Where to find and clear your Facebook search history
Facebook stores every search you make on the platform — from people's names to topics to Pages you've looked up. To delete this history, open Facebook on a computer or phone, click the three-line menu (or your profile picture), scroll to Settings and Privacy, then select Settings. From there, go to Your Information and then Search History. You'll see a list of everything you've searched. Click the X next to any search to remove it individually, or use the "Clear All" button at the top to delete your entire search history at once.
The process is the same whether you use Facebook on a web browser, the mobile app, or Facebook.com on your phone's browser. The search history that appears here includes searches from all your devices where you're logged into the same account.
Key Takeaways
- Your Facebook search history is stored in Settings under Your Information, and you can delete individual searches or clear everything at once.
- Clearing your search history does not affect your activity log, saved posts, or other data Facebook stores about you.
- Deleting a search removes it from your view, but Facebook may still retain records of your searches for internal purposes.
- You can prevent future searches from being saved by using Facebook's Off-Facebook Activity tool, though this does not stop Facebook from recording what you search.
What happens when you delete a search
When you delete a search from your history, it no longer appears in the dropdown list when you start typing in Facebook's search bar. Other people cannot see your search history — it has never been visible to friends or the public. Deleting a search only removes it from your own view.
Deleting your search history does not change what Facebook knows about your interests or what ads you see. Facebook uses your searches, along with your likes, clicks, and other activity, to build a profile of your interests for advertising. Clearing your search history removes the visible record but does not reset the underlying data Facebook uses for targeting.
The difference between search history and activity log
Facebook keeps two separate records: your search history and your activity log. Your search history is what you've typed into the search bar. Your activity log is everything you've done on Facebook — posts you've made, Pages you've liked, comments you've left, videos you've watched, and links you've clicked.
Deleting your search history does not touch your activity log. If you want to remove a post you made, unlike a Page, or delete a comment, you need to do that separately through your activity log or by finding the post itself. The activity log is found in the same Settings menu, under Your Information, then Activity Log.
How to stop searches from being saved going forward
Facebook does not offer a way to turn off search history recording entirely while you remain logged in. However, you can use your browser's private or incognito mode to browse Facebook without your searches being saved to your account's history. When you close the private window, that session's data is deleted.
Another option is to clear your browser's cookies and cache regularly, though this will log you out of Facebook each time. Some people also use Facebook's Off-Facebook Activity tool, which limits how much data Facebook collects from your activity on other websites — but this does not stop Facebook from recording your searches within Facebook itself.
What data is not deleted when you clear search history
Clearing your search history removes only the list of searches you've typed. It does not delete saved posts, your likes, your comments, your messages, or your photos. It does not change your privacy settings, your blocked users list, or your login history. If you want to remove any of those, you'll need to do so separately.
Your search history is also separate from your download history (if you've downloaded photos or videos from Facebook) and your login activity (which shows where and when you've signed in). All of these are stored in different places within your Settings.
Deleting search history on mobile versus desktop
The steps are nearly identical on mobile and desktop, but the menu navigation looks different. On the Facebook app for iPhone or Android, tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings. On a computer, click the downward arrow or three-line menu at the top right of Facebook.
One difference: on mobile, you may need to scroll further to find Your Information within Settings, as the menu is organized vertically. On desktop, the menu appears in a sidebar. Regardless of device, once you reach Search History, the delete options work the same way.
Why Facebook keeps your search history
Facebook stores your searches to make the search feature faster and more personalized. When you start typing a name or topic, Facebook can suggest results based on what you've searched before. This history also helps Facebook understand your interests for advertising purposes.
Your search history is tied to your account, not to individual devices. If you log into Facebook on a new phone or computer, you'll see the same search history. This is by design — it keeps your experience consistent across devices. The trade-off is that your searches accumulate over time unless you manually delete them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can other people see my Facebook search history?
No. Your search history is private and visible only to you. Friends, family, and the public cannot see what you've searched for on Facebook. Even if someone has access to your account, they would need to go into your Settings to view your search history.
If I delete a search, does Facebook stop using it for ads?
Deleting a search from your visible history does not change the ads you see. Facebook's advertising system uses your underlying interest data, which is separate from your search history. Clearing your search history is about removing the visible record, not about changing how Facebook targets ads to you.
Does clearing my search history delete my messages?
No. Your messages are stored separately and are not affected by clearing your search history. To delete messages, you need to go to your Messenger inbox, find the conversation, and delete it individually or clear the entire chat.
Will deleting my search history free up storage space on my phone?
Not significantly. Your search history is stored on Facebook's servers, not on your phone's storage. Clearing it will not noticeably change how much space the Facebook app takes up on your device.
Can I delete my search history automatically?
Facebook does not offer automatic deletion of search history. You must manually clear it through Settings. Some browsers offer options to clear cookies and cache automatically when you close them, which can help limit what data is stored, but this is a browser-level setting, not a Facebook feature.