You can delete your Google searches one at a time, in bulk by date range, or turn off storage entirely going forward

Google stores your searches in your account's activity log unless you turn that storage off. You can delete individual searches you remember, wipe everything from a specific time period, or pause all future recording. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're signed into Google on a computer or phone, and whether you want to erase the past or stop the recording from now on.

The fastest route for most people is to visit myactivity.google.com, find the searches you want gone, and delete them there. If you want to clear everything at once, Google's settings let you do that in under a minute. If you want to stop Google from storing searches altogether, that's a separate toggle in your account settings.

Key Takeaways

  • You can delete individual searches, entire date ranges, or all search history at once through myactivity.google.com on any device with a browser.
  • Deleting your search history from Google does not delete it from your internet service provider, your phone's browser, or any website you visited.
  • Turning off Web & App Activity in your Google account settings stops Google from recording new searches, but does not delete what's already stored.
  • If you are signed out of Google when you search, Google still stores some information tied to your device, though less than when you are signed in.
  • Clearing your browser history is separate from deleting your Google account history — doing one does not do the other.

Delete searches one at a time on a computer

Go to myactivity.google.com in any browser while signed into your Google account. You will see a timeline of your activity, with the most recent at the top. On the left side, click "Search" to show only your search history and filter out other Google activity like YouTube views or location history.

Find the search you want to delete. Hover over it and click the trash icon that appears on the right. Google will ask you to confirm; click "Delete" again. The search is now removed from your Google account. This method works the same way on a phone browser, though the trash icon may appear in a different spot depending on your screen size.

If you have many searches to delete one by one, this gets tedious quickly. Use the bulk delete method instead if you want to remove more than a few.

Delete all searches from a specific date range

Go to myactivity.google.com and sign in. At the top left, click the three-line menu icon, then select "Delete activity by." Google will open a panel on the left side with three options: "All time," "Last hour," "Last day," "Last week," "Last month," or a custom date range you set yourself.

Choose your date range. Then, on the left side, click "Search" to delete only searches (not your YouTube history, location data, or other activity). Google will show you how many items match that filter. Click the trash icon at the top right and confirm. All searches from that time period are now deleted.

If you want to delete everything except searches from a specific week, you will need to do this in multiple steps — delete "All time," then restore the week you want to keep by going back to myactivity.google.com and checking your trash within 15 days of deletion.

Delete all search history at once

Go to myactivity.google.com and sign in. Click the three-line menu on the top left and select "Delete activity by." At the top of the left panel, make sure "All time" is selected. On the left side, click "Search" to filter for searches only. Then click the trash icon at the top right and confirm the deletion.

Google will delete every search in your account history. This does not affect searches you made while signed out, and it does not delete searches stored by your internet service provider or your phone's browser. It only removes the record from your Google account.

Stop Google from recording new searches going forward

Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in. On the left side, click "Data & privacy." Scroll down to "Your data & privacy controls" and click "Web & App Activity." Toggle this setting off. Google will stop recording your searches, YouTube views, and other activity tied to your account.

When Web & App Activity is off, Google still knows you searched — it just does not store a record linked to your account that you can see later. Your internet service provider, your phone's browser, and the websites you visit will still have records. Turning off this setting only affects what Google keeps in your account.

You can turn Web & App Activity back on at any time by going to the same page and toggling it on again.

What deleting your Google search history does not do

Deleting your Google search history does not delete the searches from your browser's local storage. If you used Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge, that browser keeps its own record of what you typed into the address bar and search box. You need to clear your browser history separately. In most browsers, this is Ctrl+H (or Cmd+H on Mac), then click "Clear browsing data" and select "Search and site suggestions."

Deleting your Google search history also does not remove records held by your internet service provider. Your ISP can see which websites you visited based on your internet traffic, regardless of whether you delete your Google searches. It does not remove records from individual websites you visited — if you searched for something and then visited a website, that website still has a record that you visited.

If you were signed out of Google when you searched, deleting your account history will not touch those searches. Google may still have tied them to your device using cookies or your IP address, but they will not appear in myactivity.google.com.

Delete searches on your phone

On an Android phone, open the Google app and tap your profile picture in the top right. Tap "Manage your Google Account," then go to the "Data & privacy" tab. Scroll to "Web & App Activity" and tap it. You can toggle off future recording or tap "Manage all Web & App Activity" to delete past searches.

On an iPhone, you cannot delete searches directly from the Google app. Instead, open any browser, go to myactivity.google.com, and follow the same steps as on a computer. The interface is the same, just formatted for a smaller screen.

If you want to delete searches from your phone's browser itself (Safari on iPhone, Chrome on Android), that is a separate process. On iPhone, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. On Android, open Chrome, tap the three dots in the top right, go to Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I delete my Google search history, can Google still see what I searched?

Google's servers still have a record of your search, but it is no longer tied to your account in a way you can view or manage. Deleting your search history removes it from myactivity.google.com. If you want to prevent Google from recording searches in the first place, turn off Web & App Activity in your account settings.

Does clearing my browser history delete my Google search history?

No. Clearing your browser history deletes what your browser remembers, but does not touch your Google account history. You need to delete them separately — one through your browser settings, the other through myactivity.google.com.

What happens to my search history if I delete my Google account?

Your search history is deleted along with your account. Google gives you 30 days to change your mind and restore your account before the deletion becomes permanent. After 30 days, your search history and all other account data are gone.

Can I delete searches from a specific website?

You can search for a specific website in myactivity.google.com by typing the domain name in the search box at the top. This shows you all searches that led to that site. You can then delete them individually or in bulk using the same methods as any other search.

If I search while signed out of Google, is it still recorded?

Google may tie unsigned searches to your device using cookies or your IP address, but they will not appear in your myactivity.google.com timeline. If you sign back in later, those searches will not show up in your account history. Signing out of Google is one way to keep searches out of your account, though your browser and internet service provider will still have records.