iOS 9 Safari clear history, save cookies

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vtrandall Author

Level 1

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iOS 9 Safari clear history, save cookies

OK...

iPhone 5s

upgraded to iOS 9 without issue.

Safari issue

Prior to iOS 9 there was an option in Safari to clear browsing history from within the app itself.

This would clear the browsing history but leave the browser cookies untouched. This allowed website/forum logins to remain in place so when I was able to re-open the webpage and not have to re-enter my name/password each time.

Now with iOS 9, the option to 'clear history' in the Safari app clears the history AS well as clearing the cookies/logins.

Admittedly, the passwords are saved on the phone and can be entered relatively quickly...but I didn't have to do this prior to the iOS 9 upgrade.

Is there no longer a way to just clear the browsing history and leaving the cookies/logins intact?

iPhone 5s, iOS 9

Posted on Sep 16, 2015 9:08 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

adam42381

Level 1

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Sep 17, 2015 10:47 AM in response to vtrandall

I'm having the same issue. It's extremely annoying because I constantly clear my history out of habit and I don't want to have to keep logging in to the same websites every time I visit (multiple times daily in some cases).

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Answer 2

Sep 17, 2015 10:50 AM in response to adam42381

If you are using Keychain, clearing website data will not effect login information.

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Answer 3

Sep 17, 2015 10:56 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout

This is not correct. I'm using iCloud Keychain and still being logged out of websites when I clear my history. Sure, the passwords are saved, but I still have to go to the login page each time which is incredibly frustrating and time consuming.

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Answer 4

Sep 17, 2015 11:23 AM in response to adam42381

Double check that you have keychain set up and that it is active. AND that you are saving the login data in Keychain when you enter it again.

I know for a fact that clearing web data does not clear keychain. It is a completely different mechanism than cookies.

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Answer 5

Sep 17, 2015 11:29 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout

I am. It's not deleting my login information. It's just logging me out every time I clear my history which is the problem.

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Answer 6

Sep 17, 2015 11:51 AM in response to adam42381

Yeah - it will do that. But that isn't about cookies, it is about the https session being deleted. Which will happen if you clear history, on any browser.
And is supposed to happen.

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Answer 7

Sep 17, 2015 11:54 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout

It's never happened in the past on any browser that I've used and I've used them all. I clear history in Chrome multiple times daily and it never logs me out.

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Answer 8

vtrandall Author

Level 1

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Sep 17, 2015 1:08 PM in response to adam42381

Spot on....adam

IIRC, when you cleared the history in the Safari app prior to iOS 9 it cleared the cache and browsing history but left the cookies in place.

This allowed the websites/forums to retain the login info so there was no need to re-input your name/password again. I am pretty sure this has nothing to do with Keychain.

That said, the 'workaround' I have come up with is that you leave the history UN-cleared for a day or so....then when you start using Safari the next day you can use the 'clear history' function but only clear the history from 'Today'. The login/password/cookies info from yesterday remains and (so far) this still allows you to access the sites without having to re-enter all your info.

Still, this is a little unnecessary as it worked fine prior to OS 9

What I really want to have is a mandatory clear cache functionality implemented on all apps. Some apps have it but I think the majority don't.

For example: the Adult Swim app has a installed footprint of 63.5 MB. On my iPhone there is an additional 31.6 MB of 'data'. While that's all well and good if I were to constantly be accessing the app, it is also a waste of space if I only access the app once a week or so. The ability to flush this out would be really nice.

FWIW- in the past it was possible to do this via 3rd party software (that shall remain nameless)

...but this is a topic for a different thread.

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Answer 9

Sep 17, 2015 4:26 PM in response to vtrandall

Confirming this issue. Not certain why people are denying this has changed but it absolutely has. I am using keychain always have. Since the IOS9 update, clearing history from Safari logs me out of all sites. Never has done that on any prior OS.

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Answer 10

05Moose

Level 1

8 points

Sep 19, 2015 6:41 AM in response to vtrandall

Yep, same issue here. It makes moderating forums a pain coming out of the app to the browser where it has more tools for moderating available. Not to mention that the forum has a mobile view and enhanced mobile view. So I have to exit the enhanced view, provide a reason, then scroll to the bottom of the forum and select Full Version then login once the version I need is loaded. Wow, what a hassle! I don't want to have to store a long history of previous pages I've accessed since I can easily hit dozens in the first hour just with all the moderating pages I'm using.

Edit: Hmm, it's logging me out even when I don't clear the history. Is that a bug in iOS 9 or an issue with the website not working with iOS 9?

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Answer 11

Sep 19, 2015 11:58 AM in response to 05Moose

I have the same issue. Every time I go to a forumn it goes into mobile site and I have to scroll down and tap on full site, then login. At the end of the day I clear the web history and it clears my login. After that when I go back to the forum I have to do the entire process again. I hope Apple fix this problem unless someone have a solution?

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Answer 12

vtrandall Author

Level 1

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Sep 19, 2015 4:36 PM in response to vtrandall

I thought I'd repeat my 'fix' again for this relatively small but still pain in the butt issue.....

Of the various forums I visit, I made it a point to selectively clear out the history in Safari. I make sure that I leave the 'login history' for the websites/forums I frequent un-deleted.

The next day rolls around and I am still able to access the sites I want without having to re-enter my username/passwd because the history is still on the phone. Now when I clear out the history in Safari I make sure to only clear out the history from 'Today'...leaving my history that I didn't delete from the previous day untouched. I've been doing this for the last couple of days and it works.

I/we/you just have to remember to NOT delete ALL history or you'll have to 'start over' with a fresh login/psswd history/memory.

Hopefully all this will become unnecessary with 9.1

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Answer 13

Sep 24, 2015 9:41 AM in response to vtrandall

Thank you for this thread.

I updated last week to iOS9 and have been having the same issue on my iPad Air that was not there previously.

its really annoying as 80% of my browsing is forums based and I have been wondering why I keep being logged out now I know.

I will try the work around tomorrow as I have just reset a bunch of passwords today.

Apple, if you are reading this please reinstate my he old method please and while your at it can you do something about connecting to WiFi please as it's much slower with iOS 9!

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Answer 14

Sep 24, 2015 9:49 AM in response to ianmedium

Keep the complaints coming. Hopefully Apple will actually listen.

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Answer 15

Sep 24, 2015 10:01 AM in response to adam42381

Not on this forum, it isn't.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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