Where Google stores your search history
Google keeps a record of every search you make when you are signed into your account. This record lives in your Google Account settings, not in your browser. You can see it by going to myactivity.google.com — that is the only place Google shows you a complete list of what you have searched for.
The searches appear in reverse chronological order, with your most recent search at the top. Google also records what device you used, what time you searched, and sometimes your location. If you use Google without signing in, Google does not store that search in your account history, though your internet service provider may still have a record of it.
You can also see some of your search history in your browser itself — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge all keep their own separate records. But the Google Account history is the one Google maintains, and it is the one that follows you across devices if you use the same account on your phone, tablet, and computer.
Key Takeaways
- Your Google search history is stored at myactivity.google.com and only appears there when you are signed into your account.
- Google records the search term, the date, the time, the device you used, and sometimes your location for each search.
- You can filter your history by date, by product (Search, Maps, YouTube), or by search term to find specific searches.
- Deleting individual searches or your entire history from Google does not affect your browser history — you must delete those separately.
- If you turn off Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings, Google will stop recording new searches, but past searches remain until you delete them.
How to access your Google search history
Go to myactivity.google.com in any browser and sign in with the Google account you use for searching. You will see a list of your recent activity. By default, it shows everything Google has recorded — searches, videos you watched on YouTube, maps you looked up, and more.
At the top of the page, you will see a filter button that looks like three horizontal lines. Click it to narrow down what you see. You can filter by date (today, yesterday, last 7 days, last 30 days, or a custom date range), by product (just Google Search, just YouTube, just Maps, and so on), or by search term if you remember a word from what you are looking for.
If you want to see only your Google searches and hide YouTube, Maps, and other activity, click the filter, select "Google Search" under Products, and explore. The page will reload showing only searches you performed.
Finding a specific search you performed
If you remember roughly when you searched for something, use the date filter. Click the filter button, select "Custom date range", and enter the dates you think the search happened. Google will show only activity from that window.
If you remember a word or phrase from what you searched for, use the search box at the top of myactivity.google.com. Type a keyword — for example, if you searched for "best pizza near me" but cannot find it, type "pizza" in the search box and Google will show only activity containing that word.
Searches appear in reverse chronological order, so the most recent ones are at the top. If you are looking for something from months ago, you may need to scroll down or use the date filter to jump to that time period rather than scrolling through hundreds of entries.
Understanding what information Google records
For each search, Google stores the exact search term you typed, the date and time, and the device you used (phone, tablet, or computer). If you have location history turned on in your Google Account settings, Google also records the approximate location where you performed the search.
Google does not record which search results you clicked on — only that you performed the search. It does not record how long you spent on a website or what you did after you left Google. The history shows the search itself, not your browsing activity on other websites.
If you use Google Assistant (the voice search feature on Android phones or Google Home devices), those voice searches also appear in your history, recorded as text. If you use Google's incognito mode in Chrome or private browsing in other browsers, those searches do not appear in your Google Account history at all.
Viewing history on your phone or tablet
You can access myactivity.google.com on your phone or tablet the same way you do on a computer — open a browser, go to the website, and sign in. The layout is slightly different on mobile, but the information is the same.
On Android phones, you can also access your activity through the Google app itself. Open the Google app, tap your profile picture in the top right, select "Manage your Google Account", go to the "Data & Privacy" tab, and scroll down to "Web & App Activity". Tap it to see your history and manage your settings.
On iPhones and iPads, the easiest route is still to open a browser and go to myactivity.google.com. Apple's Safari browser does not have a built-in way to access Google Account activity, so the website is your best option.
The difference between Google history and browser history
Your Google Account history (at myactivity.google.com) is separate from your browser history. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge each keep their own records of the websites you visit and the searches you perform in that browser.
If you clear your browser history in Chrome, your Google Account history remains unchanged. If you delete a search from myactivity.google.com, it does not disappear from your browser's history. You have to delete it in both places if you want it gone from both.
Browser history is stored on your device. Google Account history is stored on Google's servers. If you sign out of your Google account and use a different browser, you will not see your Google Account history — but you will see the history from that new browser.
Why Google keeps this history
Google stores your search history to personalize your search results and show you ads based on your interests. The longer your history, the better Google can predict what you are looking for and tailor results to you. Google also uses this data to improve its search algorithm and to show you ads from companies that match your interests.
You can turn off this recording at any time. Go to myactivity.google.com, click the three-line menu button in the top left, select "Activity controls", and toggle off "Web & App Activity". Google will stop recording new searches, but your past searches will remain in your history until you delete them manually.
Turning off Web & App Activity may make your search results less personalized and may affect how Google shows you ads, but it does not prevent Google from knowing you searched — it just prevents Google from storing a record you can see later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see my Google search history if I am not signed in?
No. Your Google Account history only appears when you sign in at myactivity.google.com. If you are not signed in, you cannot see it. If you performed searches without signing in, those searches do not appear in your Google Account history at all.
How far back does Google keep my search history?
Google keeps your search history indefinitely unless you delete it. Some accounts may have older activity automatically deleted after a certain period, but by default, Google stores everything back to when you first created your account. You can delete specific searches or your entire history at any time.
If I delete a search from myactivity.google.com, does it disappear from Google's servers?
When you delete a search from myactivity.google.com, it is removed from the history you can see. Google may retain copies of the data for legal or technical reasons, but it is no longer associated with your account in a way you can access or that affects your personalized results.
Can someone else see my Google search history?
Only if they have access to your Google account password. Your search history is private to your account. If you share a device with someone else, they can see your history only if they sign into your Google account on that device or if you leave yourself signed in.
Does incognito mode hide my searches from Google?
Incognito mode in Chrome (and private browsing in other browsers) prevents your searches from appearing in your browser history and in your Google Account history. Google does not record those searches in myactivity.google.com. However, your internet service provider and your network administrator may still see what you searched for.