Google thinks "these sites" are important "to you" and refuses to clear cookies

[c627627]

There is one other mention of this on the Internet but no replies as to what it is:

Android > Chrome > Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data

Now instead of cleanup commencing Google says:

Also clear data from these sites?
These sites seem important to you:

[check box] name of site . com


Regardless of whether you check or uncheck that checkbox, Google has decided to keep that info, there is nothing you can do to clear sites that Google thinks are "important to you" short of a complete nuke of Google Chrome in Android. I am not nuking Chrome this time just to try to figure out why Google is keeping this information without any way to remove it inside Chrome on Android.

Any ideas?

Proof:

 

[ihrsetrdr]

Yea, I'm thinking it's time to change up my way of doing business, maybe go back to a flip phone and just surf the net with TOR, ditch all social media and use candles instead of electricity.

 

[c627627]

I found the solution when you clear cookies and history, you need to make sure every single thing is checked, sometimes people want to clear history and cookies but not passwords, for example. If you don't check everything, then Chrome remembers your most visited sites and displays them when you try to delete browsing data.

All this made me try new Firefox mobile and I discovered they are now much faster than they used to be, so I switched to Firefox.

 

[EarthDog]

It's usually a news site you visit every day or a business site you visit every day - but what if Google displays an "embarrassing" site every time anyone ever tries to clear cookies on the device you've been using? Saying "the person who was using this device, this is the site 'important' to him/her".

With no way to opt out, how is this not a problem?

If you're going to 'embarrassing' sites and not using incognito mode, you're asking to be caught in the first place.

So, I tried to delete my stuff (7,xxx files, you'd likely **** yourself if this was your phone!) and five "important" sites came up...

1. Google.com (home page for chrome, I believe)
2. mybuzz.fun (no clue what that is...)
3. intelius.com (some people search site - never been..)
4. essencevegas.com (dispensary in vegas I don't recall going to - haven't been to vegas in 2 years)
5. bestreviews.guide (I don't recall going here intentionally, but do think it's one of the websites that comes when you search, 'best xxxx')


What the hell IS this list, really? Surely isn't the most frequent (I believe google is #1, but the rest, no idea). I check three major tech websites daily and they aren't on that list. Why are two sites I know I've never intentionally gone to in that list? #2/3 feels like a 'ad' page that loads on a website or something... maybe OCFs? The essencevegas thing is a weird one. Assuming I went to the website it would be a one time thing from years ago... so why is that on the list?

Really though........see if incognito mode prevents a site from going to that list. In an incognito tab, pick some random site you've never been to and see if it shows up? I don't clear my cookies and such often, so, I'll leave that up to you since it seems like you'd lose a lot less in doing so. If that works, run in incognito mode, then you won't have to delete cookies/history and such and saves you time!



EDIT: Ok, you wiped your original post, lol...

I found the solution when you clear cookies and history, you need to make sure every single thing is checked, sometimes people want to clear history and cookies but not passwords, for example. If you don't check everything, then Chrome remembers your most visited sites and displays them when you try to delete browsing data.

All this made me try new Firefox mobile and I discovered they are now much faster than they used to be, so I switched to Firefox.

These aren't my most visited websites... maybe #1 is, but 2/3 unless they are add pages on OCF or something, that makes no sense, same with 4/5...

Thanks for sharing the solution. If I ever need to do such a thing, now we know!!

 

[c627627]

I edited my post above yours before seeing your post.

I figured out the problem and how to resolve it. I am proficient enough in these things having installed custom operating systems on every phone since Galaxy 1 came out, this is, as always, about sharing knowledge. So:


This goes away if you CHECK every single item on the list when clearing browsing data, essential resetting everything stored in Chrome, but it is is somewhat disturbing that there is a way to quickly see which sites your device is accessing most frequently.

I couldn't use Firefox mobile because it used to be so slow but now speed of Firefox mobile is okay on Galaxy 10 and higher phones...


I switched to Firefox because ublock origin has a Firefox mobile add on, it manages to block the extremely aggressive ads that hit you on some sites - usually the sites not visited often... But it is the best blocker of aggressive ads.
So ublock origin and Google's data collection is why I switched to Firefox mobile.

 

[Zerileous]

Yeah I don't touch chrome, I use Firefox on PC and android and duckduckgo on android (I started using duckduckgo when I noticed I was still getting FB ads based on my browsing history). I only use chrome in the rare instance that I can't get a page to work on the other 2.

 

[c627627]

Yes, Firefox blocks Facebook tracking - which is active even for people who do not use Facebook.

I always felt Google was using the fact that it is so integrated with Android to make Chrome snappier. Unfair advantage. This could really be felt on older phones, luckily starting with Galaxy S10 - the hardware is advanced enough to reduce the feel of Firefox being slower.

Our personal data is one of the most important and valuable commodities of the time we live in...


Side question: Why can't duck search be added to home screen in Firefox and Google search can?
When you go to Google and then to Firefox settings, you see Add to Home screen.
When you go to duckduckgo - and then to Firefox settings, you DO NOT see Add to Home screen.