YouTube stores your search history by default, and you can delete it in seconds

YouTube keeps a record of every search you perform on the platform — on your computer, phone, or tablet. This history helps YouTube recommend videos and makes it easier to find searches you've done before. If you want to remove specific searches or clear everything at once, you can do that from your account settings. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on a computer or phone, but the process takes less than a minute either way.

Your search history is separate from your watch history. Clearing one does not affect the other. You can also pause YouTube from recording new searches going forward, or delete your history automatically after a set time period.

Key Takeaways

  • On a computer, go to YouTube.com, click your profile icon, select "Settings," then "Privacy," and choose "Clear all search history" or delete individual searches.
  • On an Android phone, open the YouTube app, tap your profile icon, go to "Settings," then "Privacy," and select "Clear search history."
  • On an iPhone, the process is the same as Android: profile icon, Settings, Privacy, then Clear search history.
  • You can pause YouTube from recording new searches by toggling off "Search history" in the same Privacy menu, though this also turns off search recommendations.
  • Clearing your search history does not delete your watch history, saved playlists, or liked videos — only your searches.

How to clear search history on a computer

Open YouTube.com in your browser and sign into your account if you're not already logged in. Click your profile icon in the top right corner — it's a small circle with your initial or profile picture inside. A dropdown menu will appear.

Click "Settings" from the dropdown. On the left side of the page, click "Privacy." Under the "Search history" section, you'll see two options: "Clear all search history" and a list of your recent searches with individual delete buttons next to each one. Click "Clear all search history" if you want to remove everything at once. A confirmation box will appear asking if you're sure — click "Clear all" to confirm.

If you only want to delete specific searches, click the X button next to each search term instead. This removes only those individual searches and leaves the rest of your history intact.

How to clear search history on Android

Open the YouTube app on your Android phone and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Tap "Settings" from the menu that appears. Scroll down and tap "Privacy."

Under "Search history," tap "Clear search history." A confirmation message will appear. Tap "Clear search history" again to confirm the deletion. Your entire search history will be removed from your account.

If you want to delete only certain searches, this option is not available in the Android app — you'll need to use a computer or the YouTube website on your phone's browser to delete individual searches.

How to clear search history on iPhone

Open the YouTube app and tap your profile icon in the top right corner. Tap "Settings" from the menu. Tap "Privacy."

Under "Search history," tap "Clear search history." A confirmation message will appear. Tap "Clear search history" again to confirm. Your entire search history will be removed from your account.

Like Android, the iPhone app does not offer the option to delete individual searches. To remove only specific searches, use the YouTube website on your phone's Safari or Chrome browser and follow the computer steps above.

How to pause YouTube from recording new searches

If you want to stop YouTube from recording your searches going forward, you can turn off search history recording. On a computer, go to YouTube Settings, click "Privacy," and toggle off "Search history." On a phone, go to Settings, tap "Privacy," and toggle off "Search history."

Keep in mind that turning off search history also disables YouTube's ability to give you search suggestions based on what you've typed before. When you search, YouTube will not auto-complete your searches or show you past searches you've started typing. You can turn search history back on at any time by toggling it back on in the same menu.

What happens when you clear your search history

Clearing your search history removes only the record of what you've searched for on YouTube. It does not delete your watch history (the videos you've watched), your liked videos, your saved playlists, your subscriptions, or any comments you've posted. Those remain on your account unless you delete them separately.

After you clear your search history, YouTube will start recording new searches immediately unless you've turned off search history recording. Your recommendations may also change slightly because YouTube uses your search history to personalize suggestions — without that data, recommendations will be based more on your watch history and general trends.

Clearing search history does not make you anonymous

Deleting your YouTube search history does not hide your activity from YouTube or your internet service provider. YouTube still knows what you search for and watch — clearing history only removes it from your own account. If you want to search YouTube privately without YouTube recording your activity, you would need to use YouTube in Incognito mode (on a computer) or Private Browsing mode (on a phone).

In Incognito or Private mode, YouTube will not save your searches, watch history, or recommendations to your account. However, your internet service provider can still see what you're doing online. If you need true privacy from your ISP, you would need to use a VPN, which is a separate tool outside of YouTube's settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing search history also clear watch history?

No. Search history and watch history are separate. Clearing one does not affect the other. If you want to delete your watch history as well, you need to do that in a different menu — go to Settings, Privacy, and look for "Clear all watch history."

Can I delete just one search from my history?

Yes, but only on a computer or through the YouTube website on your phone's browser. Click your profile icon, go to Settings, then Privacy. Next to each search in your history, you'll see an X button. Click it to remove that single search. The mobile app does not offer this option — it only lets you clear all searches at once.

Will clearing my search history affect my recommendations?

Yes, slightly. YouTube uses your search history to personalize video recommendations. After you clear it, your recommendations will be based more on your watch history and general trends. Over time, as you perform new searches, YouTube will rebuild its understanding of your interests and recommendations will become more personalized again.

What is Incognito mode and how do I use it?

Incognito mode (on computers) or Private Browsing mode (on phones) prevents YouTube from saving your searches and watch history to your account. On a computer, open YouTube in a new Incognito window by pressing Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Command+Shift+N (Mac). On a phone, open your browser's menu and select "Private Browsing" or "Incognito." YouTube will not record your activity in these modes.

Does YouTube delete old search history automatically?

YouTube does not automatically delete your search history after a certain time period. Your searches remain on your account indefinitely unless you manually clear them. However, you can set YouTube to automatically delete your watch history and activity after a set time — go to Settings, Privacy, and look for "Auto-delete" options, though this applies to watch history, not search history.