YouTube stores every search you make, and clearing that history takes just a few clicks
Your YouTube search history is a record of every video you've looked for, and it stays on your account unless you remove it. You can delete individual searches one at a time, clear your entire search history at once, or turn off search history recording altogether so YouTube stops saving new searches going forward. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on a computer, phone, or tablet.
The fastest way is to go to your YouTube account settings and use the "Clear all search history" option, which wipes everything at once. If you want to delete only certain searches, you can do that from your search results page. You can also pause search history so YouTube doesn't record future searches, though this is separate from deleting what's already there.
Key Takeaways
- You can clear all your YouTube searches at once through your account settings, or delete individual searches from your search results page.
- Clearing search history removes the record from your account but does not delete videos you've already watched.
- Pausing search history stops YouTube from recording new searches, but does not delete searches that are already saved.
- On a phone or tablet, the steps are the same as on a computer, but the menu buttons look slightly different.
Clear all your searches at once on a computer
Open YouTube in your web browser and sign in to your account. Click your profile picture in the top right corner, then select "Settings" from the dropdown menu. On the left side, click "Privacy and personalization."
Scroll down until you see "Clear all search history." Click the blue button next to it. YouTube will ask you to confirm — click "Clear search history" in the popup window. Your entire search history is now deleted. This action cannot be undone, so make sure you want to remove all of it before you confirm.
Delete individual searches from your history
Go to YouTube and click the search box at the top. You'll see a dropdown list of your recent searches. Hover your mouse over any search you want to remove, and an X button will appear on the right side of that search. Click the X to delete just that one search.
You can delete searches one at a time this way, but if you have many searches to remove, clearing all of them at once (using the method above) is faster. This approach is useful if you only want to hide a few specific searches while keeping the rest of your history.
Stop YouTube from saving new searches
Open YouTube and click your profile picture in the top right. Select "Settings," then "Privacy and personalization" on the left side. Scroll down to find "Search history" and toggle it off. The toggle will turn gray when it's off.
When search history is paused, YouTube stops recording new searches you make. However, this does not delete searches you've already made — those remain in your account until you clear them separately. If you turn search history back on later, YouTube will resume recording your searches from that point forward.
Clear searches on your phone or tablet
Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap "Settings," then "Privacy." Scroll down and tap "Clear search history." YouTube will ask you to confirm — tap "Clear search history" again to remove all your searches at once.
To delete individual searches on a phone, open YouTube and tap the search box. Your recent searches appear below. Swipe left on any search (on iPhone) or long-press it (on Android), and a delete option will appear. Tap it to remove that single search from your history.
What happens when you clear your search history
Clearing your search history removes the record of what you've searched for, but it does not delete the videos themselves or your watch history. If you watched a video after searching for it, that video will still appear in your "Watch history" section. You would need to clear your watch history separately if you want to remove that record too.
When you clear search history, the change takes effect immediately across all your devices. If you're signed into YouTube on your phone, tablet, and computer, clearing history on one device removes it from all of them. YouTube may take a few minutes to sync the change across all your devices, but the deletion is permanent once it's complete.
The difference between search history and watch history
Search history is the list of terms you've typed into the search box. Watch history is the list of videos you've actually clicked on and watched. These are two separate records, and clearing one does not affect the other. You can clear your search history while keeping your watch history intact, or vice versa.
If you want to remove both, you'll need to clear them separately. Go to your account settings and look for both "Clear all search history" and "Clear all watch history" — they are in the same "Privacy and personalization" section. Some people clear search history regularly but keep watch history so YouTube can recommend videos based on what they've watched.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo clearing my search history?
No. Once you clear your search history, it cannot be recovered. YouTube does not have an undo option for this action. If you're unsure whether you want to delete everything, consider deleting individual searches instead until you're ready to clear all of them.
Will clearing search history stop YouTube from recommending videos?
Clearing search history alone will not significantly change your recommendations, because YouTube uses your watch history and viewing patterns to suggest videos. If you want to reduce personalized recommendations, you would also need to clear your watch history or pause watch history recording.
Does pausing search history delete what's already saved?
No. Pausing search history only stops YouTube from recording new searches going forward. Your old searches remain in your account until you clear them separately using the "Clear all search history" option.
Will other people see my search history?
Only you can see your search history — it is private to your account. Other people cannot view it unless they have access to your YouTube account login. If you share a device with others, they could see your history if they use the same account, but not if they use their own account.
Can I clear search history on YouTube without signing in?
No. You must be signed into your YouTube account to access your search history and clear it. If you're using YouTube without signing in, YouTube does not save your searches to an account, though your browser may still keep a record of your searches locally.