Where to find your search history in Google Account
Your Google search history lives in your Google Account settings, not in your browser. Open myactivity.google.com in any browser where you are signed into your Google Account. You will see a timeline of your searches, organized by date, with the most recent at the top.
If you do not see search results on this page, check that you are signed into the correct Google Account. Some people have multiple accounts — one for work, one personal, one for a specific project. Your search history only appears under the account that performed the searches.
The page shows searches from all your devices — phone, tablet, computer — as long as you were signed into the same Google Account on each one. If you searched while signed out, those searches will not appear here.
Key Takeaways
- Your Google search history is stored at myactivity.google.com, organized by date with the newest searches first.
- Search history only appears if you were signed into your Google Account when you searched — searches done while signed out do not show up.
- You can delete individual searches, delete all searches from a specific date, or delete all searches from a time period using the filter and delete options on the page.
- Turning off Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings stops Google from storing new searches going forward, though past searches remain unless you delete them.
- Your search history is separate from your browser history — deleting one does not delete the other.
How to filter and search within your activity
Once you are on myactivity.google.com, you can narrow down what you see. Click the search box at the top and type a word or phrase — Google will show only the searches containing that term. This is useful if you remember roughly what you searched for but cannot find it in the timeline.
You can also filter by date range. Click the calendar icon or the "Date & product" button to set a start and end date. Google will then show only searches from that window. This helps if you remember when you searched for something — say, last month or three weeks ago — but not the exact date.
The filter also lets you narrow by product. You can view searches only, or searches plus YouTube history, Gmail activity, or other Google services. Most people want "Search" only when they are looking for search history specifically.
Deleting individual searches or entire dates
To delete a single search result, hover over it and click the trash icon that appears. Google removes it when ready. You will not see a confirmation dialog — it is gone.
To delete all searches from a specific day, click the three-dot menu next to that date and select "Delete." Google will ask you to confirm. All searches from that entire day will be removed.
If you want to delete a larger block — say, all searches from the past month — use the filter to set your date range, then click the trash icon at the top of the page. Google will ask you to confirm that you want to delete all activity in that date range. This action cannot be undone, so make sure you have the right dates selected before you confirm.
Turning off search history storage
If you do not want Google to store your searches going forward, you can turn off Web & App Activity. Go to myaccount.google.com, click "Data & privacy" on the left, then find "Web & App Activity" and click it. Toggle the switch to the off position.
Turning this off stops Google from recording new searches, but it does not delete searches you have already done. Those remain in your activity until you delete them manually. If you turn Web & App Activity back on later, Google will resume storing your searches.
Keep in mind that turning off Web & App Activity may affect some Google features. Google uses your search history to personalize results, suggest searches, and power some features in Google Assistant. Without it, these features work less well.
The difference between search history and browser history
Your Google search history and your browser history are two separate things. Google search history is what you searched for — the terms you typed into Google's search box. Browser history is every webpage you visited, whether you got there by searching, clicking a link, or typing a URL directly.
Deleting your browser history does not delete your Google search history, and vice versa. If you clear your browser history in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, your searches will still appear on myactivity.google.com. If you delete your Google search history, the pages you visited will still be in your browser history.
If you want to remove all traces of your online activity, you need to delete both. Delete your browser history through your browser's settings, and delete your Google search history through myactivity.google.com.
Viewing activity on specific devices
Google does not show you which device each search came from on the main activity page. However, you can see device information by going to myaccount.google.com, clicking "Security" on the left, scrolling down to "Your devices," and clicking "Manage all devices." This shows every device signed into your Google Account and when it last connected.
If you want to see only searches from a specific device, the easiest approach is to sign out of your Google Account on that device, then sign back in. This does not delete anything — it just disconnects the device temporarily. Once you sign back in, searches from that device will appear in your activity again.
Some people use this method to keep work and personal searches separate, even though they use the same Google Account. Signing out before personal searches and signing back in before work searches keeps the two activities in different time blocks on the activity page.
What happens if you cannot find a search you remember
If you remember searching for something but cannot find it on myactivity.google.com, check whether Web & App Activity was turned on at the time. If it was off, Google did not store that search. You can see when you turned it on and off by going to myaccount.google.com, clicking "Data & privacy," and scrolling through the Web & App Activity section.
If you searched while signed out of your Google Account, that search will not appear in your activity either. Only searches performed while signed in are stored. You can check your browser history instead — most browsers keep a record of every page you visited, including Google search results pages.
If you searched on a different Google Account, the search will be in that account's activity, not your current one. If you have multiple accounts, sign into each one and check myactivity.google.com separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see my search history if I am not signed into my Google Account?
No. Search history is stored in your Google Account, so you must be signed in to view it. If you are on a shared computer, make sure you sign into your own account before checking myactivity.google.com. Signing in as a different user will show that person's search history, not yours.
Does deleting my search history delete it from Google's servers?
When you delete a search from myactivity.google.com, it is removed from your account. However, Google may retain copies of your data for legal or technical reasons. Deleting your activity removes it from your view and from the data Google uses to personalize your experience, but you cannot may provide it is gone from all of Google's systems.
If I use private or incognito mode, does Google still store my searches?
No. Searches performed in private or incognito mode are not stored in your Google Account activity, even if you are signed in. Your browser does not save them locally either. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see what you searched for.
Can I read a copy of all my search history?
Yes. Go to takeout.google.com, select "Search" from the list of Google services, and click "Create export." Google will prepare a file containing your search history and let you read it. This can take a few minutes to several hours depending on how much data you have.
Does my search history sync across all my devices?
Yes, as long as you are signed into the same Google Account on each device. Searches from your phone, tablet, and computer all appear together on myactivity.google.com. If you sign out of your Google Account on one device, searches on that device will not sync to your activity until you sign back in.