Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2022 March 6

= March 6 =

Google translate clogging up history
When I use Google Translate for 5 minutes with Google Chrome as browser, it adds some 300 entries – one every second – to the browsing history. Is there any way to turn that off? (I'm fine with either boiling that down to a reasonable number or turning off history for Google Translate altogether.) ◅ Sebastian 09:16, 6 March 2022 (UTC)


 * The translate website is making GET HTTP requests which apparently get logged. You could write the text in the search bar (or a text editor like notepad) and copypaste it into the translate box. --TZubiri (talk) 22:13, 6 March 2022 (UTC)


 * That's a good idea, TZubiri, thanks! To facilitate this, I could write a little script (with an edit box) that does character escapes as needed. ◅ Sebastian 07:20, 7 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Try doing the translate in private mode (or incognito, whatever Chrome calls it), I think in that case nothing goes into your history. RudolfRed (talk) 00:50, 9 March 2022 (UTC)
 * In Chrome, that seems to be the setting you get by selecting (your avatar upper right) → Privacy & Personalization → Web & App Activity → Turn Off → Pause → Got it. Unfortunately that's not a solution, as it affects all web activity, not just Google Translate. Also, it doesn't turn off logging: Once you turn it on again, all activity shows up again, even from the time that you ‘paused’ it. ◅ Sebastian 13:12, 9 March 2022 (UTC)
 * That sounds incorrect. See Google_Chrome. On mobile Chrome, it's done by choosing "new incognito tab" from the menu. Is it really so complicated on the desktop version? Google also mention ctrl-shift-n as a keyboard shortcut. Perhaps you haven't identified the three dots as a menu? (I don't like that idiom much myself.) Card Zero  (talk) 19:50, 11 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Thanks, Card_Zero, that solves my question. There is an equivalent on the desktop: It's called “New incognito window” and it does allow browsing without history. ◅ Sebastian 20:11, 12 March 2022 (UTC)