Delete your search history directly from the search engine
The fastest way to remove your searches is to go into the search engine itself and clear them there. Each major search engine stores your history in your account settings, and you can delete searches one at a time, in batches, or all at once.
On Google, sign into your account and go to myactivity.google.com. You will see a list of everything you searched for, organized by date. Click the three-dot menu at the top left and select "Delete activity by". You can delete searches from the last hour, the last day, the last week, the last month, or all time. If you want to delete individual searches instead, click on each one and select the trash icon.
On Bing, sign in and go to account.microsoft.com/privacy. Click "Clear recent activity" and choose your time range — last hour, last 24 hours, last week, last month, or all time. Bing also lets you turn on "Clear browsing data on exit" so your searches are automatically deleted every time you close your browser.
On DuckDuckGo, you do not need to do anything — the search engine does not store your search history by default. If you use DuckDuckGo in an account (which most people do not), you can still clear your history in your account settings under "Saved Searches".
Key Takeaways
- Google stores your search history at myactivity.google.com, where you can delete searches by date range or one at a time.
- Bing lets you clear recent activity from your Microsoft account privacy settings and offers an option to auto-delete searches when you close your browser.
- Deleting searches from the search engine's website does not remove them from your browser history — you need to clear that separately.
- Turning off search history storage in your account settings prevents future searches from being saved, but does not delete what is already there.
- Using a private or incognito browsing mode prevents your browser from storing searches, though the search engine may still record them if you are signed in.
Clear your browser history separately from your search engine history
Deleting searches from Google or Bing does not automatically remove them from your browser. Your browser — whether Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — keeps its own record of what you typed into the address bar and search box.
In Chrome, click the three-dot menu in the top right, select "History", then "Clear browsing data". Choose your time range and make sure "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files" are checked. Click "Clear data". Your browser history is now deleted, but your Google account history remains separate.
In Firefox, click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right, select "History", then "Clear Recent History". Choose your time range, make sure "Search and form history" is checked, and click "Clear Now".
In Safari on Mac, click "Safari" in the menu bar, select "Clear History", choose how far back you want to go, and click "Clear History". On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data.
In Edge, click the three-dot menu in the top right, select "History", then "Clear browsing data". Choose your time range and click "Clear now".
Turn off search history storage to prevent future searches from being saved
If you do not want the search engine to store your searches going forward, you can disable search history in your account settings. This does not delete what is already saved, but it stops new searches from being recorded.
On Google, go to myactivity.google.com, click the menu button (three horizontal lines) on the left, and select "Settings". Under "Web & App Activity", toggle the switch to the off position. Google will stop recording your searches, but you can turn it back on anytime.
On Bing, sign into your Microsoft account, go to account.microsoft.com/privacy, and toggle off "Personalization of search results". You can also enable "Clear browsing data on exit" to automatically delete searches when you close your browser.
Keep in mind that turning off search history may affect personalized search results and recommendations. Search engines use your history to show you more relevant results, so disabling it means you will see more generic results instead.
Use private or incognito mode to avoid storing searches in your browser
Private browsing modes prevent your browser from storing your search history locally on your device. However, they do not hide your searches from the search engine itself if you are signed into your account.
In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Command+Shift+N (Mac) to open an incognito window. Anything you search for in this window will not be saved to your browser history, though Google may still record it in your account if you are signed in.
In Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Command+Shift+P (Mac) to open a private window. Your searches will not appear in your browser history.
In Safari, click "File" in the menu bar and select "New Private Window". Searches in this window stay off your device history.
In Edge, press Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Command+Shift+N (Mac) to open an InPrivate window. Your browser will not store your searches locally.
Private mode is useful if you are using a shared device or a public computer, but remember that your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see what you are searching for.
Understand what gets deleted and what does not
When you delete your search history, different things happen depending on where you delete from. Clearing your Google account history removes searches from Google's servers, but not from your browser. Clearing your browser history removes searches from your device, but not from Google's servers. You need to do both to fully remove your searches from both places.
Deleting searches also does not remove them from other places they may have been stored. If you shared a search result with someone, that link remains in their email or message. If a website logged your search activity through analytics, deleting your search history does not remove that record. If you used a work computer or school network, your employer or school may have their own logs of your activity.
Some search engines and browsers also keep backups or archives that are not when ready deleted. Google, for example, may keep deleted data for a short period before permanently removing it from their systems.
Delete searches on mobile devices
Deleting search history on your phone or tablet works similarly to desktop, but the steps are slightly different depending on your device and browser.
On Android with Chrome, open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu in the bottom right, select "History", then "Clear browsing data". Choose your time range and tap "Clear data".
On iPhone or iPad with Safari, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Choose how far back you want to go and confirm.
On iPhone or iPad with Chrome, open Chrome, tap the three-dot menu in the bottom right, select "History", then "Clear browsing data". Choose your time range and tap "Clear browsing data".
To delete your Google account history on mobile, open any browser, go to myactivity.google.com, and follow the same steps as on desktop — the website works the same way on phones and tablets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting my search history delete it from Google's servers?
Yes, when you delete your activity from myactivity.google.com, Google removes it from their servers. However, Google may keep backups for a short period. Deleting from your browser history does not affect Google's servers — you have to delete from both places separately.
Can I delete searches without signing into my account?
If you were not signed into your Google or Microsoft account when you searched, the search engine did not store your history in your account. However, your browser still recorded the search locally. You can delete it from your browser history, but the search engine has no account history to delete.
Will deleting my search history affect my search results?
Yes. Search engines use your history to personalize results and show you more relevant information. After you delete your history, your results will be more generic until you build up new search history. If you turned off search history storage entirely, your results will remain generic unless you turn it back on.
If I use a VPN, does it hide my searches from the search engine?
A VPN hides your searches from your internet service provider and the websites you visit, but not from the search engine itself. If you are signed into your Google or Bing account, the search engine still records your searches even if you use a VPN. You would need to either stay signed out or use a search engine that does not store history, like DuckDuckGo.
What happens to my searches if I delete my Google account?
Deleting your Google account also deletes your search history stored in that account. However, your browser history remains on your device unless you clear it separately. Your internet service provider may also have records of your searches depending on your connection.