Delete your YouTube watch history in three steps
YouTube stores two separate histories: what you've watched and what you've searched for. To delete your watch history, sign into your YouTube account, click your profile picture in the top right corner, and select History. On the left side of the page, click Clear all watch history. YouTube will ask you to confirm — click the button again, and your entire watch history is gone.
This action removes the record from your account, but it does not delete the videos themselves or affect what YouTube recommends to you going forward. YouTube's recommendation system learns from your activity over time, so clearing history once won't reset your suggestions permanently. If you want to change what YouTube recommends, you'll need to watch different content or pause your watch history going forward.
If you don't want to delete everything at once, you can remove individual videos. Go to History, find the video you want to remove, hover over it, and click the X button that appears on the right side. This removes only that one video from your history without touching the rest.
Key Takeaways
- Your watch history and search history are stored separately — deleting one does not delete the other.
- Clearing your watch history removes the record from your account but does not change YouTube's recommendation algorithm immediately.
- You can delete individual videos from your history without clearing everything by clicking the X button next to each video.
- Pausing your watch history stops YouTube from recording what you watch, though videos you've already watched remain visible until you manually delete them.
- Deleting your history on one device does not affect the history stored on other devices where you're signed into the same account.
Clear your search history separately
YouTube keeps your search history in a different place than your watch history. To delete searches you've typed, click your profile picture, select History, and then click Clear all search history on the left side. Confirm the action, and all your searches are removed.
Like watch history, you can also delete individual searches. Go to History, find the search you want to remove, and click the X button next to it. This is useful if you want to keep most of your search history but remove a few specific searches.
Pause your history instead of deleting it
If you want to stop YouTube from recording your activity without deleting what's already there, you can pause your history. Go to History, click History controls on the left side, and select Pause watch history or Pause search history. When paused, YouTube stops recording new activity, but your old history remains in your account.
Pausing is useful if you're browsing on a shared device or watching content you don't want added to your recommendations. You can pause one type of history without pausing the other — for example, pause your watch history while keeping search history active. When you're ready to resume recording, go back to the same menu and click the pause button again.
What happens when you delete history on different devices
Your YouTube history is tied to your account, not to a specific device. When you delete your watch history or search history while signed in, that deletion applies to your account everywhere. If you sign into YouTube on your phone, tablet, and computer with the same account, deleting history on one device removes it from all of them.
However, if you use YouTube without signing in — or if you use private browsing mode on your browser — that activity is not stored in your YouTube account at all. YouTube still may track some information through cookies or your Google account, but it won't appear in your YouTube history. If you want to browse without any record being kept, use your browser's private or incognito mode.
Delete history from the YouTube app on mobile
The process on the YouTube mobile app is similar to the website. Open the app, tap your profile picture in the top right corner, and select History. Tap Clear all watch history or Clear all search history depending on what you want to delete. Confirm when prompted.
To delete individual videos or searches on mobile, open your history, find the item you want to remove, and swipe left on it (iPhone) or press and hold it (Android). A delete button will appear — tap it to remove that single item. The steps are the same whether you're using an iPhone or Android device.
Understand what YouTube keeps after you delete
Deleting your history removes the record from your History page, but YouTube may still retain some information about your account. If you've liked or commented on videos, those actions remain visible on your profile and in the videos themselves. Deleting watch history does not remove your likes or comments.
YouTube also uses data beyond your visible history to build your recommendations — including how long you watch videos, which videos you skip, and patterns in your viewing. Clearing your history once does not reset this underlying data. If you want to start fresh with recommendations, you may need to actively watch different types of content or adjust your privacy settings in your Google account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting my YouTube history delete the videos I watched?
No. Deleting your history only removes the record from your account. The videos themselves remain on YouTube and are unaffected. Other people can still find and watch those videos, and the creators still have access to their content.
Will deleting my history change what YouTube recommends to me?
Clearing your history removes one source of data YouTube uses for recommendations, but it does not immediately reset your suggestions. YouTube's algorithm considers many factors beyond your visible history. To see different recommendations, you'll need to watch different content over time or adjust your settings.
Can I recover my history after I delete it?
No. Once you confirm the deletion, your history is permanently removed from your account. YouTube does not provide a way to restore deleted history. If you think you might want to reference your history later, consider pausing it instead of deleting it.
Does deleting my YouTube history also delete my Google search history?
No. YouTube history and Google search history are separate. Deleting one does not affect the other. If you want to delete your Google search history, you need to go to your Google Account settings and manage it separately from YouTube.
What's the difference between pausing and deleting my history?
Pausing stops YouTube from recording new activity but keeps your existing history in your account. Deleting removes the history that's already there. Pause if you want to keep your old history but stop recording new activity; delete if you want to remove the record entirely.