Delete your search history from Google in three steps

You can delete your Google search history directly from your Google account. The process takes about two minutes and removes the record of what you've searched for. Google stores this history to personalize your search results and ads, but you can clear it whenever you want — either all at once or within a specific date range.

The fastest way is through your Google Account settings on a computer or phone. You'll need to be signed into the Google account where the searches were made. If you use multiple devices or browsers, you'll need to repeat the process on each one, since search history is tied to your account rather than your device.

Key Takeaways

  • You can delete all your Google search history at once, or choose a specific date range like the last hour, day, week, month, or year.
  • Deleting your search history does not delete the websites you visited — it only removes the record Google kept of what you searched for.
  • You can turn on automatic deletion so Google removes your search history after a set number of months, without you having to do it manually.
  • Signing out of your Google account before searching prevents that search from being saved to your history in the first place.
  • If you use Google Chrome, you can also clear your browser history separately, which removes local records on your device.

Delete all your search history at once

Go to myactivity.google.com in your web browser while signed into your Google account. This page shows everything Google has recorded about your activity, including searches, videos you've watched on YouTube, and apps you've used.

On the left side, click Delete activity. A menu will appear with a dropdown that says "All time" — this is already selected if you want to delete everything. Click the blue Delete button. Google will ask you to confirm by entering your password. Type it in and click Delete again. Your entire search history is now gone.

This process removes the record from Google's servers, but it does not undo any personalization that already happened — for example, if Google already used your searches to show you targeted ads, those ads won't disappear retroactively. Going forward, your new searches will start building a fresh history.

Delete search history from a specific time period

If you only want to remove searches from the last few days or weeks, you can be more selective. Go to myactivity.google.com and click Delete activity on the left. Instead of "All time," click the dropdown menu and choose Last hour, Last day, Last week, Last month, or Last year.

Select the time period you want, then click the blue Delete button. Confirm with your password. Only searches from that period will be removed. This is useful if you want to keep older search history but clear out recent searches, or if you only want to delete searches from a particular day.

You can also click Custom range to pick exact start and end dates. This is helpful if you remember roughly when you did the searches you want to remove.

Set up automatic deletion of search history

Instead of manually deleting your history every few months, you can tell Google to do it automatically. Go to myactivity.google.com and look for the three-line menu icon (hamburger menu) in the top left. Click it and select Settings.

Under "Auto-delete activity," you'll see a toggle switch. Turn it on. Google will ask you to choose how long to keep your search history — the options are 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months. Pick the timeframe you want. After that, Google will automatically delete activity older than your chosen period every month.

This means you'll always have recent history available for personalization, but older searches won't pile up indefinitely. You can turn off auto-deletion anytime by going back to Settings and toggling it off.

Delete search history on your phone

The process is nearly identical on Android and iPhone. Open the Google app (the colorful "G" icon) and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Manage your Google Account, then tap the Data & privacy tab.

Scroll down to "Web & App Activity" and tap it. You'll see Manage all Web & App activity — tap that. Now you're in the same activity page as the computer version. Tap the trash icon at the bottom to delete activity. Choose your time range (all time, last day, last week, etc.) and confirm.

On iPhone, the steps are the same — open the Google app, tap your profile picture, go to Manage Your Google Account, then Data & privacy, then Web & App Activity, then Manage all Web & App activity, and tap the trash icon.

The difference between search history and browser history

Deleting your Google search history removes what you searched for from your Google account, but it does not remove the websites you actually visited. Those are stored separately as browser history on your device.

For example, if you searched "how to fix a leaky faucet" and then clicked a link to a plumbing website, deleting your Google search history removes the search term but not the fact that you visited that website. To remove the website visit, you need to clear your browser history instead.

In Google Chrome, press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + Y (Mac) to open your browser history. Click Delete browsing data on the left, choose your time range, make sure "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files" are checked, and click Delete data. This removes local records from your device, separate from your Google account history.

Prevent searches from being saved in the first place

If you don't want Google to save your searches at all, you can sign out of your Google account before searching. When you're not signed in, Google doesn't link your searches to your account, so they won't appear in your search history.

Alternatively, you can use Incognito mode in Chrome (or Private Browsing in other browsers). Press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Command + Shift + N (Mac) to open an Incognito window. Searches in Incognito mode are not saved to your Google account history, though your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see your activity.

Keep in mind that Incognito mode also doesn't save cookies or browsing history on your device, so you'll be logged out of accounts like Gmail and have to sign back in each time. It's useful for one-off searches you don't want saved, but not practical for everyday browsing if you want to stay signed into your accounts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting my search history delete the websites I visited?

No. Deleting your Google search history only removes the search terms you typed. The websites you visited are stored separately in your browser history. You need to clear your browser history in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge to remove those records from your device.

Can I delete search history from just one device?

No. Your Google search history is stored in your Google account, not on individual devices. When you delete it from myactivity.google.com, it's deleted from all devices where you're signed into that account. If you want to keep history on one device but not another, you'll need to sign out of your Google account on one of them.

Will deleting my search history change my personalized ads?

Deleting your history stops Google from using future searches to personalize ads, but it doesn't undo ads you've already seen. Google may still have other data about you (like your location, age, or interests you've added to your account) that it uses for ads. Turning off personalized ads entirely requires changing your ad settings separately.

What happens if I turn on auto-delete but then change my mind?

You can turn off auto-deletion anytime by going back to myactivity.google.com, clicking the menu, selecting Settings, and toggling off "Auto-delete activity." Your existing search history will stay until you manually delete it or it reaches the age limit you previously set.

Does signing out of Google prevent my searches from being saved?

Yes. When you're not signed into your Google account, your searches are not saved to your account history. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see your search activity. For more privacy, use Incognito mode or a private browser, though these don't hide your activity from your ISP.