YouTube stores your searches by default, but you can clear them whenever you want
YouTube keeps a record of everything you search for on the platform. This history helps YouTube recommend videos and makes it faster to find things you've looked for before — but it also means YouTube knows what you've searched for, and that data can be used to target ads to you. You can delete your search history on YouTube in a few minutes, either all at once or one search at a time. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using the YouTube website, the YouTube app on your phone, or YouTube on a TV.
Clearing your search history doesn't delete videos you've watched or playlists you've created. It only removes the record of what you've typed into YouTube's search box. If you want to stop YouTube from recording your searches going forward, you'll need to turn off search history in your account settings — that's a separate step covered below.
Key Takeaways
- You can delete all your YouTube searches at once, or remove individual searches one by one, depending on what you prefer.
- The steps to clear search history are different on the YouTube website, the mobile app, and TV devices.
- Clearing search history does not delete your watch history or affect videos you've saved to playlists.
- You can pause YouTube from recording new searches by turning off search history in your account settings, though this is optional.
How to clear all your YouTube searches at once on a computer
On the YouTube website, go to your account menu by clicking your profile picture in the top right corner. Select "Settings" from the dropdown menu. On the left side, click "Privacy" to open your privacy settings.
In the Privacy section, you'll see an option called "Clear all search history." Click this button. YouTube will ask you to confirm — click "Clear all search history" again. All your searches will be deleted immediately. YouTube will also show you the date range of the searches that were just removed, so you can verify it worked.
How to clear all your YouTube searches on the mobile app
Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap "Settings" from the menu. Select "Privacy" (on Android) or scroll down and tap "Privacy" (on iPhone).
Look for "Clear search history" and tap it. YouTube will ask you to confirm. Tap "Clear" or "Clear search history" depending on your device. Your searches will be deleted right away. If you don't see this option, make sure you're signed into your YouTube account — the option only appears when you're logged in.
How to delete individual searches instead of all of them
If you only want to remove certain searches, you can delete them one at a time. On the YouTube website, click the search box at the top of the page. Your recent searches will appear in a dropdown menu below the search box. Hover your mouse over any search you want to remove, and an X icon will appear on the right side of that search. Click the X to delete just that one search.
On the mobile app, tap the search box at the bottom of the screen. Your recent searches will appear. Swipe left on any search you want to remove (on iPhone) or long-press it (on Android), then tap "Remove" or the delete icon. You can remove searches one by one this way without clearing your entire history.
How to turn off search history recording going forward
Clearing your history removes past searches, but YouTube will start recording new ones as soon as you search again. If you want to stop YouTube from saving your searches altogether, you need to pause search history in your account settings.
On a computer, go to your account menu, select "Settings," then click "Privacy." Look for "Search history" and toggle it off. On the mobile app, go to Settings, select Privacy, and toggle off "Search history." Once you turn this off, YouTube will not save any new searches you make — but it will not delete searches you made before you turned it off. You'll need to clear your history separately if you want those removed.
What happens when you clear your search history
When you delete your search history, YouTube removes the record of what you've searched for, which means those searches won't appear in the dropdown menu when you click the search box. YouTube also stops using those old searches to recommend videos to you, though recommendations based on videos you've watched will continue.
Clearing search history does not affect your watch history, saved playlists, or any videos you've liked or added to "Watch Later." It also does not sign you out of your account or change any other settings. If you've cleared your search history and then search for the same thing again, that new search will be recorded and will appear in your history.
Why YouTube keeps search history and what it's used for
YouTube stores your searches so the platform can show you faster results when you search for similar things in the future, and so it can recommend videos based on what you're interested in. Your search history is also tied to your YouTube account, which means YouTube can use it to build a profile of your interests — this profile is used to show you targeted ads.
If you're concerned about YouTube knowing what you search for, clearing your history regularly or turning off search history recording are both options. You can also use YouTube in Incognito mode on your computer or phone, which does not save your search history, watch history, or any other activity to your account. To use Incognito mode, click your profile picture, select "Turn on Incognito," and YouTube will not record anything you do until you turn Incognito mode off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing my YouTube search history also delete my watch history?
No. Search history and watch history are separate. Clearing your searches does not remove videos you've watched. If you want to delete your watch history as well, you'll need to do that in a different section of your Privacy settings — look for "Clear all watch history" in the same Privacy menu where you clear search history.
Will clearing my search history stop YouTube from recommending videos to me?
Clearing search history will stop YouTube from using those old searches to recommend videos. However, YouTube will still recommend videos based on your watch history and the videos you've liked. If you want to limit recommendations overall, you can pause watch history recording in the same Privacy settings menu.
Can I see my deleted search history after I clear it?
No. Once you clear your search history, YouTube does not keep a backup of it. The searches are permanently removed from your account. If you need to remember what you searched for, you may be able to check your Google account activity instead, since YouTube is owned by Google and some activity may be logged there separately.
Does turning off search history mean YouTube won't track me?
Turning off search history stops YouTube from saving what you search for, but YouTube still tracks other things — like videos you watch, how long you watch them, and what you click on. If you want to limit tracking more broadly, you can adjust your Google account privacy settings, though some tracking is necessary for YouTube to function.
What's the difference between clearing search history and using Incognito mode?
Clearing search history removes past searches from your account. Incognito mode prevents YouTube from recording anything new while you're in that mode, but it doesn't affect your existing history. Incognito is useful if you want a single session where nothing is recorded; clearing history is better if you want to remove searches you've already made.