What clearing YouTube history does and doesn't do
Clearing your YouTube history removes the record of videos you've watched and searches you've performed on YouTube itself. When you clear it, YouTube stops using those videos to recommend new content to you, and the list disappears from your account's history page. This happens on whatever device you're signed into — phone, tablet, or computer.
Clearing YouTube history does not delete the videos themselves, remove you from YouTube, or prevent YouTube from collecting new data about what you watch going forward. It also does not affect your browser history (the list of websites you've visited), which is a separate record kept by Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or whatever browser you use. If you want to hide your web browsing from others who use your device, you'll need to clear your browser history separately.
YouTube offers two ways to manage your history: pause it so nothing new gets recorded, or delete what's already there. Most people need to do both — pause first so new activity doesn't pile up again, then delete the old record.
Key Takeaways
- You can pause YouTube history to stop new videos from being recorded, or delete your entire watch and search history from your account settings.
- Pausing history stops recommendations based on your viewing but does not delete videos you've already watched.
- Clearing YouTube history is separate from clearing your browser history, which you do in your browser's settings, not in YouTube.
- YouTube keeps a separate record of videos you've liked and playlists you've created, which do not clear when you delete your watch history.
How to pause YouTube history on any device
Pausing history stops YouTube from recording new videos you watch or searches you perform. This is the fastest way to prevent YouTube from building a record, though it does not erase what's already there.
On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap Settings, then History & privacy. You'll see a toggle for Pause watch history and another for Pause search history. Tap each one to turn it off. When paused, the toggle will show as gray instead of blue.
On a computer, go to YouTube.com and click your profile picture in the top right. Click Settings, then History & privacy in the left menu. Click the toggle next to Pause watch history and Pause search history. Both will turn gray when paused.
Once paused, YouTube will not show you recommendations based on what you watch, and your account won't store a record of new videos. If you later want YouTube to resume recording your history, return to the same menu and click the toggles again to turn them back on.
How to delete your entire watch and search history
Deleting history removes the record of videos you've already watched and searches you've already performed. This is permanent — once deleted, YouTube cannot restore it. You should pause history first (using the steps above), then delete what's already recorded.
On a phone or tablet, open YouTube and tap your profile picture. Go to Settings > History & privacy. Scroll down and tap Clear all watch history. A popup will ask you to confirm. Tap Clear watch history. Then return to the same menu and tap Clear all search history to remove your searches as well.
On a computer, go to YouTube.com, click your profile picture, and select Settings. Click History & privacy on the left. Under "Clear all watch history," click Clear all watch history. Confirm when prompted. Then scroll down and click Clear all search history under the search section.
YouTube will ask you to confirm both actions. Once you confirm, the records are deleted when ready. Your recommendations will reset, and YouTube will begin building a new history based on videos you watch from that point forward.
Clearing your browser history separately from YouTube history
Your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge) keeps its own record of every website you visit, separate from YouTube's internal history. Clearing YouTube's history does not clear your browser history. If you want to hide the fact that you visited YouTube at all, or visited other websites, you need to clear your browser history through the browser itself.
In Chrome on a computer, press Ctrl + H (or Command + H on Mac) to open your history. Click Clear browsing data on the left. Choose your time range (Last hour, Last 24 hours, All time), check the boxes for what you want to delete, and click Clear data. In Firefox, press Ctrl + H, click the trash icon, and choose your time range. In Safari on Mac, go to History menu > Clear History.
On a phone, the process varies by browser. In Chrome on Android, tap the three dots in the top right, go to Settings > Privacy, and tap Clear browsing data. In Safari on iPhone, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data. Each browser stores this setting in a different place, so if you use multiple browsers, you'll need to clear history in each one separately.
What doesn't get deleted when you clear YouTube history
YouTube keeps several records that are separate from your watch history. Your liked videos are stored in a separate list and do not delete when you clear your watch history. If you want to remove a video from your likes, you must unlike it individually. Similarly, any playlists you've created remain intact — clearing history does not touch them.
Your comments on videos also stay on YouTube when you clear your history. If you want to remove a comment, you must delete it directly from the video page. YouTube also keeps a record of channels you've subscribed to, which does not clear with your history. If you want to hide your subscriptions, you can make them private in your account settings, but clearing history won't do it.
Additionally, YouTube's servers retain information about what you've watched for purposes of their own operations and recommendations, even after you delete your history. Clearing your history removes it from your account, but does not prevent YouTube from using that data internally. If you want to limit what YouTube collects about you, you can adjust your privacy settings, but that's a separate process from clearing history.
Using private or incognito mode to avoid recording history
If you want to watch YouTube without creating a history record at all, you can use your browser's private or incognito mode. In Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + N (or Command + Shift + N on Mac) to open an incognito window. In Firefox, press Ctrl + Shift + P. In Safari on Mac, press Command + Shift + N. On a phone, the process varies — in Chrome on Android, tap the three dots and select New incognito tab.
When you use incognito or private mode, your browser does not save your browsing history, cookies, or search history. However, YouTube still records your activity if you're signed into your account. To prevent YouTube from recording, you must also pause your YouTube history before opening the incognito window, or sign out of YouTube before browsing in private mode.
Private mode is useful if you share a device with others and don't want them to see what websites you've visited. It does not hide your activity from your internet service provider, your employer's network, or YouTube itself — it only hides it from other people using the same device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing YouTube history delete my subscriptions?
No. Your subscriptions are stored separately and remain on your account. Clearing your watch history does not affect channels you've subscribed to. If you want to hide your subscriptions from others, you can make them private in your account settings under Privacy.
Can I delete only certain videos from my YouTube history?
Yes. Go to your history page (YouTube.com/feed/history), find the video you want to remove, and click the X next to it. This removes only that video from your history, not your entire history. You can do this one video at a time without clearing everything.
If I pause YouTube history, will I still get recommendations?
YouTube will still show you recommendations based on videos you've liked, channels you've subscribed to, and videos similar to ones you're currently watching. It will not use your watch history to personalize recommendations. Your recommendations will be less tailored to your interests.
Does clearing YouTube history on my phone also clear it on my computer?
Yes. Your YouTube history is tied to your account, not your device. When you clear your history on any device where you're signed in, it clears from your entire account across all devices. If you use multiple devices, you only need to clear it once.
Will YouTube stop recommending videos to me after I clear my history?
YouTube will reset your recommendations and begin building new ones based on videos you watch after clearing. Your recommendations will be less personalized until YouTube has recorded enough new data. This typically takes a few days of watching.