Where YouTube stores your history and why you might want to clear it
YouTube keeps two separate records: your watch history (videos you've watched) and your search history (what you've searched for). Both are stored in your YouTube account and used to personalize recommendations. Clearing either one removes those records from your account and stops YouTube from using them to suggest future videos.
You might clear your history to prevent YouTube from recommending videos based on searches you don't want saved, to reset your recommendations if they've become unhelpful, or simply to remove a record of what you've watched. Unlike your browser history, YouTube history persists even after you close the app or browser — it stays in your account until you delete it.
The process is the same whether you use YouTube on a computer, phone, or tablet, though the exact steps differ slightly depending on your device.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube stores watch history and search history separately, and you can clear either one without affecting the other.
- On a computer, go to your YouTube account settings, select "History," and choose to clear watch history, search history, or both.
- On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube app, tap your profile icon, go to Settings, then History and Privacy, and select what to clear.
- Clearing your history stops YouTube from using past searches and watches to recommend videos, but does not delete videos you've uploaded or comments you've made.
- You can pause history recording at any time so YouTube stops saving new searches and watches without deleting what's already saved.
How to clear history on a computer
Open YouTube in your web browser and sign in to your account. In the top right corner, click your profile icon (a circle with your initial or profile picture). From the dropdown menu, select "Settings."
On the left side of the Settings page, click "History and privacy." You will see two options: "Clear all watch history" and "Clear all search history." Click whichever one you want to clear, or click both if you want to remove everything. YouTube will ask you to confirm — click "Clear" to proceed. The history disappears immediately.
How to clear history on a phone or tablet
Open the YouTube app and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Tap "Settings" from the menu. Scroll down and tap "History and privacy."
You will see "Clear watch history" and "Clear search history" as separate options. Tap whichever one you want to clear. YouTube will ask you to confirm — tap "Clear" to proceed. If you want to clear both, you will need to do each one separately.
The difference between clearing history and pausing it
Clearing history removes what YouTube has already recorded. Pausing history stops YouTube from recording anything new going forward, but leaves your existing history intact. If you want to keep your old history but prevent YouTube from saving future watches and searches, pausing is the better option.
To pause history on a computer, go to Settings > History and privacy and toggle "Pause watch history" or "Pause search history" to the off position. On a phone or tablet, go to Settings > History and privacy and tap the toggle next to "Pause watch history" or "Pause search history." You can turn pausing back on at any time.
What clearing history does and does not do
Clearing your YouTube history removes the record of videos you've watched and searches you've made. This stops YouTube from using that information to recommend videos in the future. Your recommendations will become more generic until you watch enough new videos for YouTube to build a new profile.
Clearing history does not delete videos you've uploaded, comments you've posted, or likes you've given. It does not remove you from any channels you've subscribed to. It does not affect your YouTube account settings, playlists, or any other content you've created. If you want to delete a specific video you uploaded or remove a comment, you will need to do that separately through your channel settings.
How to delete individual videos from your watch history
If you only want to remove one or two videos from your history instead of clearing everything, you can delete them individually. On a computer, go to YouTube.com/history. Find the video you want to remove and click the X button next to it. The video disappears from your history immediately, but YouTube may still use other information to recommend similar content.
On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube app, tap your profile icon, and select "History." Find the video you want to remove, tap the three dots next to it, and select "Remove from watch history." Like the computer version, this removes only that one video.
Clearing history does not make you private on YouTube
Clearing your history is different from using private browsing or incognito mode in your web browser. When you clear YouTube history, you are removing the record from your YouTube account. When you use incognito mode in your browser, YouTube still records what you watch and search — it just does not save it to your browser's local history.
If you want YouTube to stop recording your activity altogether, you would need to pause history in your YouTube settings (not just use incognito mode). Pausing history in your account settings stops YouTube from saving anything to your account, regardless of whether you are using incognito mode or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo clearing my history?
No. Once you clear your watch history or search history, it cannot be recovered. YouTube does not have an undo button or a way to restore deleted history. If you think you might want to remember what you watched, take a screenshot or write down the video titles before clearing.
Does clearing YouTube history clear my browser history?
No. Clearing your YouTube history only removes the record from your YouTube account. Your web browser keeps its own separate history of websites you have visited. To clear your browser history, you will need to go to your browser's settings — this is different from clearing YouTube history.
Will clearing my history change my YouTube recommendations?
Yes. YouTube uses your watch history and search history to recommend videos. After you clear your history, your recommendations will become more generic and based on broader trends rather than your personal viewing habits. As you watch new videos, YouTube will start building a new recommendation profile based on your new activity.
Does pausing history delete what I have already watched?
No. Pausing history only stops YouTube from recording new activity. Everything you have already watched and searched for stays in your account. If you want to remove the old history, you need to clear it separately.
Can I clear history for just one day or one week?
YouTube does not have an option to clear history for a specific time period. You can only clear all watch history, all search history, or delete individual videos one at a time. If you want to remove history from a specific date, you would need to find and delete each video individually.