware and such still a realistic threat? my spouse uses the internet for tons of different things, and like i said, he has searched some questionable things before, so i'm half-believing this could be our problem, but also don't want to be just naive. can anybody on here help me understand this? he is pretty tech-savvy and should be able to understand this stuff; unluckily, i do not.
I found a website in my husbands history called “instabang” under 0.Four KB he swore over our kids that he did not download this app. I don't usually catch him watching porn but this wouldn't be the knuckle time I witnessed these kind of sites pop up? Is it just redirecting him to these sites because of something he downloaded? No one to talk to… Don't want this to be the end of our marriage.
Anything is possible. There's no way for me to know one way or the other.
@sasha hi sasha , im pretty sure that he has not entered to instabang bcus i read a chick's article about same thing , that she hasnt entered the site but spotted that in history .. i believe u shouldnt worry … @signout hi , i totally get you .. i cant get over this ideas .. Wanna trust but then i lose my trust again, im so confused and hurt .. i had talked to two apple technician , two apple sale team man , two time apple support line .. Five of them told me it is possible to see the sites even if you didnt write them .. 50percent both is possible .. So i am asking myself should i believe him or not …totally sad about this ��
I am nosey if you can find the information being sent like the ts a d no's whom is switching my settings and blocking calls my mmi no was even switched an app uber keeps coming up I was illerate to a lot of things at very first but this has been go on years what is a solution to get these roaches out forever I just bought an I phone six is there any way to keep people out
Hey, my friend and I have a similar problem with YouTube. The other day my YouTube history commenced showcasing up on his account. We never signed in to each other's accounts either. I should most likely mention this is my YouTube history from August 2014. Please help ASAP! It's indeed wired and creepy. Some of his history wasn't even anything I observed!
I think my computer has a virus. But it's a weird one. Whenever I go to some sites, in the past I was bored and looked at something called dueling network. It instead made me go to an adult dating site with a nude damsel as a front page. I quickly backed out and clicked on it again and this time it made me go to the normal page. But it did this every time I opened a fresh browser. But then it embarked doing this with other random sites too. Help?