What clearing your web history does

Clearing your web history removes the record of websites you have visited and searches you have made in Google. When you clear this data, Google stops showing you those sites in your search suggestions, and your browser stops remembering them in its address bar. The data is deleted from your device and from your Google account if you are signed in.

This is different from clearing your browser cache or cookies, though you can clear all three at once. Your search history is the list of things you searched for and pages you visited. Your cache is temporary files your browser stores to load pages faster. Cookies are small files that remember your login information and preferences on websites.

Clearing your history does not make you anonymous online or hide your activity from your internet service provider. It only removes the record from your device and Google's servers.

Key Takeaways

  • You can clear your Google search history from your Google Account settings at myactivity.google.com, which removes it from all your devices at once.
  • Clearing history from your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge) removes only the local record on that device, not from your Google account.
  • You can delete all history at once or choose a date range — for example, the last hour, day, week, month, or year.
  • Turning on auto-delete in your Google Account settings removes search history automatically after a set number of months, so you do not have to clear it manually.
  • Clearing your history from Google does not affect your browser's saved passwords or payment methods unless you choose to delete those too.

Clear your Google search history from your account

The fastest way to clear all your Google search history at once — across all devices where you are signed in — is through your Google Account. Go to myactivity.google.com in any browser. You will see a list of your recent searches and websites you visited while signed into Google.

On the left side of the page, click Delete activity by. A menu will appear with date options. Choose how far back you want to delete: All time removes everything, or you can pick Last hour, Last day, Last week, Last month, or Last year. Select your time range, then click the blue Delete button. Google will ask you to confirm — click Delete again. The history is now gone from your account.

If you want to delete only specific searches or websites instead of everything in a time range, you can click on individual items in your activity list and delete them one at a time. Hover over an item and click the trash icon that appears.

Clear history from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge

Clearing history from your browser removes it only from that device, not from your Google account. If you are signed into Google in your browser, clearing browser history does not automatically clear your Google search history — you need to do both separately.

In Chrome: Press Ctrl + H on Windows or Command + Y on Mac to open your history. On the left, click Clear browsing data. A window will pop up. At the top, choose your time range from the dropdown menu. Check the boxes next to Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files if you want to clear those too. Click Clear data.

In Firefox: Press Ctrl + H on Windows or Command + Y on Mac. On the left, click Clear Recent History. Choose your time range at the top. Make sure Browsing & Download History is checked, then click Clear Now.

In Safari: Click Safari in the menu bar at the top, then click Clear History. A dropdown menu will ask how far back you want to clear — choose all history, the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or the last week. Click Clear History.

In Microsoft Edge: Press Ctrl + H on Windows. On the left, click Clear browsing data. Choose your time range, check Browsing history, and click Clear now.

Set your history to delete automatically

Instead of clearing your history manually every time, you can tell Google to delete it automatically. Go to myactivity.google.com and click your profile picture in the top right corner. Click Manage your Google Account, then go to the Data & Privacy tab.

Scroll down to Web & App Activity and click it. You will see a toggle for Auto-delete (Off). Click the toggle to turn it on. Google will ask you to choose how long to keep your history before it deletes automatically — you can pick 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months. Select your preference and click Next, then Confirm. From now on, anything older than your chosen time frame will be deleted without you having to do anything.

You can turn auto-delete off at any time by going back to the same setting and clicking the toggle again.

Clear history from your browser's address bar suggestions

When you start typing in your browser's address bar, it shows suggestions based on your history. You can delete individual suggestions without clearing your entire history. Start typing in the address bar, and when a suggestion appears that you want to remove, press Delete on your keyboard (or Shift + Delete on some browsers). The suggestion will disappear and will not appear again.

This removes the suggestion from your browser only, not from your Google account. If you want to remove it from Google's records too, you need to clear your Google search history using the steps above.

What happens when you clear your history

When you clear your Google search history, Google stops using it to personalize your search results and ads. Your search suggestions will be less tailored to your interests. If you share a device with other people, clearing your history prevents them from seeing what you searched for.

Clearing your history does not delete your saved passwords, payment methods, or autofill information unless you specifically check those boxes when clearing. It also does not affect your Gmail, Google Drive, or other Google services — only your search and browsing activity.

If you have turned on Web & App Activity in your Google Account, your history will start building up again as soon as you search or visit websites while signed in. To stop this from happening, you can turn off Web & App Activity in your Data & Privacy settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing my history make me invisible online?

No. Clearing your history removes the record from your device and Google's servers, but it does not hide your activity from your internet service provider, your employer if you are on their network, or the websites you visit. Those organizations can still see what you do online. To hide your activity from those sources, you would need to use a VPN or Tor browser.

If I clear my history, will my passwords be deleted too?

Not automatically. When you clear your browsing history, your saved passwords stay in your browser unless you specifically check the box for Passwords and other sign-in data before clicking delete. Be careful with this option — if you delete your passwords, you will have to type them in again the next time you visit those websites.

Can I recover my history after I delete it?

No. Once you delete your search history from Google or your browser, it cannot be recovered. If you think you might need to find something you searched for, take a screenshot or write down the information before you clear your history.

What is the difference between clearing history and turning off Web & App Activity?

Clearing history deletes what you have already searched for and visited. Turning off Web & App Activity stops Google from recording new searches and visits going forward. You can do both — clear your old history and then turn off the setting so Google does not start recording again.

Will clearing my history on one device clear it on all my devices?

Only if you clear it from your Google Account at myactivity.google.com. If you clear history from your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge), it only clears on that device. To clear it everywhere, use your Google Account settings instead.