Where to find your Google search history
Your Google search history lives in your Google Account, not on your computer. When you search on Google while signed in, Google stores what you searched for, when you searched, and what device you used. To see this history, you go to myactivity.google.com — this is Google's activity dashboard, and it shows searches from any device where you signed into that same Google Account.
The page opens to your most recent activity first. You will see a list of searches, websites you visited through Google, videos you watched on YouTube, and other Google services you used. Each entry shows the date and time, and which device you were on. If you have not signed into Google on a particular device, searches on that device will not appear here, even if you used Google to search.
You can also reach your history through Google Search itself. Go to google.com, click your profile picture in the top right corner, and select "Manage your Google Account". Then click the "Data & Privacy" tab and scroll down to find "My Activity".
Key Takeaways
- Your Google search history is stored at myactivity.google.com and only shows searches made while signed into your Google Account.
- You can filter your history by date, by type of activity (searches only, YouTube, Chrome, etc.), or by searching for a specific term within the history itself.
- Deleting items from your history removes them from the activity page, but does not erase them from Google's servers if you have Web & App Activity turned on in your account settings.
- Searches made in Incognito mode do not appear in your history, and turning off Web & App Activity prevents new searches from being recorded.
How to search within your history
If you remember roughly what you searched for but not when, use the search box at the top of myactivity.google.com. Type a word or phrase and Google will filter the list to show only activities that match. This is faster than scrolling through months of history.
You can also narrow your history by date or by type. Click "Filter by date & product" on the left side of the page. A menu appears where you can select a specific date range (today, yesterday, last week, last month, or a custom range) and choose which Google services to show (Search, YouTube, Chrome, Gmail, Maps, and others). This is useful if you remember roughly when you did something but want to focus on one type of activity.
How to delete searches from your history
To remove individual searches, hover over or tap an entry in your activity list. A trash icon or delete button will appear. Click it and that entry is removed from your activity page. You can delete one search at a time, or select multiple entries by checking the boxes next to them and then clicking delete.
To delete all your history at once, click "Delete activity by" on the left side of myactivity.google.com. A window opens where you choose what time period to delete (all time, last hour, last day, last week, last month, or a custom range). Select your range and click "Delete". This removes all activity from that period across all Google services, not just searches.
Keep in mind that deleting from your activity page removes it from your view, but if you have Web & App Activity turned on in your Google Account settings, Google still stores this data on its servers for their own purposes. To stop Google from recording new searches, you would need to turn off Web & App Activity in your account settings — but this also affects other Google services like Maps and YouTube recommendations.
Why searches appear or disappear from your history
Searches only show up in your history if you were signed into your Google Account at the time. If you searched while signed out, or on a device where you never signed in, those searches will not appear at myactivity.google.com. Each Google Account has its own separate history.
Searches made in Incognito mode (in Chrome) or Private Browsing (in Firefox or Safari) do not get recorded in your history at all, even if you are signed into Google. Incognito mode is designed to prevent your browser from storing your activity locally on your computer, and it also tells Google not to record the search. However, your internet service provider and your network administrator can still see what you searched for.
If you recently cleared your browser cache or cookies, that does not affect your Google Account history — those are two separate things. Your browser cache is stored on your computer; your Google Account history is stored on Google's servers. Clearing one does not clear the other.
Controlling what Google records going forward
If you do not want Google to record your searches, you have two main options. The first is to use Incognito or Private Browsing mode for searches you do not want recorded. The second is to turn off Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings.
To turn off Web & App Activity, go to myactivity.google.com, click "Web & App Activity" on the left side, and toggle it off. When this is off, Google stops recording your searches, websites you visit, and videos you watch. However, this also affects other services — your YouTube recommendations will not personalize, Google Maps will not remember your search history, and Google Assistant will not learn your preferences. You can turn it back on at any time.
Another option is to pause your history without deleting it. On the Web & App Activity page, you can click "Pause" instead of turning it off completely. This stops new activity from being recorded but keeps your existing history intact.
Viewing history on different devices
Your Google Account history is the same across all devices because it is stored online, not on your computer or phone. If you sign into the same Google Account on your phone, tablet, and laptop, all three devices will show the same activity at myactivity.google.com. You can see which device each search came from by looking at the device name next to each entry.
However, your browser history is different from your Google Account history. Your browser history (the list of websites you visited) is stored locally on each device. If you want to see your browser history on a specific device, you use that device's browser — in Chrome, press Ctrl+H on Windows or Cmd+Y on Mac; in Firefox or Safari, use their respective keyboard shortcuts. That browser history does not sync to myactivity.google.com unless you have Chrome sync turned on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see someone else's Google search history?
No. Each Google Account's history is private and only visible to the person who owns that account. If you share a device with someone else, you can only see their history if they sign into your Google Account on that device, which would be their searches appearing under your account. To see their own history, they would need to sign into their own Google Account.
Does deleting my history from myactivity.google.com delete it from Google's servers?
Deleting from myactivity.google.com removes it from your view, but if Web & App Activity is on, Google retains the data on its servers. To truly stop Google from storing new activity, turn off Web & App Activity in your account settings. Existing deleted items cannot be recovered.
Why do I see activity I do not remember doing?
This usually means another device signed into your Google Account performed that activity. Check the device name next to each entry. If you do not recognize a device, you can sign out of your account on that device by going to your Google Account security settings and reviewing active sessions.
Does my internet provider see my Google search history?
Your internet provider can see that you visited google.com and other websites, but they cannot see the specific searches you typed into Google because that data is encrypted. However, if you visit a website directly (not through a Google search), your provider can see that website address.
What happens to my history if I delete my Google Account?
When you delete a Google Account, all associated data including your search history is permanently deleted from Google's servers after a grace period. Google typically gives you 30 days to recover your account before permanent deletion begins. After that, the history cannot be recovered.