YouTube stores every search you make unless you delete it
YouTube keeps a record of every video you search for, every channel you look up, and every query you type into the search bar. This history appears in a dropdown when you search again, making it straightforward to find something you looked at before — but it also means anyone using your account or device can see what you have searched for. Clearing your search history removes those records from your account.
The process takes less than a minute and works the same way on a computer, phone, or tablet. You can delete your entire search history at once, or remove individual searches one at a time. YouTube also lets you pause search history so new searches stop being saved, though they will resume recording the next time you turn it back on.
Key Takeaways
- You can clear all your YouTube search history at once from your account settings, or delete individual searches from the search dropdown.
- Pausing search history stops YouTube from recording new searches, but does not delete searches you have already made.
- Clearing search history on YouTube does not clear your browser history or cookies — those are separate and require different steps.
- If you are signed out of YouTube, your searches are not saved to your account, though your browser may still record them.
Clear all searches at once from your account settings
The fastest way to remove your entire search history is through your YouTube account settings. On a computer, click your profile picture in the top right corner, then select Settings. On a phone or tablet, tap your profile picture, then tap Settings.
Once you are in Settings, look for Privacy in the left menu (on a phone, scroll down to find it). Click or tap Privacy, then find the option that says Clear search history. A popup will appear asking you to confirm. Click or tap the button to confirm, and your search history is deleted when ready. YouTube will no longer show your past searches in the dropdown when you type in the search bar.
Delete individual searches from the search dropdown
If you only want to remove one or two searches instead of everything, you can delete them directly from the search bar. Click or tap the search box at the top of YouTube. A dropdown will appear showing your recent searches.
Hover your mouse over (or long-press on a phone) the search you want to remove. An X button will appear on the right side of that search. Click or tap the X, and that single search is deleted from your history. You can repeat this for as many searches as you want. This method is useful if you want to keep most of your history but remove a few specific searches.
Pause search history so YouTube stops recording new searches
If you want YouTube to stop saving your searches going forward, you can pause search history instead of deleting what you have already searched. Go to Settings from your profile picture, then select Privacy. Look for the option that says Pause search history and toggle it on.
When search history is paused, YouTube will not save any new searches you make. However, your old searches remain in your account until you delete them separately. If you turn search history back on later, YouTube will resume recording your searches from that point forward. Pausing is useful if you want a temporary break from recording without losing your existing history.
Understand what clearing search history does and does not do
Clearing your YouTube search history removes only the searches you have made while signed into your YouTube account. It does not delete your watch history (the videos you have clicked on), your likes, your comments, or your subscriptions — those are stored separately and require different steps to remove.
Clearing YouTube search history also does not clear your browser history or delete cookies. If you used Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or another browser to search YouTube, those searches may still appear in your browser's history. To remove those, you need to clear your browser history separately through your browser settings. Similarly, if you searched YouTube while signed out of your account, those searches were recorded by your browser, not by YouTube, and clearing your YouTube account history will not affect them.
What to do if you share a device with other people
If multiple people use the same computer, phone, or tablet, each person should have their own YouTube account and sign in separately. When you are signed into your own account, your searches are saved only to that account. When someone else signs in with their account, their searches are saved to theirs.
If you share a device and do not want to create separate accounts, you can pause search history before you use YouTube, then clear individual searches afterward. However, the most reliable way to keep searches private on a shared device is to use your browser's private or incognito mode. When you search YouTube in private mode, nothing is saved to your account or your browser history — though your internet service provider can still see the traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing YouTube search history delete my watch history too?
No. Search history and watch history are separate. Clearing your searches does not remove the videos you have watched. If you want to delete your watch history, go to Settings, select Privacy, and choose Clear all watch history. You can also delete individual videos from your watch history by clicking the X next to them.
Can I see searches I deleted?
Once you delete a search from your YouTube account, it is gone and cannot be recovered. YouTube does not provide a way to restore deleted searches. If you think you might need a search later, consider pausing history instead of deleting it, so you can turn it back on without losing anything.
If I clear my YouTube search history, will it clear my Google search history?
No. YouTube and Google Search are separate services with separate histories. Clearing your YouTube search history only affects searches you made on YouTube.com. Your Google Search history (searches you made on Google.com) is stored separately and requires its own deletion through Google Search settings.
Why does my search still appear in the dropdown after I deleted it?
If a search reappears after you delete it, you may have searched for the same thing again since deleting it. YouTube will record new searches even if you deleted the old one. Delete it again, and avoid searching for that term if you do not want it to reappear. If the problem persists, try clearing your browser cache, as your browser may be storing the search separately.
Does signing out of YouTube prevent my searches from being saved?
Yes. When you are signed out of your YouTube account, your searches are not saved to your account. However, your browser may still record them in your browser history. To prevent any record of your searches, use your browser's private or incognito mode, which does not save searches to your browser history.