Google stores your searches by default, and you can delete them in three ways: clear them all at once, remove individual searches, or turn off saving altogether
Every time you search on Google while signed into your account, Google records that search. This history lives in your Google Account settings, not just on your device. You can see it, delete it, and control whether Google keeps recording it going forward. The steps differ depending on whether you want to wipe everything, remove specific searches, or stop Google from saving new searches.
Your search history is separate from your browser history. Clearing your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) will not delete your Google search history. You need to go into your Google Account to manage what Google itself has recorded.
Key Takeaways
- Google search history lives in your Google Account, not in your browser, so clearing your browser history does not delete it.
- You can delete all your search history at once, remove individual searches one by one, or pause Google from saving new searches.
- Pausing search history stops Google from recording future searches, but does not delete what is already saved.
- Deleting your search history does not affect your Google account, your email, or your other Google services.
Delete all your search history at once
Go to myactivity.google.com in your web browser while signed into your Google Account. This is Google's activity dashboard, where all your searches are stored. On the left side, click Delete activity.
A menu will appear asking what you want to delete. By default, it shows All time — this means every search you have ever done on that account. If you want to delete only recent searches, you can change this to Last hour, Last day, Last week, or Last month. Below that, make sure Search is checked. Other options like YouTube history or Chrome history will also appear — uncheck those if you only want to delete searches. Then click Delete.
Google will ask you to confirm. Click Delete again. The deletion is when ready. Your search history is now gone.
Remove individual searches from your history
If you only want to delete certain searches and keep the rest, go back to myactivity.google.com. You will see a list of your recent searches, newest first. Find the search you want to remove and hover over it with your mouse. A trash icon will appear on the right side of that search. Click the trash icon.
Google will ask you to confirm the deletion. Click Delete. That single search is now removed from your history. You can repeat this for as many searches as you want. This method takes longer if you have many searches to remove, but it lets you keep searches you want to preserve.
If you have hundreds of searches to remove and only want to keep a few, it is faster to delete all your history and then let Google start recording fresh. If you want to keep most of your history and remove only a handful, removing them one by one is the better choice.
Pause Google from saving new searches
If you want to stop Google from recording your searches going forward, go to myactivity.google.com and look at the top left. You will see a button that says Web & App Activity. Click it, then click the toggle switch next to Web & App Activity to turn it off.
Google will show you a message explaining that turning this off means Google will not save your searches, YouTube videos you watch, or other activity on Google services. Click Turn off to confirm. The toggle will turn gray, meaning it is now off.
When this setting is off, Google will not record new searches. However, any searches you made before turning it off will still be in your history. If you want those gone too, delete them using the method above. Turning off Web & App Activity does not automatically erase your past history — you have to delete that separately.
What happens when you delete your search history
Deleting your Google search history removes it from your Google Account. Google will no longer show you search suggestions based on your past searches. Your search history will not appear on other devices where you are signed into the same Google Account.
Deleting search history does not affect your Gmail, your Google Drive files, your YouTube account, or any other Google service. It only removes the record of what you searched for. Your Google Account itself stays active and unchanged.
If you are signed out of your Google Account when you search, Google does not save those searches to your account history. However, your browser may still keep a record of them in your browser history. To remove those, you would clear your browser history separately.
The difference between search history and browser history
Your Google search history is what Google recorded about your searches while you were signed into your account. It lives in your Google Account at myactivity.google.com. Your browser history is what your web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) recorded about every website you visited. It lives on your device or in your browser account.
If you clear your browser history, your Google search history remains untouched. If you delete your Google search history, your browser history remains untouched. They are two separate records kept in two separate places. You may want to clear both if you are concerned about privacy on a shared device.
To clear your browser history in Chrome, press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + Y (Mac), then click Clear browsing data on the left. Choose your time range and make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are checked, then click Clear data. In Firefox and Safari, the steps are similar but the menu names differ slightly.
Why Google saves your search history
Google saves your search history to improve your search results and to show you ads based on your interests. The more Google knows about what you search for, the more personalized it can make your results. This is also how Google targets ads to you — advertisers pay to show ads to people who have searched for related topics.
You do not have to let Google save your history. You can pause it at any time using the Web & App Activity toggle. You can also use private browsing mode in your browser, which does not save your searches to your browser history, though it may still save them to your Google Account if you are signed in. For the most privacy, sign out of your Google Account before searching, or use a search engine other than Google.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting my search history delete my Gmail or Google Drive?
No. Your search history is separate from your email, files, photos, and other Google services. Deleting search history only removes the record of what you searched for. Everything else in your Google Account stays exactly as it was.
If I delete my search history on one device, does it delete on all my devices?
Yes. Your search history is stored in your Google Account, not on your device. When you delete it from myactivity.google.com, it is deleted from your account everywhere. Any device where you are signed into that account will no longer show that history.
Can I delete my search history without signing into my Google Account?
No. You must be signed into your Google Account to access myactivity.google.com and delete your search history. If you do not remember your password, you can reset it using your recovery email or phone number.
Does private browsing mode stop Google from saving my searches?
Private browsing mode stops your browser from saving your history, but it does not stop Google from saving your searches to your Google Account. If you are signed into Google while using private mode, Google still records your searches. To prevent Google from recording searches, you must either sign out of your account or turn off Web & App Activity.
What if I want to keep some searches but delete others?
Go to myactivity.google.com, find each search you want to remove, and click the trash icon next to it. This takes longer than deleting everything at once, but it lets you choose which searches to keep. If you have many searches to remove, it may be faster to delete all history and start fresh.