Delete your search history from your Google account

Google stores your searches in your account's activity log. To remove them, sign into your Google account, go to myactivity.google.com, and you'll see a list of everything Google has recorded — searches, videos you watched, places you looked up, and more.

On the left side of the page, click Delete activity. You can delete everything at once or pick a date range. If you want to remove only searches, click the filter icon and select Search to show only search activity, then delete just those items. Google will ask you to confirm; once you do, those entries are removed from your account.

This process works the same way whether you use Google on a computer, phone, or tablet — as long as you're signed into your Google account when you search. If you've never signed in, Google may not have stored your searches in an account at all, though your internet service provider or device may still have a record.

Key Takeaways

  • Visit myactivity.google.com while signed into your Google account to see and delete your stored searches.
  • You can delete all your search history at once or remove only searches from a specific date range.
  • Clearing your search history from Google does not delete it from your browser, your device, or your internet service provider's records.
  • Turning off Web & App Activity in your Google account settings stops Google from storing future searches, but you must do this before you search.
  • If you want privacy during a single search session, use your browser's private or incognito mode instead of deleting history afterward.

The difference between clearing Google history and browser history

When you delete your search history from Google's servers, your browser still remembers what you searched for. If you use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, that browser keeps its own record of your activity. Clearing Google's records does nothing to remove those local records.

To clear your browser history, open your browser's settings. In Chrome, press Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+Y (Mac), then click Clear browsing data on the left. Choose what time period you want to clear — the last hour, day, week, all time — and make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are checked. Then click Clear data.

In Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (Windows) or Command+Shift+Delete (Mac). In Safari, go to History in the menu bar and click Clear History. In Edge, press Ctrl+Shift+Delete. Each browser works slightly differently, but they all let you pick a time range and confirm before deleting.

Stop Google from storing future searches

If you don't want Google to record your searches going forward, you can turn off the setting that allows it. Go to myactivity.google.com, click your profile picture in the top right, and select Manage your Google Account. Click the Data & privacy tab.

Scroll down to Web & App Activity and click it. You'll see a toggle switch that says Web & App Activity is on. Click the toggle to turn it off. Google will ask you to confirm. Once you do, Google will stop storing your searches, YouTube videos you watch, and other activity — but only from that moment forward. Searches you made before you turned it off will still be in your account unless you delete them separately.

Keep in mind that turning off Web & App Activity doesn't make you invisible to Google. The company still knows you're using its services. It just stops keeping a searchable record of what you did. Some Google features, like personalized search results and recommendations, may work less well without this setting on.

Use private or incognito mode for one-time privacy

If you want to search without leaving a record, the fastest option is your browser's private mode. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Command+Shift+N (Mac) to open an incognito window. In Firefox, press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows) or Command+Shift+P (Mac) for a private window. Safari calls it Private Browsing — press Command+Shift+N. Edge uses InPrivate — press Ctrl+Shift+P.

When you search in private mode, your browser doesn't save the search in its history. Google still records the search in your account if you're signed in, but your device won't keep a local record. If you want Google not to record it either, sign out of your Google account before you search, or turn off Web & App Activity first.

Private mode also blocks most cookies and doesn't save passwords or autofill information. When you close the private window, everything from that session disappears from your device. This is useful for a single search session, but it's not a substitute for deleting old history if you want to remove records that already exist.

What clearing your history does and doesn't do

Deleting your Google search history removes the record from your Google account. It does not remove the record from your internet service provider, your employer's network (if you searched at work), or any website you visited during those searches. Those organizations keep their own logs of what traffic passed through their systems.

Clearing your browser history removes the record from your device. It does not remove records from Google's servers if you were signed in, and it does not remove records from any website you visited. Websites can still see that you visited them, and they may have stored information about you in their own databases or through cookies.

If you're concerned about privacy on a shared device, clearing both your Google history and your browser history removes the most obvious local record. But anyone with access to your Google account can still see what you searched for unless you delete it from myactivity.google.com first. If you want to prevent someone from seeing your searches on a shared device, use private mode instead of deleting history after the fact.

Deleting specific searches instead of everything

You don't have to delete all your search history at once. On myactivity.google.com, you can delete individual searches or groups of searches. Scroll through your activity, find the search you want to remove, hover over it, and click the trash icon that appears. Google will delete just that one item.

If you want to delete searches from a specific time period without deleting everything, click Delete activity on the left side. Instead of choosing "All time," pick Custom range and enter the start and end dates. Google will delete only the activity from those dates. You can also use the search box at the top of myactivity.google.com to find specific searches — for example, type a word you remember searching for, and Google will show you only those results, which you can then delete.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing my search history make me anonymous to Google?

No. Clearing your search history removes the record of what you searched for, but Google still knows you're using its services. The company can still track your activity through other means, like your Gmail account, YouTube watch history, and location data from your phone. Deleting search history is about removing one specific record, not about becoming invisible to Google.

If I clear my history, can Google still show me personalized ads?

Google can still show you ads based on information it has about you from other sources — your Gmail, your YouTube activity, your location, your device type, and your Google account settings. Clearing search history alone won't stop personalized ads. To reduce ad personalization, go to myactivity.google.com, click Data & privacy, and turn off Web & App Activity and Location History.

Will clearing my history delete my saved passwords or autofill information?

Clearing your Google search history from myactivity.google.com does not touch your passwords or autofill data. Those are stored separately in your Google account. If you want to delete saved passwords, go to passwords.google.com. If you want to clear autofill information, go to your browser settings and look for "Autofill" or "Payment methods."

Can I see my search history if I'm not signed into Google?

No. Your search history on myactivity.google.com is only visible when you're signed into your Google account. If you search without signing in, Google may not store that search in an account-based history, though your internet service provider and browser will still have records. If you want to check whether you're signed in, look for your profile picture in the top right corner of Google's homepage.

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

When you delete your Google account, Google deletes your search history along with your email, photos, and other account data. The deletion takes about two weeks to complete across all of Google's servers. However, you can delete your search history without deleting your entire account by using myactivity.google.com.