Delete your search history in Chrome in three steps
Open Chrome and press Ctrl+H on Windows or Command+Y on Mac. This opens your History page. On the left side, click Clear browsing data. A window will pop up — make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are checked, set the time range to All time, then click Clear data.
That removes the searches you typed into Google and other search engines, plus the websites you visited. It also clears cookies, which are small files websites use to remember you. If you only want to delete searches from the last hour or day instead of everything, you can change the time range in that same window before clicking Clear data.
Chrome also has a setting to delete your history automatically every time you close the browser. If you want that, go to Settings (the three dots in the top right), click Privacy and security, then turn on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome. This only works if you actually close Chrome completely — minimizing it or closing a tab does not trigger the deletion.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl+H (Windows) or Command+Y (Mac) to open your History page, then click Clear browsing data to delete searches and websites you visited.
- Make sure to select All time if you want to remove everything, or choose a shorter time range like Last hour or Last 24 hours.
- Clearing your history also removes cookies and cached files, which can speed up Chrome if it has been running for a long time.
- You can set Chrome to automatically delete your history every time you close the browser by turning on Clear cookies and site data when you quit Chrome in Settings.
What gets deleted when you clear your history
When you click Clear data, Chrome removes several things at once. Your search history — the list of things you typed into Google — disappears from the History page. The websites you visited also get removed from that list. Cookies, which are files that websites store on your computer to remember your login or preferences, get deleted too.
Chrome also clears cached images and files by default. A cache is a folder where Chrome stores copies of images and other parts of websites so they load faster the next time you visit. Clearing the cache frees up storage space on your computer, though it means websites will load slightly slower the first time you visit them after clearing.
One thing that does not get deleted: passwords you saved in Chrome. If you want to remove those, you have to go to Settings, click Passwords, find the password you want to delete, and click the three dots next to it, then Remove. This is intentional — Chrome assumes you want to keep your saved passwords even when you clear your history.
The difference between clearing history and using Incognito mode
Clearing your history removes things you have already done. Incognito mode prevents Chrome from saving your history in the first place. When you open an Incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows or Command+Shift+N on Mac), Chrome does not store your searches, websites, cookies, or cached files. When you close that window, everything disappears automatically.
Incognito mode is useful if you are shopping for a gift on a shared computer, or if you do not want Chrome to remember a particular search. It is not invisible to your internet provider or your employer — they can still see what websites you visit. It just means Chrome itself does not keep a record.
If you regularly clear your history, you might prefer to use Incognito mode for searches you do not want saved. If you forget to clear your history sometimes, turning on automatic deletion in Settings is a good backup.
Clearing history on other devices where you use Chrome
If you sign into Chrome with a Google account, your history syncs across devices — your phone, tablet, and computer all see the same search history. When you clear your history on one device, it clears on all of them, as long as sync is turned on.
To check if sync is on, go to Settings, click You and Google, and look for Sync and Google services. If it says your account is syncing, then clearing history on your computer will also clear it on your phone and any other device signed into that account.
If you do not want history to sync across devices, you can turn off sync in that same menu. Then each device keeps its own separate history, and clearing history on your computer does not affect your phone.
When Chrome does not delete everything you expect
Sometimes you clear your history and a website still remembers you. This usually happens because the website uses a method other than cookies to track you. Some websites use local storage, which is similar to cookies but harder to clear. Chrome's Clear data window removes local storage if you have Cookies and other site data checked, so make sure that box is selected.
Another reason a website might remember you: you are still signed into your account. If you logged into Gmail or Facebook, clearing your history does not sign you out. You have to click your profile picture and select Sign out separately. Signing out removes your login session, which is different from clearing your history.
If you want to be completely forgotten by a website, sign out first, then clear your history. That removes both your login and the tracking files the site stored.
Clearing history from the address bar and search suggestions
When you start typing in Chrome's address bar, it shows suggestions based on your history and searches. If you want to remove a single suggestion without clearing your entire history, click on it to highlight it, then press Delete on your keyboard. That one suggestion disappears.
If you want to stop Chrome from showing suggestions altogether, go to Settings, click Privacy and security, then turn off Autocomplete searches and URLs. This prevents Chrome from suggesting anything based on your history, though it will still suggest popular websites.
Removing individual suggestions is useful if you searched for something you do not want to see again but you want to keep the rest of your history. Turning off autocomplete is useful if you share your computer and do not want other people to see what you have searched for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing my history delete my saved passwords?
No. Chrome keeps saved passwords separate from your history. If you want to delete a password, go to Settings, click Passwords, find the password you want to remove, click the three dots next to it, and select Remove. You can also turn off password saving entirely in Settings under Passwords.
Can someone recover my history after I delete it?
Once you clear your history in Chrome, it is gone from your computer. However, your internet provider can still see what websites you visited because they handle your internet connection. If you want to hide your browsing from your provider, you would need to use a VPN, which is a separate tool outside of Chrome.
Will clearing my history sign me out of websites?
Clearing your history removes cookies, which websites use to keep you signed in. So yes, you will likely be signed out of Gmail, Facebook, and other sites after clearing your history. You will have to sign back in the next time you visit those websites.
What if I only want to delete history from the last few hours?
When you open Clear browsing data, the time range is set to All time by default. Click that dropdown and select Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, or a custom date range. Chrome will only delete history from that time period.
Does Incognito mode hide my activity from my internet provider?
No. Incognito mode only hides your history from Chrome itself. Your internet provider, your employer, or anyone with access to your router can still see what websites you visit. Incognito mode does not provide privacy from them — only from Chrome's local storage.