Delete your Google search history through the Google app or your web browser
You can remove your Google search history on iPhone in two ways: through the Google app itself, or by signing into Google.com in Safari and clearing it from your account settings. The Google app method is faster if you use Google to search regularly. The web method works if you want to clear history across all your devices at once, since Google stores your search history on your account rather than just on your phone.
Both methods delete the same history — what you searched for and when. Deleting it from your iPhone doesn't delete it from Google's servers unless you also clear it from your Google account online. If you only clear the app cache, Google still has a record of your searches.
Key Takeaways
- The Google app on iPhone lets you delete recent searches quickly, but this only clears what the app displays — your account history remains on Google's servers.
- To permanently remove searches from your Google account, you must sign into myactivity.google.com through Safari and delete them there.
- You can delete all history at once or remove individual searches one by one.
- Clearing Safari's browsing history does not delete your Google account history, because Google stores that separately from your phone's browser data.
- If you turn off Web & App Activity in your Google account settings, Google stops recording new searches going forward.
Delete recent searches in the Google app
Open the Google app on your iPhone and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap Manage your Google Account, then select the Data & Privacy tab. Scroll down and tap Web & App Activity. You'll see a list of your recent searches and actions.
To delete individual searches, swipe left on any search result and tap the trash icon. To delete all your recent activity at once, tap the three-dot menu at the top, select Delete activity by, choose All time, and confirm. This removes the searches from your Google account, not just from the app on your phone.
Delete history through Google.com in Safari
Open Safari and go to myactivity.google.com. Sign in with your Google account if you're not already logged in. You'll see a timeline of everything Google has recorded — searches, videos you watched on YouTube, maps you looked up, and more.
Tap the trash icon next to any item to delete it individually. To delete everything, tap the three-dot menu at the top left, select Delete activity by, choose your date range (or All time), and confirm. Google will ask you to confirm again before permanently removing the history.
Turn off Google search recording to stop future tracking
If you don't want Google to record your searches going forward, you can disable Web & App Activity. In the Google app, go to your profile picture, then Manage your Google Account > Data & Privacy > Web & App Activity. Toggle the switch to turn it off.
When Web & App Activity is off, Google stops storing your search history on your account. You can still search normally — Google just won't keep a record of what you searched for. If you turn it back on later, Google will start recording again from that point forward. Turning it off does not delete history you've already created.
The difference between clearing the app and clearing your account
Clearing search history from the Google app on your iPhone only removes what displays in the app. Your actual search history remains stored on Google's servers tied to your account. If you sign out of the Google app and sign back in, your history reappears.
Clearing history from myactivity.google.com removes it from your Google account itself. This is the permanent deletion — the searches no longer appear on any device you use with that Google account. If you use the same Google account on an Android phone, a computer, or a tablet, clearing from myactivity.google.com removes the history from all of them.
Why clearing Safari history doesn't remove Google search history
Safari's browsing history is separate from your Google account history. When you clear Safari's cache and history through Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, you're only removing what Safari stored locally on your phone. This doesn't touch your Google account.
Google stores your search history on its own servers because you're signed into your Google account when you search. Even if you clear Safari completely, Google still has a record of those searches. To remove them, you must delete them from myactivity.google.com or through your Google account settings.
Delete Google history without signing in
If you search Google without signing into your account, Google stores less information about you. These searches are tied to your device and browser rather than your account. You can clear them by going to Safari Settings > Clear History and Website Data, which removes browsing data from Safari itself.
However, Google may still collect some information about your searches based on your IP address and device. For more privacy during searches, consider using a private browsing window in Safari (swipe up from the bottom and tap Private) or switching to a search engine that doesn't track you, like DuckDuckGo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting Google history on iPhone delete it from other devices?
Only if you delete it from myactivity.google.com. Deleting from the Google app on iPhone only affects that app. Since your Google account history is stored on Google's servers, deleting it from your account removes it from all devices where you're signed in with that account.
Can I delete just one search instead of all of them?
Yes. In the Google app or at myactivity.google.com, you can swipe or tap the trash icon next to any individual search to delete just that one. You can also delete by date range — for example, just searches from the last day or the last week.
What happens if I turn off Web & App Activity?
Google stops recording your searches and other activity going forward. Your existing history remains unless you delete it separately. If you turn Web & App Activity back on later, Google resumes recording from that point.
Does Google keep deleted search history?
Once you delete history from myactivity.google.com, it's removed from your account. Google may retain some data for legal or security reasons, but your deleted searches won't appear in your activity timeline or be used to personalize your results.
Can I see when I searched for something?
Yes. At myactivity.google.com, each search shows the date and time you performed it. You can filter by date range or search for a specific term to find when you looked it up.