Browsing safely if someone checks your device

Honest first: the quick exit button gets you off a page quickly. It does not erase anything. Here is what actually helps, and what does not.

Read this first

The quick exit button does not delete your browsing history. It moves you off the page fast if someone walks in. That is all it does, and we would rather say so plainly than let you rely on something that will not protect you.

If you think someone is monitoring your phone or computer, the safest option is usually a device they have no access to — a work computer, a library computer, or a trusted friend’s phone.

If someone might check this device

• Use a device they cannot reach. A library, a friend’s phone, or your workplace. This is more reliable than anything you can do on a monitored device.
• Private or incognito browsing helps a little, not a lot. It stops pages being saved to history on that browser, but it does not hide activity from monitoring software, a phone bill, or someone who checks the device physically.
• Deleting history can itself be noticed. If your history is normally full and is suddenly empty, that can raise more suspicion than leaving it alone.
• Check what is installed. Tracking apps can be hidden as ordinary tools. If you suspect one, get advice from a specialist rather than removing it immediately — removing it can alert the person.

Safer ways to get help

• Refuge / National Domestic Abuse Helpline — 0808 2000 247, free and 24 hours
• Text SHOUT to 85258 if a phone call is not safe
• 999 then 55 — if you call 999 and cannot speak, press 55 when prompted and the call is transferred to police
• Ask for ANI at a participating pharmacy — staff will give you a private space and help you contact support

Our helpline directory lists verified numbers, and find local help searches by postcode.

If you are helping someone else

Do not send links to their phone unless you know it is safe. Ask how they prefer to be contacted and at what times. Let them set the pace — leaving is the most dangerous period, and a plan made with a specialist service is safer than one made alone.

You can talk to someone now.

Free, confidential, 24 hours. You do not have to have decided anything.