YouTube stores two separate histories you can delete independently
YouTube keeps a record of every video you watch and every search you perform. These are stored in two places: your Watch history (videos you've clicked on) and your Search history (terms you've typed into YouTube's search bar). You can delete all of it, part of it, or pause recording it going forward. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on a computer or phone, and whether you want to erase everything at once or just remove specific videos.
Deleting your history doesn't affect videos you've uploaded, playlists you've created, or likes you've given — those remain unless you delete them separately. It also doesn't delete the history YouTube stores on its servers about what you've watched; it only removes the history from your account's visible timeline.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube watch history and search history are stored separately, and you can delete one without affecting the other.
- On a computer, go to YouTube.com, click your profile icon, select "History," then use the delete options on the left sidebar.
- On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube app, tap your profile icon, go to "History," and tap "Clear all watch history" or "Clear all search history."
- You can pause history recording at any time so YouTube stops logging what you watch, though this doesn't delete what's already recorded.
- Deleting your visible history does not remove YouTube's server-side records of your viewing; it only clears what appears in your account.
Delete watch history on a computer
Open YouTube.com in your browser and sign into your account. Click your profile icon in the top right corner — it's a small circle with your initial or profile photo. From the dropdown menu, select "History."
On the left side of the page, you'll see two options: "Watch history" and "Search history." Click "Watch history" if it isn't already selected. On the right side, you'll see a button that says "Clear all watch history." Click it. YouTube will ask you to confirm; click "Clear watch history" again. This removes every video from your visible watch history at once.
If you want to delete only specific videos instead of everything, stay on the Watch history page and look for the X button next to each video title. Click the X next to any video you want to remove individually. This is slower than clearing everything, but it leaves videos you want to keep in your history.
Delete search history on a computer
From the same History page, click "Search history" on the left sidebar. On the right, you'll see "Clear all search history." Click it and confirm. This removes every search term you've typed into YouTube's search bar.
To delete individual searches, click the X next to each search term you want to remove. You can also delete a search term by clicking on it — YouTube will show you the results for that search — and then clicking "Remove from search history" at the top of the results page.
Delete history on a phone or tablet
Open the YouTube app and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Tap "History." You'll see your watch history displayed as a list of videos.
To clear all watch history at once, tap the three-dot menu icon (usually in the top right of the History screen) and select "Clear all watch history." Confirm when YouTube asks. To delete individual videos, swipe left on any video (on iPhone) or long-press it (on Android), then tap "Remove from history."
To delete search history on a phone, tap the three-dot menu on the History screen and select "Clear all search history." Confirm the action. Individual searches can be removed by swiping or long-pressing them the same way as videos.
Pause history recording instead of deleting it
If you want to stop YouTube from recording your activity going forward without deleting what's already there, you can pause history. On a computer, go to History, and on the left sidebar you'll see "Pause watch history" and "Pause search history" as toggle switches. Click either one to turn it off. YouTube will stop recording that type of history when ready.
On a phone, go to History, tap the three-dot menu, and look for "Pause watch history" or "Pause search history." Toggle it off. When history is paused, YouTube won't add new videos or searches to your timeline, but your old history remains visible unless you delete it separately.
Keep in mind that pausing history doesn't prevent YouTube from collecting data about what you watch — it only stops that data from appearing in your account's History section. YouTube's recommendation algorithm and ad targeting still use information about your viewing patterns.
What happens after you delete your history
Once you delete your watch history, YouTube stops showing you videos based on what you've previously watched. Your recommendations will become more generic and less personalized. If you share a device with other people, deleting your history prevents them from seeing what you've watched when they use your account.
Deleted history cannot be recovered through YouTube's interface. If you delete something by mistake, there's no "undo" button. However, if you've downloaded your data from Google (YouTube's parent company), that downloaded file will still contain your old history — deleting it from YouTube doesn't affect files you've already saved to your computer.
The difference between deleting visible history and server-side data
When you delete your YouTube history, you're removing it from the timeline that appears in your account. YouTube's servers still retain information about what you've watched — this data is used for recommendations, ad targeting, and analytics. Deleting your visible history doesn't erase this server-side record.
If you want to limit what YouTube stores about you on its servers, you can adjust your privacy settings. Go to your Google Account settings (myaccount.google.com), click "Data & privacy," and look for "Web & App Activity." You can turn this off entirely, which tells Google not to save your YouTube activity — but this also disables personalized recommendations and some YouTube features that rely on your history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting my YouTube history delete my likes and playlists?
No. Deleting watch history and search history only removes those two things. Your liked videos, playlists, subscriptions, and uploaded videos remain unchanged. If you want to delete those, you have to do it separately.
Can I delete history from a specific date or time period?
YouTube doesn't offer a built-in way to delete history from a specific date range. You can only delete all history at once or remove individual videos and searches one by one. If you need to delete a large block of history, clearing everything and then re-watching videos you want to keep in your history is the fastest method.
Will deleting my history speed up YouTube or free up storage space?
Deleting your history won't noticeably speed up YouTube or free up space on your device. Your history is stored on YouTube's servers, not on your phone or computer. Clearing it may slightly reduce the amount of data YouTube has to load when you open the History page, but the difference is negligible.
If I pause history, will YouTube stop recommending videos to me?
Pausing history stops YouTube from recording new activity, but recommendations don't disappear when ready. YouTube will continue to use your older history and other signals (like videos you've liked or channels you're subscribed to) to suggest content. Over time, as your paused history period grows longer, recommendations will become less personalized.
What if I'm using a shared YouTube account with family members?
If multiple people use the same YouTube account, deleting history affects everyone's recommendations. A better approach is to create separate Google accounts for each person and link them to the same YouTube channel or household, so each person has their own history and recommendations. You can manage this in YouTube's account settings under "Family Link" or by creating separate profiles.