How to delete your Google search history
You can delete your Google search history in three ways: delete individual searches one at a time, clear everything from a specific date range, or turn off search history recording altogether. The fastest method is to clear all history at once, which takes about two minutes. Google stores this history in your account settings, not just on your device, so deleting it removes the record from Google's servers too.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on a computer or phone, and whether you want to keep some searches while deleting others. All three methods start from the same place: your Google Account settings.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete all your Google search history at once, or delete specific searches and date ranges from your account settings.
- Deleting history from your Google Account removes it from Google's servers, not just your device, so it does not appear in your search suggestions or activity log.
- Turning off Web & App Activity stops Google from recording new searches going forward, but does not delete what is already stored.
- If you use multiple devices, you need to delete history separately on each one, or turn off activity recording in your Google Account to stop all devices at once.
- Deleting search history does not affect your Google Account, passwords, or other stored information — it only removes the record of what you searched for.
Delete all your search history at once on a computer
Open a web browser and go to myactivity.google.com. Sign in with the Google Account you use for search. You will see a list of your recent activity — searches, videos you watched on YouTube, and other things Google has recorded.
In the top left, click the three horizontal lines (the menu button). Select Delete activity by. A box will appear with three options: All time, Last hour, or Custom range. Choose All time to delete everything. Then click the blue Delete button. Google will ask you to confirm — click Delete again. The deletion is permanent and takes effect when ready.
Delete search history on your phone
On Android, open the Google app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Manage your Google Account, then tap the Data & privacy tab. Scroll down to Web & App Activity and tap it. Tap Manage all Web & App Activity. You will see the same activity list as on a computer. Tap the trash icon at the top to delete all activity, or tap individual items to delete them one by one.
On iPhone, the process is similar but the Google app works slightly differently. Open the Google app, tap your profile picture, go to Manage your Google Account, then Data & privacy. Tap Web & App Activity and then Manage all Web & App Activity. The deletion steps are the same as Android.
Delete specific searches or a date range
If you only want to remove certain searches, go to myactivity.google.com on a computer. Find the search you want to delete in the list. Hover your mouse over it and a trash icon will appear on the right side. Click the trash icon to delete just that one search. You can repeat this for as many searches as you want.
To delete searches from a specific time period without deleting everything, click the three-line menu and select Delete activity by. Choose Custom range instead of All time. Enter the start and end dates you want to delete. Click Delete and confirm. This removes only the activity from those dates, leaving older and newer searches intact.
Turn off Google search history recording
Deleting your history removes what Google has already stored, but new searches will still be recorded unless you turn off the setting. Go to myactivity.google.com and click the three-line menu. Select Web & App Activity. You will see a toggle switch at the top that says Web & App Activity. Click it to turn it off. The toggle will turn gray, meaning Google will no longer record your searches.
When you turn off Web & App Activity, Google stops storing your search history in your account. However, Google still keeps other records — like your IP address and the fact that you performed a search — for security and spam prevention. Turning off this setting only stops the searchable history that appears in your activity log.
What happens when you delete search history
Deleting your search history removes it from your Google Account activity log. This means your searches will no longer appear in your search suggestions when you start typing in the search box. It also means Google will not use those searches to personalize ads shown to you on other websites.
Deleting history does not sign you out of your Google Account, change your password, or affect any other account settings. Your Gmail, Google Drive files, and other Google services remain unchanged. Only the record of what you searched for is removed. If you share a device with other people and want to delete only your own searches, you need to sign in with your own Google Account to delete your own history — deleting from a shared device account will not work.
Deleting history on shared or multiple devices
If you use Google search on multiple devices — a phone, tablet, and computer — deleting history on one device does not delete it from the others. When you delete activity from myactivity.google.com, you are deleting from your Google Account, which affects all devices you are signed into. However, if you delete history using your device's browser settings instead of your Google Account, it only removes the local copy on that device.
To delete history across all devices at once, always use myactivity.google.com and your Google Account. If you share a device with someone else, you can turn off Web & App Activity in your own account, which stops recording on that device when you are signed in. The other person's searches will still be recorded when they sign into their own account on the same device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting Google search history delete it from Google's servers?
Yes. When you delete history from your Google Account at myactivity.google.com, you are deleting it from Google's servers, not just your device. The search record is removed from the activity log that Google maintains. However, Google may keep other technical records for security purposes, such as IP addresses and timestamps, that are separate from your searchable history.
Can I delete search history without signing into my Google Account?
No. Your search history is stored in your Google Account, so you must sign in to delete it. If you delete history from your device's browser settings alone, you only remove the local copy on that device — the history remains in your Google Account. To fully delete it, you need to access myactivity.google.com with your account credentials.
If I turn off Web & App Activity, will my old searches be deleted?
No. Turning off Web & App Activity only stops Google from recording new searches going forward. Your existing search history remains in your account until you manually delete it. You must delete the old history separately using the deletion steps above, then turn off the setting to prevent future recording.
Will deleting search history stop Google from showing me personalized ads?
Deleting search history removes one source of information Google uses for ad personalization, but not the only one. Google also uses your location, the websites you visit, and other activity to personalize ads. Deleting search history alone will reduce personalization based on searches, but you may still see ads based on other factors. Turning off Web & App Activity prevents future search-based personalization.
What if I accidentally delete search history I wanted to keep?
Google does not offer a way to recover deleted search history. Once you confirm the deletion, it is permanent. If you frequently need to reference past searches, consider keeping Web & App Activity turned on, or taking screenshots of important searches before deleting history.