What you can delete on your iPhone

Your iPhone stores searches in three separate places, and each one deletes differently. The Spotlight search (the search you access by swiping down from the home screen) keeps a history of what you've looked for. The Safari browser tracks searches you've typed into the address bar. And individual apps like Maps, Photos, or the App Store each maintain their own search histories. You can clear all three, but the steps differ for each one.

Clearing search history does not delete the apps, files, or websites themselves — it only removes the record that you searched for them. Once deleted, your iPhone will not suggest those searches again when you start typing in Spotlight or Safari.

Key Takeaways

  • Spotlight search history clears through Settings > Siri & Search, where you can wipe all searches at once or turn off search recording entirely.
  • Safari search history deletes through Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, and you can choose to clear just the last hour or all time.
  • Individual apps like Maps and Photos have their own search histories that clear separately within each app's settings.
  • Restarting your iPhone does not clear search history — you must manually delete it through settings or the app itself.

How to clear Spotlight search history

Open Settings on your iPhone and scroll down to find Siri & Search. Tap it, then scroll to the bottom of the screen. You will see a button labeled Clear Siri & Search History — tap it and confirm. This removes all the searches you have typed into Spotlight.

If you want to stop Spotlight from recording searches going forward, stay in the Siri & Search settings and toggle off Search History near the top. This prevents your iPhone from remembering future searches, though you can turn it back on anytime. Turning off search history does not affect Siri's ability to suggest apps or contacts — it only stops the record of what you searched for.

How to clear Safari search history

Open Settings and scroll down to Safari. Tap Clear History and Website Data. A menu will appear asking how far back you want to clear: the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or all time. Choose the timeframe you want and tap Clear History and Data. This removes both your search history and the websites you have visited in Safari.

If you want to clear only search suggestions without wiping your full browsing history, you can instead open Safari, tap the search bar at the top, and swipe left on individual searches to delete them one at a time. This is slower but leaves your browsing history intact.

How to clear search history in individual apps

Maps stores your search history separately. Open Maps, tap the search bar, and look for a clock icon or "Recents" option. Tap it, then swipe left on searches you want to delete, or look for a "Clear" button to remove all at once. The exact location varies slightly depending on your iOS version.

Photos does not store a traditional search history, but it does remember recent searches in the search tab. Swipe to the search tab at the bottom, tap the search bar, and swipe left on recent searches to delete them. App Store keeps search history in the search tab — tap the search icon at the bottom, then look for a "Clear" option or swipe left on individual searches. Music and Podcasts work the same way: open the app, go to the search tab, and delete searches individually or use a clear-all option if available.

The difference between clearing history and turning off recording

Clearing history removes searches you have already made. Turning off recording stops your iPhone from saving new searches going forward. In Spotlight, you can do both: clear past searches and toggle off Search History so nothing new gets recorded. In Safari, clearing history and turning off recording are separate — clearing history removes old searches, but Safari will still record new ones unless you change your privacy settings.

To stop Safari from recording searches entirely, go to Settings > Safari and look for Privacy options. You can enable Private Browsing to prevent Safari from storing any history, searches, or cookies while you browse. This mode is temporary — when you close all private tabs, the setting turns off and normal recording resumes.

What happens when you restart your iPhone

Restarting your iPhone does not clear search history. Your searches remain stored in Spotlight, Safari, and individual apps even after a restart, shutdown, or update. The only way to remove them is to manually delete them through the steps above. If you want a fresh start, you need to go through Settings and clear each search history individually.

Some people believe that a force restart (holding down buttons until the power-off slider appears) might clear data, but it does not. A restart of any kind simply turns your iPhone off and back on — it does not touch stored search records. Only the manual deletion methods described in this article will remove your search history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing search history delete my saved passwords or login information?

No. Clearing search history only removes the record of what you searched for. Your saved passwords, autofill information, and login credentials stay in place. If you want to delete those too, you can do it separately in Settings > Passwords (or Keychain) or Settings > Safari > Advanced > Website Data.

Can I see my deleted search history after I clear it?

No. Once you clear search history, it is gone. Your iPhone does not keep a backup of deleted searches in a recoverable location. If you need to remember something you searched for, you would have to check your email, browser bookmarks, or other records outside of your iPhone.

Will clearing search history affect my Siri suggestions?

Clearing Spotlight search history may reduce how personalized Siri's suggestions are, since Siri uses your search patterns to learn what you care about. However, Siri will still suggest apps, contacts, and shortcuts based on your usage patterns. You can control what Siri learns by toggling off Search History in Settings > Siri & Search.

Why does my iPhone keep showing old searches even after I cleared them?

You may have cleared history in one place but not another. Check that you cleared Spotlight (Settings > Siri & Search), Safari (Settings > Safari), and any individual apps you use. Also check whether Search History is still turned on in Siri & Search settings — if it is, your iPhone will start recording new searches immediately after you clear the old ones.