Where your search history lives and how to reach it
Your search history is stored in two places: on the search engine's servers (if you have an account) and in your browser's local storage. Deleting one without the other leaves a record behind. Google stores your searches in your Google Account if you are signed in. Microsoft Bing does the same with a Microsoft account. If you search without signing in, only your browser keeps a record on your device.
The fastest way to delete everything is to clear both at once: first delete your account history on the search engine's website, then clear your browser's cache and history. The order matters because clearing your browser first does not touch what the search engine has already saved on its servers.
Key Takeaways
- Google and Bing store your searches on their servers only if you are signed into an account; signing out before searching leaves no account record.
- Deleting your search history on Google or Bing's website does not erase what your browser saved locally, so you must clear both.
- Your browser's history deletion works the same way across Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, though the menu location differs slightly.
- You can pause automatic search history saving in your Google or Microsoft account settings to prevent future searches from being stored.
Deleting search history from your Google Account
Go to myactivity.google.com in any browser while signed into your Google Account. This page shows every search, video you watched on YouTube, and website you visited through Google. On the left side, click Delete activity. Choose the date range — you can delete everything, just today, or a custom range. Select All time to clear everything.
Google will ask you to confirm. Click the trash icon or Delete. The page will show a confirmation message. This removes your searches from Google's servers, but your browser still has a local copy. You must clear your browser history separately to remove it from your device.
If you want to stop Google from saving future searches, go to myactivity.google.com, click Web & App Activity on the left, then toggle Web & App Activity off. Google will stop recording your searches, but you must be signed in for this setting to work.
Deleting search history from your Microsoft account
Go to account.microsoft.com/privacy while signed into your Microsoft account. Click Clear recent activity. Microsoft will show you a list of searches and websites. You can delete individual items by clicking the X next to each one, or click Clear all activity at the bottom to remove everything at once.
Choose the time range if given the option — Microsoft sometimes lets you select the past hour, day, week, or all time. Confirm the deletion. Like Google, this only removes what Microsoft stored on its servers. Your browser still has a local copy that you must delete separately.
To stop Bing from saving future searches, stay on the privacy page and look for Browsing history or Search history settings. Toggle off the option to save your activity. You must be signed in for this to take effect.
Clearing search history from your browser
On Chrome: Click the three-line menu in the top right corner, select History, then History again. On the left, click Clear browsing data. A window will open. Make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are checked. At the top, change the time range to All time. Click Clear data.
On Firefox: Click the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right, select History, then Clear Recent History. In the window that opens, change Time range to clear to Everything. Make sure Cookies and Cache are checked. Click Clear Now.
On Safari: Click Safari in the menu bar at the top of the screen, select Clear History. Choose how far back you want to clear — select all history to remove everything. Click Clear History.
On Edge: Click the three-dot menu in the top right, select History, then Clear browsing data. Change the time range to All time. Check Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. Click Clear now.
Deleting individual searches instead of everything
You do not have to delete your entire history. On Google's activity page, hover over any search result and click the trash icon that appears. Google will remove just that one search. Do the same on Microsoft's privacy page by clicking the X next to individual items.
In your browser, you cannot delete individual searches from the history list — you can only delete all history or history from a specific time range. If you want to hide one search from your browser, the fastest way is to open a private or incognito window before searching. These windows do not save history to your device.
Using private browsing to prevent history from being saved
Every major browser has a private mode that does not save your search history locally. Open a private window before you search, and your browser will not record anything on your device. However, your internet service provider and the search engine can still see what you search for — private mode only hides your activity from other people using your device.
Chrome: Press Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Command+Shift+N (Mac). Firefox: Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Command+Shift+P (Mac). Safari: Click File, then New Private Window. Edge: Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Command+Shift+P (Mac).
Private mode does not stop Google or Bing from saving your searches if you are signed into your account. You must sign out before searching, or disable search history saving in your account settings, to prevent the search engine from storing anything on its servers.
What happens after you delete your search history
Once deleted, your searches are gone from both the search engine's servers and your browser. You cannot recover them. If you signed out of your account before searching, there was never a server copy to delete — only your browser had a record.
Deleted searches do not reappear in search suggestions or autocomplete. If you type a search term you previously deleted, the search engine will not suggest your old searches. However, if other people use your device or account, they may still see searches you did not delete, so clearing history regularly is the only way to keep your searches private from them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting my search history delete my Google or Microsoft account?
No. Deleting your search history only removes the record of what you searched for. Your account itself, your email, and all your files remain untouched. You are only removing activity logs, not the account.
If I clear my browser history, does that delete my searches from Google's servers?
No. Clearing your browser only removes what your device stored locally. Google still has a copy on its servers if you were signed in. You must go to myactivity.google.com and delete it there separately.
Can I delete search history from a specific date or time?
Yes. Both Google and Bing let you choose a date range when you delete — you can pick today only, the past week, the past month, or all time. Your browser also offers date range options when you clear history.
Will deleting my search history stop ads from following me?
Deleting search history removes the record of what you searched for, but advertisers may still track you through cookies and other methods. Clearing cookies when you delete your history helps, but does not stop all tracking. You can adjust ad settings in your Google or Microsoft account to limit personalized ads.
What if I forgot to sign out before searching — is that search saved?
Yes. If you were signed into your Google or Microsoft account, that search was saved to your account even if you did not realize it. Go to myactivity.google.com or account.microsoft.com/privacy to delete it from your account history.