Delete your search history from each search engine separately

Your search history lives in two places: on Google's servers (or Bing's, or whoever you use), and in your browser. Deleting one does not delete the other. You need to clear both to remove your searches completely.

Start with the search engine itself. Google stores your searches in your Google Account if you are signed in. Bing does the same with a Microsoft Account. If you search without signing in, that search engine keeps less information about you, but it still keeps some — usually tied to your IP address or device.

The fastest way is to go to the search engine's settings page directly. For Google, visit myactivity.google.com. For Bing, go to account.microsoft.com/privacy. Both pages show you what the company has recorded and let you delete it in bulk.

Key Takeaways

  • Google and Bing store your searches on their servers separately from your browser, so you must delete from both places to fully remove your history.
  • Google's My Activity page and Bing's privacy settings let you delete all searches at once or choose a date range to remove.
  • Your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) keeps a local copy of searches you performed while signed in to that browser, which requires a separate deletion step.
  • Turning on auto-delete in your search engine settings will remove old searches automatically after 3 or 18 months, depending on the service.
  • Searches performed in private or incognito mode are not stored by your browser, but the search engine still records them if you are signed in.

Delete all Google searches at once

Go to myactivity.google.com and sign in with the Google Account you use for searching. On the left side, click Delete activity by. A menu will appear asking you to choose a date range.

Select All time to delete every search Google has recorded. Then click the blue Delete button. Google will ask you to confirm. After you confirm, the deletion is permanent — Google removes the searches from its servers and cannot recover them.

If you want to keep some searches and delete only older ones, you can choose a specific date range instead. For example, you could delete everything before January 1, 2024, and keep searches from this year. The same confirmation step applies.

Delete all Bing searches at once

Go to account.microsoft.com/privacy and sign in with your Microsoft Account. Look for the section labeled Clear recent activity or Manage your search history — the exact wording changes as Microsoft updates the page.

Click the option to clear your search history. Bing will show you a date range selector. Choose All time to remove every search. Click Clear and confirm. Like Google, this deletion is permanent.

If you do not have a Microsoft Account and search Bing without signing in, Bing still keeps some record tied to your device or IP address. You cannot delete this directly through Bing's website — you would need to clear your browser history instead, which is covered in the next section.

Clear search history from your browser

Your browser keeps a separate record of searches you performed in its search bar or address bar. This is different from the search engine's servers. Clearing your browser history removes this local copy.

In Chrome, press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + Y (Mac). On the left, click Clear browsing data. Make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are checked. Set the time range to All time. Click Clear data.

In Firefox, press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + Y (Mac). Click Clear Recent History on the right. Set the time range to Everything. Make sure Cookies and Cache are checked. Click Clear Now.

In Safari, click Safari in the menu bar, then Clear History. Choose how far back you want to clear — select all history to remove everything. Click Clear History.

In Edge, press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + Y (Mac). Click Clear browsing data on the right. Set the time range to All time. Make sure Cookies and other site data is checked. Click Clear now.

Turn on automatic deletion to prevent future buildup

Instead of manually deleting your search history every few months, you can set your search engine and browser to delete old searches automatically.

Google offers auto-delete in My Activity settings. Go to myactivity.google.com, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines), and select Settings. Under Auto-delete activity, choose whether you want Google to delete searches after 3 months or 18 months. Google will then remove searches older than that date automatically each month.

Bing has a similar feature. In your Microsoft Account privacy settings, look for Search history and toggle on Clear search history automatically. You can choose how often — usually monthly or quarterly.

Most browsers also have a setting to clear cookies and cache when you close the browser. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome and toggle it on. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data and check Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed. This does not delete search history specifically, but it removes tracking data that search engines use to build a profile of you.

Understand what private browsing does and does not do

Private or incognito mode in your browser does not send your searches to the search engine's servers. However, the search engine still records them if you are signed in to your account while using private mode.

In Chrome, open an incognito window with Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Command + Shift + N (Mac). In Firefox, open a private window with Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows) or Command + Shift + P (Mac). In Safari, open a private window with Command + Shift + N. In Edge, open an InPrivate window with Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows) or Command + Shift + P (Mac).

When you close a private window, your browser does not save the searches you performed in that window. But if you were signed in to Google or Bing during that private session, those companies still recorded your searches. You would still need to delete them from My Activity or your Microsoft Account settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting my search history delete it from Google's servers when ready?

Yes. When you delete from My Activity or Bing's privacy settings, the search engine removes the data from its servers right away. You cannot undo this deletion. The searches are gone permanently.

If I search without signing in, is my search history still stored?

Yes, but differently. Google and Bing tie unsigned searches to your IP address or device fingerprint rather than your account. You cannot delete these searches through My Activity. Clearing your browser history is the only way to remove them from your device.

Will clearing my browser history delete my search history from Google?

No. Clearing your browser history only removes the local copy stored on your computer. Google's servers still have a record if you were signed in. You must delete from My Activity separately to remove searches from Google's servers.

Can I delete only certain searches instead of all of them?

Yes. In My Activity, you can search for a specific term and delete only that search, or you can select a date range to delete searches from a certain period. Bing offers similar options in its privacy settings.

What happens to my search history if I delete my Google or Microsoft Account?

Deleting your account also deletes the search history tied to that account. However, this is permanent and affects your entire account, not just search history. If you only want to delete searches, use My Activity or privacy settings instead.