Where to find and clear your Google search history
Your Google search history lives in your Google Account, not on your device. To clear it, you go to myactivity.google.com, sign in with the Google account you use for searching, and delete the searches you want removed. Google stores this history on their servers so you can see your past searches across any device — but it also means the history stays there until you manually delete it.
The process takes about two minutes. You can delete individual searches one at a time, delete everything from a specific date range, or delete your entire history at once. Each method works the same way: you select what you want gone, confirm the deletion, and it is removed from your account.
Key Takeaways
- Your search history is stored in your Google Account at myactivity.google.com, not saved only on your device.
- You can delete searches individually, by date range, or delete everything at once — the choice depends on how much you want to remove.
- Deleting your history from myactivity.google.com removes it from all your devices at the same time.
- Turning off Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings stops Google from saving new searches going forward, but does not delete past history.
Deleting individual searches or a date range
Go to myactivity.google.com and sign in. On the left side, click Delete activity by. You will see two options: delete by date range, or delete by product. Choose the date range option if you want to remove searches from a specific week or month. Select the dates you want cleared, make sure Search is checked as the activity type, then click Delete.
If you want to delete just one or two searches instead, scroll through your activity feed on the main page. Find the search you want to remove, click the three dots next to it, and select Delete. This removes only that single search from your history.
Deleting all your search history at once
On myactivity.google.com, click Delete activity by on the left side. At the top of the window, change the date range from a specific period to All time. Make sure only Search is checked under activity types — if you leave other boxes checked, you will also delete YouTube watch history, location history, or other Google activity you might want to keep.
Click Delete and confirm. Google will remove every search from your history. This action cannot be undone, so make sure this is what you want before you confirm.
Stopping Google from saving new searches
Clearing your history removes past searches, but Google will start recording new ones the next time you search. To prevent Google from saving searches going forward, go to myaccount.google.com, click Data & privacy on the left, then find Web & App Activity. Toggle it Off.
When Web & App Activity is turned off, Google will not save your searches, YouTube videos you watch, or other activity in your Google Account. You can turn it back on at any time. Keep in mind that some Google features — like personalized search results or recommendations — work better when this setting is on, because Google uses your activity to learn your preferences.
What happens when you clear your history
Deleting your search history removes it from myactivity.google.com and from all devices where you are signed into that Google Account. If you use the same Google account on your phone, tablet, and computer, the deletion happens everywhere at once. The searches will no longer appear when you start typing in the Google search box, because Google pulls suggestions from your stored history.
Clearing your Google search history does not delete your browsing history in Chrome or another browser — those are separate. Your internet service provider and the websites you visit may still have records of where you went, but Google's own record of your searches is gone.
Clearing history on mobile devices
On an Android phone or iPhone, open the Google app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. Select Manage your Google Account, then go to the Data & privacy tab. Scroll down to Web & App Activity and tap it. You can turn the setting off to stop saving new activity, or tap Manage all Web & App Activity to delete past searches the same way you would on a computer.
The mobile version of myactivity.google.com works the same as the desktop version — you can delete by date range or delete everything. Some people find it easier to do this on a computer because the screen is larger, but both methods work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing my Google search history delete my Chrome browsing history?
No. Your Google search history and your Chrome browser history are separate. Clearing one does not affect the other. To delete your Chrome history, open Chrome, press Ctrl+H (or Cmd+H on Mac), click Clear browsing data, and choose what you want to remove.
If I turn off Web & App Activity, will my old searches disappear?
No. Turning off Web & App Activity stops Google from saving new searches, but it does not delete searches you already made. You have to manually delete past history using the delete by date range option on myactivity.google.com.
Can I delete my search history from just one device?
No. Your search history is stored in your Google Account, not on individual devices. When you delete from myactivity.google.com, it removes the searches from your account everywhere. If you want to hide your activity on one device only, you can use Incognito mode in Chrome or Private Browsing in other browsers — these modes do not save searches to your history.
What if I forget my Google password and cannot sign into myactivity.google.com?
Go to accounts.google.com and click Forgot password? Follow the steps to recover your account. Google will ask you to verify your identity using a recovery email or phone number. Once you regain access, you can sign into myactivity.google.com and delete your history.
Does deleting my search history remove my data from Google's servers completely?
Deleting your search history removes it from your account and from the activity log you can see. Google may keep copies for a limited time for technical reasons, but the searches are no longer tied to your account or visible to you.