Clear your Google search history in three steps

You can delete everything Google has recorded about your searches by going to your Google Account settings, finding the search history section, and choosing what to remove. The process takes about two minutes and works the same way whether you use a phone, tablet, or computer. Google will stop showing you search suggestions based on deleted history, but it does not prevent Google from collecting new searches going forward — you have to turn that off separately if you want to.

The steps below work whether you search on Google.com, use the Google app on your phone, or search through your browser's address bar on Android or iPhone. If you use multiple Google accounts, you need to repeat these steps for each account separately.

Key Takeaways

  • You can delete all your Google search history at once, or pick a date range like the last week or the last month.
  • Deleting your history removes it from your Google Account, but does not delete it from your device's browser history — you need to clear that separately.
  • Google will continue collecting new searches unless you turn off Web & App Activity in your account settings.
  • Deleted history cannot be recovered, so make sure you want to remove it before you confirm the deletion.

Delete your search history from a computer

Open any web browser and go to myactivity.google.com. You do not need to search for it — type the address directly into your browser's address bar. If you are not already signed into your Google Account, Google will ask you to sign in now.

Once you are on the page, look at the left side. You will see a menu with the word Delete activity near the top. Click on it. A box will pop up asking you what you want to delete. At the top of this box, you will see three options: All time, Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 30 days, or Custom range. Pick whichever matches what you want to remove.

Below that, make sure the box next to Search is checked. You might see other types of activity listed — like YouTube watches or location history — but you only need the Search box marked if you only want to delete searches. Once you have picked your time range and made sure Search is checked, click the blue Delete button at the bottom. Google will remove those searches from your account when ready.

Delete your search history from an Android phone

Open the Google app on your phone — the one with the colorful Google logo, not Google Chrome. Tap your profile picture or initial in the top right corner. A menu will drop down. Tap Manage your Google Account.

At the top of the screen, you will see several tabs. Tap the one that says Data & privacy. Scroll down until you see Web & App Activity. Tap on it. Now tap Manage all Web & App Activity. This takes you to the same activity page you would see on a computer, but formatted for your phone screen.

Tap the trash can icon at the top. A menu will appear asking you to pick a time range — All time, Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, or Last 30 days. Choose what you want to delete. Make sure Search is checked in the list below, then tap Delete. The searches will be removed from your account right away.

Delete your search history from an iPhone or iPad

Open the Google app on your device. Tap the profile picture or initial in the bottom right corner. Tap Manage your Google Account. Swipe to the Data & privacy tab at the top.

Scroll down to Web & App Activity and tap it. Tap Manage all Web & App Activity. At the top of the screen, tap the three horizontal lines (called a menu button) and then tap Delete activity by. Pick your time range from the options shown — All time, Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, or Last 30 days. Make sure Search is checked, then tap Delete.

The difference between clearing Google history and browser history

When you delete your Google search history through your account, you are only removing what Google has stored on its servers. Your phone or computer still has a record of those searches in your browser's own history. If someone picks up your device and opens Chrome, Safari, or Firefox, they can still see what you searched for.

To remove searches from your device itself, you need to clear your browser history separately. On Chrome, open the browser, tap the three dots in the top right, and select History, then Clear browsing data. On Safari on iPhone, go to Settings, scroll to Safari, and tap Clear History and Website Data. On Firefox, tap the menu button and choose History, then Clear Recent History. These steps remove the record from your device, but do not affect what Google has stored.

Stop Google from recording new searches

Deleting your history does not prevent Google from collecting information about future searches. If you want Google to stop recording what you search for, you need to turn off Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings.

Go to myactivity.google.com on a computer, or follow the steps above to reach the Data & privacy section on your phone. Find Web & App Activity and tap or click on it. At the top, you will see a toggle switch that says Web & App Activity. Turn it off. Google will ask you to confirm — tap or click Turn off. From that point on, Google will not save your searches to your account. Note that turning this off does not delete your existing history — you still need to delete that separately using the steps above.

If you turn Web & App Activity back on later, Google will start recording your searches again from that date forward. Your old deleted history will not come back.

What happens after you delete your history

Once you delete your Google search history, those searches will no longer appear in your search suggestions when you start typing in the Google search box. Google will also stop using that deleted history to personalize ads shown to you across the web. However, Google may still have other information about you — like your location, the websites you visit, or videos you watch on YouTube — that it uses for personalization.

Deleted history cannot be recovered. If you realize later that you needed information about something you searched for, you will have to search for it again. Some people keep a note or document of important searches before deleting their history for this reason.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting my Google search history delete it from my device too?

No. Deleting your Google Account history only removes what Google stored on its servers. Your phone or computer still has the searches in your browser history. You need to clear your browser history separately using Chrome, Safari, or Firefox settings to remove it from your device.

Can I delete only certain searches instead of everything?

Yes. On myactivity.google.com, you can search for a specific word or phrase at the top of the page. When you find the search you want to remove, click the three dots next to it and select Delete. This removes only that one search, not your entire history.

Will Google stop tracking me if I delete my history?

Deleting your history removes past searches from your account, but does not stop Google from collecting new ones. To stop Google from recording future searches, you must turn off Web & App Activity in your account settings. Even with this off, Google may still collect other data like your location or browsing activity.

What if I accidentally deleted something I needed?

Deleted search history cannot be recovered from Google. If you need to find information you previously searched for, you will have to search for it again. Consider keeping notes or screenshots of important searches before you delete your history.

Do I need to delete my history on each device separately?

Your Google Account history is stored in one place, so deleting it through myactivity.google.com removes it from all your devices at once. However, each device's browser history is separate, so you need to clear the browser history on each phone, tablet, or computer individually.