Looking after your safety while you use this website. How our Safe Exit button works, how to browse privately, how to clear your browsing history, and what to do if you are concerned your device may be monitored.
On this page
- 1. The “Your Safe Exit” button
- 2. The limits of the Safety Exit button
- 3. Using a private or incognito window
- 4. Clearing your browsing history
- 5. Using a different or safer device
- 6. Signs your device may be monitored
- 7. Specialist help with online safety
- 8. If you are in immediate danger
- 9. Where this page sits in our legal information
- 10. Changes to this page
1. The “Your Safe Exit” button
Every page of this website carries a “Your Safe Exit” button on the left-hand side, set 100 pixels in from the edge of the screen. The button works on desktop, tablet and mobile devices, and is shown in a high-contrast red colour with white text so it is easy to find when you need it.
How to use it
- On any device, click or tap the button — your browser will be redirected to the Google search page (google.com).
- On a desktop or laptop, you can also press the Escape key on your keyboard. This does the same thing.
The button is there for any moment when you need to leave the site quickly — for example, if someone walks into the room and you would rather they didn’t see what you are reading.
After you exit
When the button takes you to the Google search page, the previous page is replaced in your browser. If you press the back-arrow in your browser straight away, you will not normally see this site again — you will see whatever was before it in your browsing history.
If you have time after pressing the button, the next safest step is to close the browser tab or window completely.
Built for your safety
A quick, quiet way out — whenever you need it
The Safe Exit button and the Escape key shortcut exist because we know some visitors read this site in spaces that aren’t entirely private. You are never expected to explain why you’re leaving a page — the tools are simply there, on every page, whenever you need them.
2. The limits of the Safety Exit button
The Safety Exit button is useful, but it is not a complete safety net. There are things it cannot do, and being honest about them is part of taking your safety seriously.
What the button cannot do
- It cannot fully clear your browser history. Visiting this site will normally leave traces in your browser’s history, in your search suggestions, and sometimes in autocomplete data on the address bar. To remove those traces you usually need to clear your browser history yourself. See section 4 below.
- It cannot protect you against monitoring software on your device. If someone has installed software on your computer or phone that records what you do — for example, parental-control software, employer monitoring tools, or so-called “stalkerware” — the Safety Exit button will not remove it or stop it recording. See sections 5 and 6.
- It cannot stop synced devices showing your visit. If your browser is signed in to an account (for example, a Google or Apple account) and is synced with other devices that someone else also uses, your browsing history may appear on those other devices as well.
- It cannot help if someone is watching you in real time. If you are concerned that someone is in the room with you, or watching over your shoulder, the button will help you leave the page — but the priority is your physical safety. If you are at immediate risk, please call 999.
3. Using a private or incognito window
One of the simplest ways to reduce the trace this site leaves on your device is to open it in a private or incognito browser window. When you close the window, the browser will not normally save the history, the cookies or the typed URLs from that session.
- Chrome: press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or ⌘ + Shift + N (Mac), or open the menu and choose “New Incognito window”.
- Safari: File menu → “New Private Window”, or press ⌘ + Shift + N.
- Firefox: menu → “New Private Window”, or press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows) or ⌘ + Shift + P (Mac).
- Edge: menu → “New InPrivate window”, or press Ctrl + Shift + N.
- On a mobile or tablet: most mobile browsers offer a private or incognito mode through the tabs menu. Look for the tab icon and then for an icon that looks like a hat or a mask.
Private browsing has limits too. It hides activity from people who use the same device, but it does not hide your activity from your internet provider, your employer if you are on a work network, or any monitoring software installed on the device.
4. Clearing your browsing history
If you have already visited this site in a normal (non-private) browser window, the visit will be saved in your browser history. Clearing your history removes those records from the device. The exact steps depend on which browser you are using, so the safest approach is to follow your browser’s own help page.
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data. Choose a time range and tick “Browsing history”. You may also want to clear cached images and files.
- Safari: History menu → Clear History. Choose the time range you want to clear.
- Firefox: menu → History → Clear recent history. Choose the time range and what to clear.
- Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data.
- On a mobile or tablet: the same options are usually available through the browser’s settings menu.
A few small but important points:
- Clearing only this site’s history can look unusual. If you would rather the action attract no attention, consider clearing all browsing from the same period.
- If your browser is signed in to a sync account, you may need to clear history on the other devices too.
- Search engines sometimes remember what you have looked for. You can clear your search history from your Google or other search-engine account if needed.
You don’t have to do this alone
Specialist services can help with device safety
If you’re worried about a device you share with someone who may be monitoring your activity, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to work this out on your own. Specialist domestic abuse services can advise on digital safety, including what apps and settings to check and how to use a device more privately.
5. Using a different or safer device
If you are worried that the device you usually use is not safe — for example, because someone else has access to it or has installed monitoring software — the most reliable option is to use a different device.
- A library, college or community-centre computer. These are usually wiped between users and are a relatively safe choice for one-off visits.
- A friend’s, family member’s, or workplace device. If you trust the owner and they are not part of the situation you are concerned about.
- A separate pay-as-you-go phone. Some specialist services (including Refuge) can help with this in the context of domestic abuse.
If you use a public device, sign out of any accounts when you finish, and close any private or incognito windows before you leave.
6. Signs your device may be monitored
Software that monitors a device — sometimes called “stalkerware” or “spouseware” — can be very hard to detect, especially on phones. None of the signs below proves that monitoring is happening, but a combination of them is a reason to take advice.
- Your phone or computer is unusually slow, hot, or runs out of battery faster than it used to.
- You see apps you don’t remember installing, or new icons that you cannot remove.
- Your browser opens to a different home page, or your search engine has changed without you doing it.
- Someone seems to know things they shouldn’t — about your conversations, your location, or what you have looked at online.
- Your phone has been physically out of your sight for long enough for someone to install something on it.
- Your accounts have been logged into from devices or places you don’t recognise.
If any of this is true for you, please consider getting specialist help before you act on the device — sometimes the safest first step is to keep using the device as normal while you arrange a safer one. The contacts in section 7 can advise.
7. Specialist help with online safety
If you would like specialist advice on your particular situation, the following UK services can help.
Refuge — Tech Safety
Refuge runs a specialist tech-safety service for people affected by domestic abuse, including monitoring software, account safety and device security. Refuge’s website has step-by-step guides for many situations.
- National Domestic Abuse Helpline (24 hours): 0808 2000 247
- Website: refuge.org.uk
Suzy Lamplugh Trust — National Stalking Helpline
Specialist support for anyone affected by stalking, including online stalking and harassment.
- Helpline: 0808 802 0300
- Website: suzylamplugh.org
The Cyber Helpline
A UK charity offering free, expert help to people in the UK affected by cybercrime, online harassment and digital abuse.
- Website: thecyberhelpline.com
Women’s Aid
Domestic-abuse support, including a live chat and good online-safety guidance.
- Website: womensaid.org.uk
Your local police
In an emergency, call 999. For non-emergency reports of stalking, harassment or cyber-related crime, call 101, or use your local police service’s online reporting form.
8. If you are in immediate danger
If you are in immediate danger, your physical safety comes first — well before anything you can do online.
- Call 999.
- If you cannot speak safely on the phone, you can call 999 and tap your handset to use the Silent Solution. On a mobile, after the call connects, press 55 when prompted; on a landline, the operator will listen and try to identify a problem.
- If you are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment, you can register for emergencySMS and text 999 — see emergencysms.net for how to register.
If you are not in immediate danger but you need to talk to someone now, the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day on 116 123.
9. Where this page sits in our legal information
This Safety Information page is part of the legal and safeguarding information for survivechildabuse.com. It works together with:
- Our Privacy Policy, which explains how we handle the small browser-side storage used by the Safety Exit button.
- Our Cookies Policy, which describes the Safety Exit feature in the strictly necessary category.
- Our Disclaimer, which carries the same limits-of-the-button language as section 2 of this page.
- Our Editorial Policy, which references the Safety Exit button as part of the site’s content-warning and signposting commitments.
All of these pages are linked in the website footer.
10. Changes to this page
We may update this Safety Information page from time to time as services change and as our understanding of online safety develops. The current version is shown by the date below.
Last Updated: 3rd October, 2026
© Survive Child Abuse
Written by survivors for survivors.