Delete your search history in the Google app or Safari
You can remove your Google search history from an iPhone in two places: inside the Google app itself, or in Safari if you search through Google's website. The Google app method is faster and clears history from your Google account across all devices. The Safari method only clears what your phone has stored locally.
Which one you need depends on how you search. If you use the Google app (the standalone app with the colorful "G" icon), use the first method. If you search by going to google.com in Safari, use the second method. Many people use both, so you may need to do both to clear everything.
Key Takeaways
- The Google app stores your search history on your Google account, and deleting it there removes it from all your devices, not just your iPhone.
- Safari stores a separate local copy of your search history on your phone, and clearing it does not affect your Google account history.
- You can delete individual searches or your entire history at once in either location.
- Turning on Incognito mode in the Google app or Safari prevents new searches from being saved to your history.
Delete history from the Google app
Open the Google app on your iPhone. Tap your profile picture or initial in the top right corner. Select Manage your Google Account.
Tap the Data & Privacy tab at the top. Scroll down and tap Web & App Activity. You will see a list of your recent searches and websites you have visited. To delete everything, tap the three-dot menu at the top right and select Delete all time. Confirm by tapping Delete. To delete individual searches, swipe left on any search and tap the trash icon.
This method removes the history from your Google account itself, so it disappears from your iPhone, your computer, and any other device where you are signed into that Google account. The deletion is permanent.
Clear history from Safari
Open the Safari app. Tap the book icon at the bottom of the screen (on newer iPhones) or the icon that looks like an open book. Tap History at the bottom. Tap Clear History and Website Data in the bottom right corner.
A menu will appear asking how far back to clear. Choose all time to remove everything, or pick a specific time range like the last hour or today. Tap Clear History and Website Data to confirm.
This clears only what Safari has stored on your phone. It does not affect your Google account history or any other device. If you use Google through Safari, this step removes those searches from your phone's local storage, but your Google account will still have a record unless you also use the Google app method above.
Delete individual searches instead of everything
If you only want to remove specific searches, the Google app method is easier. Open the Google app, go to your profile picture, select Manage your Google Account, tap Data & Privacy, then Web & App Activity. Find the search you want to remove and swipe left on it. Tap the trash icon. The search disappears immediately.
In Safari, you cannot delete individual searches from your history. You can only clear everything within a time range. If you need to hide a specific search from Safari, your only option is to clear all history from that time period, which also removes other searches you may want to keep.
Stop saving searches with Incognito mode
If you do not want future searches saved at all, use Incognito mode. In the Google app, tap the profile picture, then tap Turn on Incognito. The app will turn dark and show an Incognito badge. Searches in this mode are not saved to your Google account.
In Safari, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or tap the tab icon on newer iPhones) and tap Private in the bottom right. Open a new private tab. Searches in private tabs are not saved to Safari's history. Note that private browsing in Safari does not affect your Google account history — if you search through google.com in a private tab, Google still records it on your account unless you are also using the Google app's Incognito mode.
What happens after you delete
Once you delete from the Google app, the search is gone from your Google account everywhere. You cannot undo this. If you delete from Safari, only your phone's local copy is removed — your Google account still has the record if you searched through google.com.
Deleted searches do not reappear in autocomplete suggestions. However, if you have synced your iPhone with a computer or other device, those devices may still have a copy of your history until you clear it there as well. Clearing history on one device does not automatically clear it on others, except when you delete from your Google account itself through the method above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting Safari history also delete my Google account history?
No. Safari only stores a local copy on your phone. Your Google account keeps its own record unless you delete it through the Google app or your Google Account settings. You need to do both if you want to remove searches from everywhere.
Can I delete my search history without opening the Google app?
Yes. Go to google.com in Safari, tap your profile picture, select Manage your Google Account, then follow the same steps as the Google app method. You can also delete history from any web browser on any device by signing into your Google Account and visiting myactivity.google.com.
Will deleting my history remove it from Google's servers?
Deleting from your account removes it from your visible history and stops it from appearing in your searches and suggestions. Google may retain deleted data for legal or technical reasons, but it is no longer tied to your account or visible to you.
What is the difference between Incognito mode and deleting history?
Incognito mode prevents searches from being saved in the first place. Deleting history removes searches that were already saved. Incognito is useful if you want to search without a record being created. Deleting is useful if you have already searched and want to remove the record afterward.
If I delete my Google history on iPhone, will it delete on my computer too?
Yes, if you delete through your Google Account settings (the method in the Google app). Deleting through Safari only affects your iPhone. Your computer will still have its own Safari history unless you clear it separately.