Clear your search history in three steps
Google stores every search you make when you're signed into your account. To remove that record, go to myactivity.google.com, click the trash icon in the left menu, and select how far back you want to delete — then confirm. That's the fastest way. If you want to stop Google from storing searches going forward, you can turn off Web & App Activity in the same menu. Both actions take less than a minute.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on a computer or phone, and whether you want to delete everything or just specific searches. This guide walks you through each route so you know exactly what to expect.
Key Takeaways
- Your Google search history lives at myactivity.google.com, not in your browser settings — that's a different history that only affects your device.
- You can delete all your Google searches at once, delete searches from a specific date range, or delete individual searches one by one.
- Turning off Web & App Activity stops Google from recording new searches, but does not delete searches that are already stored.
- Deleting your Google search history does not clear your browser history — you may need to do both if you want to remove all traces of what you searched.
Delete all your Google searches at once
Open a web browser and go to myactivity.google.com. You'll see a list of everything Google has recorded about your account — searches, videos you watched, places you looked up, and more. On the left side of the screen, click the trash icon labeled "Delete activity".
A box will pop up asking you to choose a date range. The dropdown menu at the top says "All time" by default. Leave it there if you want to erase everything, or click it to pick a specific range — last hour, last day, last week, last month, or a custom date range you set yourself. Once you've chosen, click the blue "Delete" button at the bottom right. Google will confirm that your searches have been deleted.
This action only removes your Google search history. It does not touch your browser history, your cookies, or anything stored on your device itself. If you also want to clear what your browser remembers, you'll need to do that separately in your browser settings.
Delete individual searches instead of everything
If you only want to remove certain searches, go back to myactivity.google.com and scroll through the list. Each search appears as a single line with the date and time. Find the one you want to delete, hover your mouse over it, and an X icon will appear on the right side. Click the X and that search disappears immediately.
You can delete searches one at a time this way, but it's slow if you have many to remove. If you're looking for a specific search, use the search box at the top of the page to find it faster. Type a word or phrase you remember searching for, and Google will show you only the results that match.
Stop Google from recording new searches
Deleting your history removes what's already stored, but Google will keep recording new searches the next time you sign in. To prevent that, go to myactivity.google.com and look for the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner. Click it and select "Settings".
You'll see a toggle switch next to "Web & App Activity". Click it to turn the switch off. A warning will appear explaining that Google will stop saving your searches, YouTube videos, and other activity. Confirm that you want to turn it off. From that point forward, Google will not store a record of your searches — but this only applies to new activity, not searches you've already made.
Keep in mind that turning off Web & App Activity may affect other Google services. For example, Google Assistant and search suggestions may work less accurately because Google won't have your history to learn from. You can turn it back on anytime by returning to the same settings page.
Clear search history on your phone
The process on a phone is nearly identical. Open the Google app or go to myactivity.google.com in your phone's browser. Tap the three-line menu icon (called a hamburger menu) in the top left corner and select "Settings". Scroll down and tap "Delete activity".
Choose your date range the same way you would on a computer — "All time" to delete everything, or a specific range. Tap "Delete" to confirm. On some phones, the button may say "Remove" instead, but it does the same thing. The deletion happens immediately, though it may take a few seconds for Google's servers to process the change.
If you're using the Google app itself rather than a web browser, the steps are slightly different. Open the Google app, tap your profile picture in the top right, select "Manage your Google Account", go to the "Data & privacy" tab, and look for "Web & App Activity". From there you can delete activity or turn recording off, just as you would on the website.
The difference between Google search history and browser history
Many people confuse these two because they sound the same. Google search history is stored on Google's servers and tied to your Google account. It's what you see at myactivity.google.com. Browser history is stored on your device itself and shows every website you visited, not just your searches. Clearing one does not clear the other.
If you clear your Google search history but don't clear your browser history, someone using your device can still see the websites you visited by opening your browser's history menu. Similarly, if you clear your browser history but not your Google search history, your Google account will still have a record of what you searched for if someone signs into your account on any device.
To clear your browser history, the steps depend on which browser you use. In Chrome, press Ctrl+H (or Cmd+H on Mac), click "Clear browsing data" on the left, choose your time range, and check the boxes for the types of data you want to remove. In Safari, Firefox, and Edge, the process is similar but the menu locations differ slightly.
What happens when you delete your search history
When you delete your Google search history, that information is removed from your Google account. You won't see those searches in your activity log anymore, and Google won't use them to personalize your search results or ads. However, deletion is not instant across all of Google's systems. It can take a few days for the deletion to fully process on all of Google's servers.
Deleting your history does not make you anonymous to Google or prevent Google from collecting data about you going forward. Google still knows your location, the device you're using, and other information based on your IP address and device settings. Turning off Web & App Activity stops Google from storing your search history specifically, but Google continues to collect other data unless you adjust your privacy settings further.
If you're concerned about privacy, consider using an incognito or private browsing window when you search. In incognito mode, your browser doesn't save your search history locally, though Google and your internet service provider can still see what you search for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing my Google search history delete my Gmail or other Google services?
No. Deleting your search history only removes your searches from myactivity.google.com. Your Gmail, Google Drive, calendar, and other Google services are completely separate and are not affected. You can delete your search history without touching any other part of your account.
Can I see my deleted search history after I delete it?
No. Once you delete your search history from myactivity.google.com and confirm the deletion, it's gone from your account. You cannot recover it through Google's interface. If you deleted something by mistake, you would need to contact Google support, though they may not be able to restore it.
If I turn off Web & App Activity, will my old searches disappear?
No. Turning off Web & App Activity only stops Google from recording new searches going forward. All your old searches remain in your account until you manually delete them. You need to do both actions if you want to remove old searches and prevent new ones from being stored.
Does incognito mode prevent Google from seeing my searches?
Incognito mode prevents your browser from saving your search history on your device, but Google, your internet service provider, and your network administrator can still see what you search for. Incognito mode only hides your activity from other people who use the same device, not from Google or your ISP.
Why does Google keep my search history if I don't want it to?
Google stores your search history to personalize your results, improve its search algorithm, and show you targeted ads. You can turn this off in your account settings, but Google is designed to collect this data by default. Turning off Web & App Activity is the only way to prevent Google from storing new searches.