The internet is an invaluable resource, whether it’s looking up information about a new product, researching a school assignment, or just trying to figure out what your friends are talking about on social media. However, if your parents can see your search history, they may be able to guess what you’re interested in and potentially embarrass you in front of your friends.

Do your parents see your internet history?

1. In A Private Device

When you use a personal device like a phone or a computer, only you and anybody you show it to can view your search history. Of course, if you leave your phone laying about or leave your laptop unlocked/unprotected with a PIN or password, anybody who has access to your computer may view your search history.

Yes, your parents may be able to see your search history if you don’t safeguard your phone with a password or PIN or if you grant them access to your phone/computer.

2. In Personal Mobile Connection

There will always be another person that can see everything you do online, regardless of how you connect to the internet. Fortunately for you, those aren’t your parents. It’s either your ISP (Internet Service Provider) or your ISP (Internet Service Provider).

Mostly, people’s phone and internet service are provided by the same business. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T are all well-known telecommunications firms that offer call, text, and data plans. However, your parents can only view what you search for on your phone if you grant them access.

Finding Your Windows Computer’s IP Address

In today’s technology-driven world, having a stable and reliable internet connection is essential for personal and professional tasks. To make the most out of your network, it is crucial to know your computer’s IP address. This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to find your IP address on a Microsoft Windows computer system.

3. In Parental Control Apps

Several parental control applications, such as Netnanny and Bark, allow parents to view your browser history and other internet actions on your smartphone at any time.

If you have a parental control app installed on your smartphone, you should be able to view it. Also, if you have an app like this on your phone, likely, your parents have already told you about it.

They can, of course, access your browser history if they log on to a computer where your account is active. They only need to open your preferred web browser to discover what you’ve been up to on the internet.

4. In Wi-Fi Router

Your search history isn’t visible to everyone on the same Wi-Fi network as you. If you’re scared that your mother will find out that you’ve been looking for a Mother’s Day present, don’t panic.

Your parents may, however, access your search history through your Wi-Fi router. But, to be honest, it isn’t that simple.

They’ll need a packet sniffer or analyzer to view your search activity on the home router. They’ll also require significant technical skills to complete the task – hardly probable unless they’re a tech genius!

5. In Internet/Wi-Fi Bill

Whatever reason you want to know if your parents can view your search history on your bill, you will be relieved to learn that they cannot.

Not only does having your search history on there make no sense, but it’s also highly inconvenient.

Consider this: your ISP/WISP bills you once a month. They’d have to give you a ten-page bill, if not more if they placed your entire search history on your bill.

So, your search history will not appear on your internet bill.

Although there is a highly slim probability of this happening, ISPs may notify the primary account holder if suspicious behavior is detected.

7 Ways to Hide Your Online Activities from Parents

1. Delete Cookies And Clear Browsing History

Your internet browser history is saved each time you access the web.

This includes items you downloaded with a specific browser and cookies used by websites to track your browsing activity.

You should always clear your browsing history and remove those cookies to keep all of this hidden.

You may use tools like CCleaner to keep your identity secret, which deletes cookies and your browser history by default.

Instead, you can set up your browser to remove cookies and browsing history when you close it.

2. Use Security Plug-Ins

While it is necessary for online advertisers to acquire data to tailor your shopping experiences and better target you with adverts, they also have access to your personal information.

Browsers such as Chrome and Internet Explorer 10 now include a “do-not-track” option in their settings, but that may not be enough.

To improve your privacy, use a privacy plug-in such as “Ghostery,” which is available for Chrome, Opera, Firefox, and other browsers. It displays the number of trackers found and allows you to block them.

3. Avoid Google (or Bing or Yahoo)

We recommend using a service like DuckDuckGo to prevent being tracked when surfing the web. This is a stand-alone search engine that does not provide tailored results. Everyone gets the same results; nothing you search for is saved or collected. The search engine also states that it has nothing to offer to advertise, implying that you will never be subjected to targeted advertisements when visiting Google or other websites.

If you absolutely can’t live without Google for whatever reason, you can tailor it to be less targeted. After logging into your Google account, go to Privacy & Personalization, then Ad Personalization on the following screen. Turn the toggle off where it indicates Ad Personalization ON.

4. Avoid Sites That Are Unsafe (Use Https Sites)

HTTPS means you’re connected to a secure site that can’t be tampered with.

Always avoid visiting websites that do not include HTTPS in their URLs. Never input any important data, such as login details for a bank.

Most browsers, including Chrome, have been upgraded to include a function that alerts you if you visit a dangerous website.

However, a person may easily detect the site by looking at the URL in the address bar. It is dangerous if it does not begin with “https:…”

5. Browse In Private

Browsing in private mode is the most straightforward way to make some of your online activities more private.

Here’s how it works: Every time you visit a website, you leave a cookie. These cookies are saved on your computer and include a little information about the websites you’ve visited, allowing other websites to provide you with a customized experience. That might be Facebook sending you an ad for that new MacBook you looked up on Google or YouTube showing you videos on the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9 phone because you’ve been searching up videos about it. These cookies can be used to produce a unique fingerprint based on the data collected.

To prevent all of this, browse in incognito mode. Private browsing is available in all current browsers, including mobile ones. Internet service providers (ISPs) and others may still be able to trace your surfing behavior, as this setting advises. Even so, it helps keep you more secret from the websites and anyone looking at your local machine’s history.

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6. Hide IP Address And Location

The most crucial and practical thing to remain anonymous is to disguise your IP address, which is the easiest way to track down your online activities. If someone knows your IP address, they may determine where the server that hosts that address is located and obtain a general estimate of where you are. There are three methods for masking your IP address and location.

You might begin by utilizing a virtual private network (VPN). A VPN and a proxy perform the same thing — and in some circumstances, even better — when it comes to hiding your IP address. A VPN is a secure, private network that connects remote sites or users by “tunneling” via a public network (often the internet). VPNs today, on the other hand, do a lot more than just encrypting your data. You can connect to any VPN server around the globe, letting your point of origin appear to be anywhere you wish.

TOR, on the other hand, can be used. The Onion Router, or TOR, is a network of virtual tunnels that allows individuals and groups to increase their online anonymity and security. Browsing via TOR is similar to utilizing hundreds of different proxies that are randomized regularly.

In summary, if you leave your phone or computer on without a password or PIN, your parents will have access to your search and browsing history. If they have a parental monitoring app loaded on both your phone and theirs, they’ll be able to do so.

They won’t be able to see your search and browsing history on your bill, and your ISP won’t hassle you (them) about it unless it’s questionable.

Are you still concerned that your parents will be able to access your search and browsing history? Fortunately, there are plenty of options for keeping your search and browser history hidden from your parents.

All of this being stated, it’s usually preferable to avoid doing anything risky online in the first place.

We won’t judge you if you’re here because you’re doing something shady or shameful. However, staying on the internet’s safe side is preferable, and avoiding suspicious and untrustworthy sites.

Keep in mind that your parents’ first concern is your safety. Stay careful while using the internet.