How to clear your search history depends on which search engine you use and what device you're on

The steps differ between Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and other search engines. If you use Google on a desktop computer, you go to myactivity.google.com, select the date range, and delete. On a phone, the process is buried in your browser settings rather than in a Google app. Bing works through your Microsoft account settings. Each engine stores your history in a different place, so there's no single "clear all search history" button that works everywhere.

Most people actually need to clear two separate things: your search engine's record of what you searched for, and your browser's record of the pages you visited. Clearing one does not clear the other. Your browser history (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) is separate from your search engine history (Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo). You may want to clear both, or just one.

Key Takeaways

  • Google stores your search history in your Google Account at myactivity.google.com, separate from your browser history, and you can delete it by date range or search term.
  • On a phone, search history is usually cleared through your browser settings (Settings > Privacy or History), not through a search engine app.
  • Bing search history lives in your Microsoft account settings under Privacy > Clear browsing data, while DuckDuckGo does not store search history by default.
  • Clearing your browser history (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) removes the list of websites you visited but does not remove your search engine's record of what you searched for.
  • Signing out of your Google, Microsoft, or other account before searching prevents that search from being saved to your account history.

Clearing Google search history on a computer

Go to myactivity.google.com in any browser while signed into your Google account. On the left side, click "Delete activity by" and choose your date range — you can pick "All time," a specific date range, or just today. Then click the search box at the top and type the specific search term you want to delete, or leave it blank to delete everything in that date range. Click "Delete" to confirm.

If you want to delete searches one at a time instead, scroll through your activity list on myactivity.google.com and click the X next to any individual search. This is slower but useful if you only want to remove a few specific searches.

You can also turn off search history recording entirely. On myactivity.google.com, click "Web & App Activity" on the left, then toggle off "Web & App Activity." Google will stop recording new searches, but it will not delete what you've already searched for — you still need to delete those manually.

Clearing search history on a phone or tablet

On an iPhone or Android phone, the process depends on which browser you use. If you use Chrome, open the app, tap the three dots in the bottom right, go to Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data, choose your time range, and tap "Clear Browsing Data." If you use Safari on iPhone, go to Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data, pick your time range, and confirm.

This clears your browser history — the websites you visited. To clear your Google search history specifically on a phone, you still need to go to myactivity.google.com in your phone's browser, sign in, and delete from there. Many people don't realize these are two separate things and think clearing their browser history cleared their Google searches, when it actually didn't.

If you use Firefox on Android, tap the three lines in the bottom right, go to Settings > Delete Browsing Data, and select what you want to clear. On any phone, if you're signed into a Google account in your browser, your searches are still being recorded to your Google account even after you clear your phone's browser history.

Clearing Bing and Microsoft search history

Bing search history is stored in your Microsoft account, not in your browser. Go to account.microsoft.com, sign in, and click "Privacy" on the left. Under "Clear browsing data," click "Choose what to clear," select your time range, and check the boxes for the types of data you want to remove. You can clear search history, browsing history, or both.

Unlike Google, Microsoft does not have a separate activity page where you can see and delete individual searches. You can only clear in bulk by date range. If you want to stop Bing from recording your searches, go to account.microsoft.com > Privacy > Manage your activity data and toggle off "Bing searches."

DuckDuckGo and other privacy-focused search engines

DuckDuckGo does not store your search history by default. It does not create an account tied to your searches, and it does not track you across the web. If you use DuckDuckGo, there is nothing to clear — your searches are not being saved anywhere on DuckDuckGo's servers.

Other smaller search engines like Startpage and Ecosia also offer privacy-focused options. Startpage lets you search anonymously without creating an account. If you do create an account with any search engine, check its privacy settings to see what it records and whether you can turn recording off.

The difference between browser history and search engine history

Your browser history is a list of every website you visited. Your search engine history is a list of every search you typed into Google, Bing, or another search engine. Clearing one does not clear the other. If you search for "how to fix a leaky faucet" on Google, then clear your Chrome browser history, Google still has a record that you searched for that phrase — it's stored in your Google account, not in Chrome.

To truly remove all traces of your searches, you need to clear both your browser history and your search engine history. Start with your search engine (myactivity.google.com for Google, account.microsoft.com for Bing), then clear your browser history in your browser's settings.

Preventing search history from being saved in the first place

The easiest way to keep searches private is to not have them recorded at all. Sign out of your Google, Microsoft, or other account before you search. If you're not signed in, Google and Bing will not save your searches to your account. You can still clear your browser history later, but at least the search engine itself won't have a record.

Most browsers also have a private or incognito mode. In Chrome it's called Incognito, in Safari it's Private, in Firefox it's Private Window. When you use private mode, your browser does not save the websites you visit or the searches you perform — but your internet service provider and your search engine can still see what you're doing if you're signed into an account. Private mode protects you from other people using your device, not from the search engine or your ISP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does clearing my browser history clear my Google searches?

No. Clearing your browser history removes the list of websites you visited, but Google still has a record of your searches in your Google account. You need to go to myactivity.google.com separately to delete your Google search history.

Can I delete just one search instead of everything?

Yes, on Google. Go to myactivity.google.com, find the search you want to delete, and click the X next to it. On Bing, you can only delete by date range, not individual searches. DuckDuckGo does not store searches, so there is nothing to delete.

If I clear my history, can someone still see what I searched for?

Your internet service provider can see what you search for regardless of whether you clear your history, because they see all the traffic leaving your device. Clearing your history only removes the record from your device and your search engine account. If you want to hide your searches from your ISP, you need a VPN.

What does incognito or private mode actually do?

Private mode prevents your browser from saving the websites you visit or searches you perform on your device. It does not hide your activity from your search engine, ISP, or the websites you visit. It mainly protects you if someone else uses your device.

Why does Google keep showing me ads for things I searched for weeks ago?

Even after you delete your search history, Google may still have other records of your interests — like videos you watched on YouTube, emails you sent, or websites you visited that have Google tracking code. Deleting search history alone does not stop targeted ads. You can adjust your ad preferences at myaccount.google.com > Data & Privacy > Ad personalization.