Delete suggestions by clearing your search history
Google's suggestions come from your search history, so the fastest way to stop seeing them is to delete that history. Go to myactivity.google.com, sign in with your Google account, and you'll see every search you've made. You can delete individual searches by clicking the three dots next to each one, or delete everything at once by clicking "Delete activity by" at the top left.
When you click "Delete activity by", Google will ask you to choose a date range. Select "All time" to remove your entire search history, or pick a specific date range if you only want to clear recent searches. After you confirm, those searches stop feeding into your suggestions — both on Google's homepage and in the search box dropdown.
This works when ready on the device you're signed into. If you use Google on multiple devices or browsers, you'll need to repeat this on each one, because your search history is tied to your Google account, not to a single computer.
Key Takeaways
- Visit myactivity.google.com and delete your search history to remove the searches that Google uses to generate suggestions.
- You can delete all searches at once or pick a date range — deleting everything removes suggestions based on your entire history.
- Turning off Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings stops Google from storing new searches going forward.
- Incognito mode in Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge does not save searches to your history, so suggestions won't appear in those windows.
- Clearing your browser cache removes suggestions stored locally on your device, separate from your Google account history.
Turn off Web & App Activity to stop storing new searches
Deleting your history removes what's already there, but Google will start collecting new searches the moment you search again. To stop that, go to myaccount.google.com, click "Data & privacy" on the left, then scroll down to "Web & App Activity" and turn it off.
When Web & App Activity is off, Google still processes your searches to show you results, but it doesn't save them to your account. This means you won't see suggestions based on your search history anymore. The setting applies across all your devices and browsers where you're signed into that Google account.
Keep in mind that turning this off may affect other Google services. YouTube recommendations, for example, rely partly on your search and browsing activity. If you turn off Web & App Activity, those recommendations become less personalized.
Use Incognito mode to search without saving history
If you want to search without Google storing anything, open an Incognito window (called Private Browsing in Safari and Firefox, InPrivate in Edge). In Incognito mode, Google doesn't save your searches to your account, so they won't show up as suggestions later.
Every browser has a keyboard shortcut for Incognito: Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows and Linux in Chrome, Cmd+Shift+N on Mac in Chrome, Cmd+Shift+P on Mac in Safari, Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows in Firefox, and Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows in Edge. Open an Incognito window, search normally, and close it when you're done — nothing gets saved.
Incognito mode is useful for one-off searches you don't want stored, but it doesn't change your existing suggestions. If you want to clean up suggestions you've already generated, you still need to delete your history through myactivity.google.com.
Clear your browser cache to remove locally stored suggestions
Your browser stores some suggestion data on your device itself, separate from your Google account. Clearing your browser cache removes this local data. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac) to open the Clear Browsing Data window. Select "All time" from the date range dropdown, check "Cookies and other site data", and click "Clear data".
In Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Cmd+Shift+Delete on Mac), select "Everything" from the time range, check "Cookies" and "Cache", and click "Clear Now". In Safari, go to Safari menu > Settings > Privacy, click "Manage Website Data", select all entries, and click "Remove". In Edge, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete, select "All time", check "Cookies and other site data", and click "Clear now".
Clearing your cache removes suggestions your browser has stored locally, but it won't affect suggestions tied to your Google account. For a complete cleanup, clear both your browser cache and your Google search history.
Stop Google from suggesting searches based on your location
Google also generates suggestions based on where you are. If you search for restaurants, Google may suggest nearby ones the next time you start typing. To turn this off, go to myaccount.google.com, click "Data & privacy", scroll to "Location settings", and turn off "Location History".
Turning off Location History stops Google from storing where you were when you searched. This removes location-based suggestions, but it also affects Google Maps, your Timeline, and other services that rely on knowing your location. You can also turn off location access for Google in your device settings — on Android, go to Settings > Apps > Google > Permissions > Location and select "Don't allow", and on iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, find Google, and select "Never".
Manage suggestions for specific Google services
Google generates suggestions in different places: the Google homepage, the search box, YouTube, and Google Maps all have their own suggestion systems. Deleting your search history affects all of them, but you can also manage suggestions in individual services.
On YouTube, go to youtube.com, click your profile picture, select "Settings", then "Privacy" and turn off "Allow YouTube to save your watch and search history". On Google Maps, open the app or website, click your profile picture, go to "Settings", then "Timeline", and turn off "Location History". These changes don't affect your Google search suggestions, but they stop those services from learning what you search for and where you go.
What happens when you delete suggestions
When you delete your search history, Google stops showing you suggestions based on those past searches. The next time you open Google's homepage or click the search box, you'll see fewer personalized suggestions and more general trending searches instead.
Deleting your history doesn't make you anonymous to Google — the company still knows you're searching, and it still collects data about your searches if Web & App Activity is on. It only removes the record Google uses to personalize suggestions for you. If you want to stop Google from collecting searches at all, turn off Web & App Activity or use Incognito mode.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting my search history affect my Google account or Gmail?
No. Your search history is separate from your Gmail account, contacts, and other Google services. Deleting searches won't change your email, calendar, or any other data. It only removes the record of what you've searched for.
If I delete suggestions, will Google stop tracking me?
Deleting your search history removes suggestions, but Google still collects data about your searches if Web & App Activity is on. To stop Google from storing new searches, turn off Web & App Activity in your account settings. Even then, Google processes your searches to show you results — it just doesn't save them to your account.
Why do suggestions still appear after I deleted my history?
Suggestions can come from multiple sources: your search history, your location, trending searches in your region, and data your browser has stored locally. If you deleted your Google search history but still see suggestions, clear your browser cache and turn off Location History. Trending suggestions will always appear, but they won't be based on your personal searches.
Does Incognito mode hide my searches from my internet provider?
No. Incognito mode only hides your searches from Google and your browser — your internet provider can still see what websites you visit. To hide your activity from your provider, you would need to use a VPN (virtual private network), which is a separate tool.
Can I delete suggestions for just one search term?
Yes. Go to myactivity.google.com, find the specific search you want to remove, click the three dots next to it, and select "Delete". That single search will be removed from your history and won't generate suggestions anymore. You don't have to delete your entire history.