Google saves your search history and uses it to predict what you might search next — those suggestions that appear as you type. You can delete individual suggestions one at a time, clear your entire search history, or turn off history saving altogether. The method you choose depends on whether you want to erase the past, prevent future suggestions, or both.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete a single search suggestion by highlighting it and pressing Delete or Backspace on your keyboard.
- To clear all search history at once, go to myactivity.google.com, select Search and Browse, and delete everything or choose a date range.
- Turning off Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings stops Google from saving new searches, but does not erase what is already saved.
- Incognito mode in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge does not save search history to your account, though your internet provider can still see what you search.
- Deleting suggestions from your device does not remove them from your Google Account — you must delete them from your account settings to remove them everywhere.
Delete a Single Search Suggestion Right Now
When you start typing in the Google search box, suggestions appear below. If you want to remove one specific suggestion from appearing again, you do not have to go into settings.
Highlight the suggestion you want to delete by moving your mouse over it or using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Once it is highlighted, press the Delete key or Backspace. The suggestion disappears immediately. Google will not show that exact search to you again, though similar searches may still appear.
This method works on Google.com and in the Chrome address bar. It removes the suggestion from your device only — if you sign into Google on another device, that suggestion may still appear there.
Clear Your Entire Search History From Your Google Account
To remove all searches you have ever done (or all searches from a specific time period), you need to visit your Google Activity page. Go to myactivity.google.com in your web browser and sign in with the Google Account you use for searching.
On the left side of the page, click Search and Browse. This shows every search you have performed while signed into that account. At the top, you will see a trash icon and a filter icon. Click the trash icon to delete your activity.
A box will appear asking what you want to delete. You have three choices: delete everything ever, delete from a specific date forward, or delete from a specific date backward. Select the option that matches what you want, then click Delete. Google will remove those searches from your account within a few hours.
If you want to delete only certain searches rather than a whole time period, click the filter icon at the top instead. You can filter by date, by product (Search, YouTube, Maps, and others), or by specific keywords. After you filter to show only what you want gone, click the trash icon and delete just those results.
Stop Google From Saving New Searches Going Forward
Deleting your history does not stop Google from collecting new searches. To prevent Google from saving future searches to your account, you must turn off Web & App Activity. Go to myaccount.google.com and click Data & Privacy on the left side.
Scroll down to find Web & App Activity. Click on it. You will see a toggle switch that is currently on (blue). Click the toggle to turn it off. Google will ask you to confirm — click Turn Off. From that moment forward, Google will not save your searches to your account.
Keep in mind that turning off Web & App Activity affects more than just search — it also stops Google from saving your YouTube watch history, your location history, and activity in other Google products. If you want to keep those but only stop search history, you cannot do that from this setting. You would need to delete search history separately using the method described above, then manually delete searches as you go.
Use Incognito Mode to Avoid Saving Searches
If you do not want Google to save a particular search, you can use Incognito mode (in Chrome) or Private Browsing (in Firefox, Safari, and Edge). Open a new Incognito or Private window and search normally. Google will not save that search to your account.
Incognito mode does have a limit: your internet service provider, your employer (if you are on their network), and the websites you visit can still see what you search for. Only your search history within Google is hidden. If you are searching on a shared device, other people who use that device can still see your Incognito searches in the browser history.
Incognito mode is useful for one-off searches you do not want saved, but it is not a complete privacy solution. If you want to stop Google from collecting your searches permanently, turning off Web & App Activity (described above) is more effective.
Understand the Difference Between Device History and Account History
Google saves your searches in two places: on your device (in your browser) and in your Google Account (in the cloud). Deleting a suggestion from your device does not delete it from your account, and vice versa.
When you delete a single suggestion by pressing Delete, you are removing it from your device only. The next time you sign into Google on a different device, that suggestion will still appear. To remove it everywhere, you must delete it from your Google Account using myactivity.google.com.
Similarly, if you clear your browser history (in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge), you are only clearing what is stored on that device. Your Google Account still has a record of every search. The only way to remove searches from your account is through myactivity.google.com.
What Happens When You Delete Suggestions
When you delete a search suggestion, Google stops showing that exact phrase to you. However, Google may still show you similar suggestions based on your other searches. For example, if you delete a suggestion for "best pizza near me," Google might still suggest "pizza restaurants" or "pizza delivery" based on your search patterns.
Deleting your entire search history removes all records of your searches from your Google Account. This does not change the fact that you visited certain websites — those websites still have their own records of your visit. It only removes Google's record of what you searched for.
If you have turned off Web & App Activity, Google will not save new searches, but it will still show you suggestions based on searches you performed before you turned it off. To get rid of those old suggestions, you need to delete your search history first, then turn off Web & App Activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will deleting my search history delete my browsing history too?
No. Your search history (what you searched for on Google) and your browsing history (which websites you visited) are separate. Deleting your Google search history does not affect your browser history. To delete your browser history, you must do that in your browser settings — usually under History or Privacy.
Can I delete search suggestions on my phone the same way as on a computer?
Yes, but the steps are slightly different. On Android or iPhone, open Google.com or the Google app, start typing a search, and long-press the suggestion you want to delete. A menu will appear with a delete option. Tap it. To clear all history on your phone, go to myactivity.google.com from your phone's browser and follow the same steps as on a computer.
If I turn off Web & App Activity, will Google stop showing me personalized ads?
Turning off Web & App Activity stops Google from saving your search history, but Google may still show you ads based on other information, such as your age, location, and the content of the website you are visiting. To control ad personalization separately, go to myaccount.google.com, click Data & Privacy, scroll to Ad personalization, and turn it off.
Does clearing my search suggestions improve my privacy?
Clearing your search suggestions removes Google's record of what you searched for, but it does not hide your searches from your internet service provider or the websites you visit. If privacy is your main concern, using a VPN or Incognito mode offers more protection than deleting suggestions alone.
Why do search suggestions still appear after I deleted them?
If you deleted a suggestion from your device but are seeing it again, you may have signed into a different Google Account, or the suggestion may be coming from a different source (like Chrome's browsing history rather than your Google Account). Check which Google Account you are signed into, and if needed, delete the history from myactivity.google.com to remove it from your account.