Clear your YouTube search history in three steps
You can delete your YouTube search history from any device in about one minute. The process is the same whether you use a computer, phone, or tablet — you go to your account settings, find the search history section, and delete it. YouTube will stop showing you search suggestions based on what you looked for, though videos you watched will remain in your watch history unless you delete those separately.
Your search history is stored in your Google Account, not just on your device. This means if you search on your phone, that search appears on your computer too. Clearing it removes those searches from all your devices at once.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube search history and watch history are separate — deleting searches does not remove videos from your watch history.
- Searches are tied to your Google Account, so clearing them on one device clears them everywhere you are signed in.
- You can delete all searches at once or remove individual searches one by one.
- Turning off search history saves new searches from being stored, but does not delete old ones already saved.
Delete all your searches at once on a computer
Open YouTube in a web browser and sign in to your account. Click your profile picture in the top right corner and select Settings from the menu that appears.
On the left side, click Privacy and personalization. Under the section labeled "YouTube history", you will see a button that says Clear all search history. Click it. YouTube will ask you to confirm — click Clear search history again, and all your searches are gone.
After you clear your searches, YouTube will not suggest topics based on what you have looked for before. However, the videos you watched will still appear in your watch history. If you want to remove those as well, go back to the same settings page and click Clear all watch history instead.
Delete searches on your phone or tablet
Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap Settings. Scroll down and tap Privacy and personalization.
Tap Clear search history. The app will ask you to confirm. Tap Clear search history again. Your searches are now deleted from your phone, computer, and any other device where you are signed into YouTube.
If the option does not appear, make sure you are signed into your Google Account. If you are browsing YouTube without signing in, your searches are not saved to your account in the first place.
Remove individual searches instead of deleting everything
You do not have to clear your entire search history. You can delete one search at a time if you want to keep most of your history but remove a few searches.
On a computer, go to YouTube and click your profile picture, then Settings, then Privacy and personalization. Under "YouTube history", click Manage all your search history. A list of your recent searches appears. Hover over any search and click the X button that appears next to it. That search is deleted immediately.
On a phone or tablet, open the YouTube app, tap your profile picture, tap Settings, then Privacy and personalization. Tap Manage all your search history. Swipe left on any search (on iPhone) or long-press it (on Android) and tap Delete.
Turn off search history so new searches are not saved
If you want YouTube to stop saving your searches going forward, you can turn off search history. This does not delete searches you have already made — it only stops new ones from being saved.
On a computer, go to Settings > Privacy and personalization. Under "YouTube history", toggle off Search history. On a phone or tablet, go to Settings > Privacy and personalization and toggle off Search history.
When search history is off, YouTube will not suggest topics based on what you search for. You will still see general recommendations based on videos you watch, but not based on your searches. If you turn search history back on later, YouTube will start saving searches again from that point forward.
The difference between search history and watch history
YouTube keeps two separate records: what you searched for and what videos you watched. Clearing your search history removes only the searches — the videos you watched remain in your watch history and will still appear in your recommendations.
If you want to hide videos you have watched, you need to clear your watch history separately. Go to Settings > Privacy and personalization and click Clear all watch history. You can also delete individual videos from your watch history by going to History in the left menu and clicking the X next to any video.
Some people clear their search history but leave their watch history intact because they want YouTube to recommend videos based on what they actually watched, just not based on what they searched for.
What happens after you clear your search history
Once you delete your searches, YouTube stops using them to suggest topics or fill in search boxes. The next time you start typing in the search box, you will see general trending searches instead of your previous searches.
Your recommendations may change slightly because YouTube uses both your searches and your watch history to suggest videos. Clearing searches alone will not remove all personalization — YouTube will still recommend videos based on what you watched.
If you signed out of YouTube before searching, your searches were never saved to your account in the first place. Clearing history only affects searches made while you were signed in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing search history delete the videos I watched?
No. Search history and watch history are separate. Clearing your searches does not remove videos from your watch history. If you want to hide videos you watched, you must clear your watch history separately using the same settings menu.
Will YouTube stop recommending videos to me after I clear my search history?
YouTube will still recommend videos based on what you watched. Clearing searches only removes recommendations based on what you searched for. Your watch history continues to influence suggestions unless you clear that separately.
If I clear my search history on my phone, does it delete searches on my computer too?
Yes. Your search history is stored in your Google Account, not on your device. Clearing it anywhere you are signed in removes it from all your devices. The same applies if you clear it on a computer — it disappears from your phone and tablet too.
Can I delete just one search instead of everything?
Yes. Go to Settings > Privacy and personalization > Manage all your search history. Find the search you want to remove and click or tap the X next to it. You can delete searches one at a time without clearing your entire history.
What is the difference between clearing search history and turning it off?
Clearing search history deletes searches you have already made. Turning off search history stops YouTube from saving new searches going forward. If you turn it off, old searches remain until you clear them, but YouTube will not save anything new.