Clear your recent searches in three steps

Google stores your recent searches so it can show them to you faster next time. You can delete them one at a time, clear all of them at once, or stop Google from saving them altogether. The fastest way is to delete them from your search history page, which takes about 30 seconds.

Your recent searches live in two places: on the Google search page itself (where you see them in a dropdown when you click the search box) and in your full Google account history (which Google keeps even after they disappear from the dropdown). This guide covers both.

Key Takeaways

  • You can delete individual searches from the dropdown on Google's homepage by clicking the X next to each one.
  • To delete all recent searches at once, go to myactivity.google.com, select the date range, and delete them in bulk.
  • Deleting from the dropdown only removes them from that visible list — your full search history remains in your Google account until you delete it from myactivity.google.com.
  • You can turn off search history entirely so Google stops saving new searches, though you will need to do this in your Google account settings.

Delete individual searches from the Google homepage

When you click in the Google search box, you see a dropdown list of your recent searches. You can remove any single search from this list by hovering over it and clicking the X that appears on the right side. This takes about five seconds per search.

Open google.com in your browser and click in the search box at the top of the page. Your recent searches appear below it. Move your mouse over any search you want to remove — an X will appear on the right side of that search. Click the X. The search disappears from the dropdown immediately.

This method only removes searches from the visible dropdown on your homepage. If you want to make sure they are gone from your Google account entirely, you will need to delete them from your full search history as well, which is covered in the next section.

Delete all recent searches from your Google account

Your Google account keeps a complete record of every search you have ever made, separate from the dropdown list on the homepage. To delete all of them at once, go to myactivity.google.com, which is Google's activity page for your account.

Open myactivity.google.com in your browser and sign in with your Google account if you are not already signed in. On the left side, click "Search" to see only your search history. At the top, click the three-dot menu (it looks like ⋮) and select "Delete activity by." Choose the date range you want to delete — you can pick "All time" to remove everything, or select a specific date range. Click "Delete" to confirm.

Google will ask you to confirm that you want to delete these searches. Click "Delete" again. The searches are now removed from your account history. This is permanent — you cannot undo it.

Delete searches from a specific date

If you only want to remove searches from one day or a short period, you can be more precise. Go to myactivity.google.com, click "Search" on the left, and then use the date picker at the top to select the exact date or range you want to delete.

Click on the date field (it usually shows today's date) and a calendar will appear. Select the start date and end date for the searches you want to remove. Then click the three-dot menu and select "Delete activity by." Choose your date range and click "Delete."

Stop Google from saving new searches

If you do not want Google to save your searches going forward, you can turn off Web & App Activity in your Google account settings. This prevents Google from storing new searches, but it does not delete searches you have already made.

Go to myactivity.google.com and click "Web & App Activity" on the left side. At the top, you will see a toggle switch that says "Web & App Activity is on." Click it to turn it off. Google will ask you to confirm — click "Turn off" again. From now on, Google will not save your searches in your account history.

Keep in mind that turning this off may affect other Google services. For example, Google Maps will not remember your location history, and YouTube will not save your watch history. You can turn Web & App Activity back on at any time by going back to the same page and clicking the toggle.

Clear searches on your phone or tablet

On mobile devices, you can delete recent searches from the Google app or from your Google account, just like on a computer. The steps are slightly different depending on whether you use an iPhone or Android phone.

On Android: Open the Google app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap "Manage your Google Account" and go to the "Data & privacy" tab. Scroll down to "Web & App Activity" and tap it. Tap the three-dot menu at the top and select "Delete activity by." Choose your date range and tap "Delete."

On iPhone: Open the Google app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Tap "Manage your Google Account" and go to the "Data & privacy" tab. Scroll down to "Web & App Activity" and tap it. Tap the three-dot menu at the top and select "Delete activity by." Choose your date range and tap "Delete."

What happens when you delete your search history

When you delete a search from your recent list on the homepage, it stops appearing in the dropdown when you click the search box. When you delete it from myactivity.google.com, it is removed from your Google account history entirely.

Deleting your search history does not affect your browsing history in your web browser — that is stored separately. If you want to delete your browser history (the list of websites you have visited), you will need to do that in your browser settings, not in Google.

Once you delete searches from myactivity.google.com, they are gone permanently. Google does not keep a backup you can restore. If you think you might need a record of your searches later, you can download your data before deleting it — go to myactivity.google.com, click the three-dot menu, and select "Download your data."

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting my search history delete my browser history too?

No. Your search history (what you searched for on Google) is separate from your browser history (the websites you visited). Deleting one does not affect the other. To delete your browser history, you need to go into your browser settings — usually under History or Privacy.

If I turn off Web & App Activity, will Google forget my passwords and saved information?

No. Turning off Web & App Activity only stops Google from saving your searches, location history, and app activity. Your saved passwords, autofill information, and other account settings stay in place. You can turn the setting back on whenever you want.

Can I delete searches from only one website or app?

Yes. On myactivity.google.com, you can click on individual searches or apps to delete activity from just that source. Click on a search result or app name, and you will see options to delete just that activity instead of everything from a date range.

Will deleting my search history affect my Google recommendations?

Yes. Google uses your search history to personalize recommendations on YouTube, in Google News, and in search results. If you delete your history, those recommendations will become less personalized until you build up new search history.

How do I know if someone else can see my search history?

Your search history is private to your Google account. No one else can see it unless they have access to your account password. If you share a device with someone else, they can see your recent searches in the dropdown on the Google homepage unless you delete them, but they cannot see your full account history without signing into your account.