Delete your search history on any device in under two minutes
You can delete what you searched on Google from your account settings, and the process is the same whether you use a phone, tablet, or computer. Google stores your searches in your account history, and you can remove them all at once or delete individual searches one by one. The fastest way is to go to your Google Account, find the search history section, and clear everything from a specific date range or delete your entire history.
The searches you delete from your account stop appearing in your Google search suggestions and are removed from the timeline Google keeps. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visited may still have records of where you went — deleting your Google history does not erase those separate records.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete all your Google searches at once or remove individual searches through your Google Account settings.
- Deleting your search history from Google does not delete your browsing history in your web browser — those are two separate things.
- You can set Google to automatically delete your search history after three months, 18 months, or another time period you choose.
- Turning off Web & App Activity stops Google from storing new searches, but it does not delete searches that are already saved.
- Your internet service provider keeps its own records of websites you visited, separate from Google's search history.
Delete all your searches at once
Go to myactivity.google.com in your web browser on any device. You must be signed into the Google Account where your searches are stored. Once the page loads, you will see a list of your recent activity, including searches, videos you watched, and websites you visited while signed in.
Look for the three-line menu icon (called a hamburger menu) in the top left corner and click it. Select Delete activity by. A panel will open on the left side of the screen. At the top, you will see a date range dropdown that says "All time" — leave this selected if you want to delete everything, or click it to choose a specific date range like "Last hour", "Last day", or "Custom range" if you want to keep some older searches.
Below the date range, make sure only Search is checked in the activity types list. Uncheck anything else you want to keep, like YouTube history or Chrome browsing data. Then click the Delete button at the bottom. Google will ask you to confirm — click Delete again, and your searches from that time period will be removed from your account.
Delete individual searches one at a time
If you only want to remove certain searches instead of everything, go back to myactivity.google.com and stay on the main activity page without opening the delete menu. Scroll through your activity list until you find a search you want to remove.
Hover your mouse over that search result (or tap and hold on a phone), and a trash can icon will appear on the right side. Click or tap the trash icon, and that single search will be deleted when ready. Repeat this for each search you want to remove. This method takes longer if you have many searches to delete, but it lets you keep the ones you want to save.
Stop Google from storing new searches automatically
If you do not want Google to save your searches going forward, you can turn off the setting that stores them. Go to myactivity.google.com, click the three-line menu in the top left, and select Settings. Look for the section called Web & App Activity and click on it.
You will see a toggle switch next to "Web & App Activity is on". Click this toggle to turn it off. A popup will appear asking you to confirm — click Turn off. From that moment on, Google will not save your new searches to your account history. Your old searches remain deleted if you already removed them, but turning off this setting does not delete anything that was already saved.
Keep in mind that turning off Web & App Activity may affect other Google services. For example, Google Maps recommendations and Gmail spam filtering work better when this setting is on because Google uses your activity to personalize these features. You can turn it back on at any time by following the same steps.
Set Google to delete your searches automatically
Instead of manually deleting your searches, you can tell Google to delete them automatically after a set amount of time. Go to myactivity.google.com, click the three-line menu, and select Settings. Find Web & App Activity and click on it.
Look for the option that says Auto-delete and click on it. You will see choices like "Keep all my activity", "Delete automatically after 3 months", "Delete automatically after 18 months", or "Delete automatically after 36 months". Select the time period you prefer. Google will then delete your searches and other activity older than that time frame on a rolling basis — for example, if you choose 3 months, searches from more than three months ago will be automatically removed.
Delete search history on your phone or tablet
The process on a mobile device is almost identical to a computer. Open your web browser, go to myactivity.google.com, and sign in if needed. Tap the three-line menu at the top left and select Delete activity by. Choose your date range at the top, make sure only Search is checked, and tap Delete to confirm.
If you are using the Google app on your phone instead of a web browser, you can also delete searches directly from the app. Open the Google app, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, select Manage your Google Account, go to the Data & Privacy tab, and look for Web & App Activity. From there, you can turn the setting off or adjust auto-delete, though you will still need to go to myactivity.google.com to delete individual searches.
Understand what deleting your search history does and does not do
Deleting your Google search history removes your searches from your Google Account and stops them from appearing in your search suggestions. It also prevents Google from using those searches to personalize ads and recommendations shown to you across Google services. However, this deletion is limited to Google's records only.
Your web browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge) keeps its own separate browsing history. Deleting your Google search history does not touch your browser history — you need to delete that separately through your browser's settings. Additionally, your internet service provider has records of every website you visited, and those records are not affected by anything you do in your Google Account. Websites you visited also keep their own logs of your visits. Deleting your Google search history is one privacy step, but it is not a complete erasure of your online activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see what I searched before I delete it?
Yes. Go to myactivity.google.com and scroll through your activity list to see all your searches in reverse chronological order (newest first). You can search within this page using the search box at the top to find specific searches. This is useful if you want to review what you searched before deciding what to delete.
Will deleting my search history affect my Google recommendations?
Yes. Google uses your search history to personalize recommendations in Google Maps, YouTube, and Google News. After you delete your history, these recommendations will be less personalized until you build up new activity. If you turn off Web & App Activity entirely, personalization stops when ready.
Does deleting my Google search history delete my browser history?
No. Your Google search history and your browser history are stored in two different places. You must delete your browser history separately through your browser's settings — usually under History or Privacy settings. Deleting one does not affect the other.
What happens to my deleted searches if I turn Web & App Activity back on?
Searches you have already deleted stay deleted. Turning Web & App Activity back on only affects new searches going forward — Google will start storing them again, but your old deleted searches do not reappear.
Can someone else see my search history if they use my computer?
If they sign into your Google Account, they can see your search history through myactivity.google.com. If they use your computer without signing in, they cannot see your Google search history, but they may be able to see your browser history depending on your browser settings. Use a separate user account on your computer if you share it with others.