Delete searches from your Google account right now

You can delete individual searches or your entire search history from Google in about two minutes. The fastest way is to go to myactivity.google.com, sign in with the Google account you use for searching, and you will see every search you have made. Click the trash icon next to any search to delete it, or use the delete button at the top to remove everything at once.

If you want to delete searches from your phone or tablet, the process is the same — open a web browser, go to myactivity.google.com, and delete from there. You cannot delete individual searches directly from the Google app or Chrome address bar, but the website method works on any device.

Deleting a search from your account removes it from Google's servers. It will no longer appear in your search suggestions, and Google will not use it to personalize your results or ads. The deletion is permanent.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to myactivity.google.com, sign in, and click the trash icon next to any search to delete it individually.
  • You can delete your entire search history at once using the delete button at the top of the page, which removes all searches from your account.
  • Deleting searches from your account stops Google from using them to personalize your results and ads.
  • Searches deleted from your account are gone from Google's servers, but your internet service provider and any network administrator may still have records of the websites you visited.

Delete all searches at once

If you want to clear everything instead of picking individual searches, go to myactivity.google.com and look for the delete button near the top left. Click it and choose how far back you want to delete — you can remove the last hour, the last day, the last month, or all time. Select "All time" to wipe your entire search history from Google.

Google will ask you to confirm. Once you click delete, all searches from that time period are removed from your account. This does not affect your browsing history in Chrome or other browsers — it only removes the searches Google recorded.

Stop Google from saving future searches

Even after you delete your history, Google will start recording new searches the next time you search while signed in. To prevent Google from saving searches going forward, turn off Web & App Activity in your Google account settings.

Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Data & privacy" on the left, then find "Web & App Activity" and turn it off. When this setting is off, Google will not save your searches, your YouTube watch history, or your activity in other Google services. You can still use Google Search normally — the searches just will not be stored.

If you turn off Web & App Activity, you will lose some personalization. Google will not remember your past searches to suggest results, and you will not get personalized ads based on your search history. Search results will be less tailored to your interests.

Delete searches on your phone

On Android or iPhone, open any web browser and go to myactivity.google.com. Sign in and delete searches the same way you would on a computer. The mobile website works the same as the desktop version.

You can also delete searches through the Google app itself on Android. Open the Google app, tap your profile picture in the top right, go to "Manage your Google Account," then tap the "Data & privacy" tab. Scroll down to "Web & App Activity" and tap it, then tap "Manage all Web & App Activity." From there you can delete individual searches or your entire history.

What gets deleted and what does not

When you delete searches from myactivity.google.com, you are deleting them from Google's servers only. Your internet service provider still has a record that you visited Google.com and the websites you clicked on from search results. Your network administrator (if you are on a work or school network) can also see which websites you visited, even if you delete your Google search history.

If you used Google Search while signed out or in Incognito mode, those searches were never saved to your account in the first place, so there is nothing to delete. Incognito mode prevents Chrome from saving your browsing history locally on your device, but it does not hide your activity from your internet service provider or network administrator.

Deleting your search history does not remove your Google account or change your other account settings. Your saved passwords, bookmarks, and other data stay in place.

Why Google saves your searches

Google saves your searches to personalize your results — if you search for "best running shoes" multiple times, Google learns you are interested in running and shows you more relevant results. Google also uses your search history to show you ads related to your interests. Advertisers pay Google to display ads to people who have searched for related topics.

Google stores this data on its servers as long as your account exists, unless you delete it. The company says it uses this information to improve its services and to fight spam and abuse. You can read Google's full privacy policy at google.com/policies/privacy to understand exactly what data Google collects and how it uses it.

Use private browsing to avoid saving searches

If you do not want Google to save individual searches, use Incognito mode in Chrome or Private Browsing in Firefox, Safari, or Edge. When you search in these modes while signed out of your Google account, Google does not save the search to your account history.

Open a new Incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows, Cmd+Shift+N on Mac in Chrome), then search normally. When you close the window, Chrome deletes your browsing history from that session. However, your internet service provider can still see that you visited Google and the websites you clicked on.

Incognito mode is useful if you share a device with other people and do not want your searches to appear in the browser history on that device. It does not hide your activity from your internet service provider, your network administrator, or Google itself if you are signed into your Google account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete searches from a specific date?

Yes. Go to myactivity.google.com, and you can delete searches by date range. Click the delete button and choose "Last hour," "Last day," "Last month," or "All time." You can also click on individual searches and delete them one at a time. There is no way to delete only searches from a specific date without deleting everything from that date forward.

Does deleting my search history delete my browsing history in Chrome?

No. Deleting your Google search history only removes searches from your Google account. Your Chrome browsing history (the list of websites you visited) is stored separately in Chrome and must be deleted through Chrome settings. Go to Chrome menu > History > Clear browsing data to delete your Chrome history.

Will deleting my search history remove me from Google's ad targeting?

Deleting your search history stops Google from using past searches to show you ads, but Google will still show you ads based on other information, like your location, the websites you visit, and your YouTube activity. To reduce ad personalization further, turn off Web & App Activity in your Google account settings.

What if I forgot my Google password and cannot sign into myactivity.google.com?

You will need to recover your account first. Go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery and follow the steps to reset your password. Once you regain access to your account, you can delete your search history. If you cannot recover your account, you will not be able to delete the searches associated with it.

Does incognito mode hide my searches from my internet service provider?

No. Incognito mode only prevents your browser from saving your history locally on your device. Your internet service provider can still see every website you visit, including Google and the sites you click on from search results. Incognito mode does not encrypt your traffic or hide your activity from your ISP.