Where your searches are stored and why you might want to delete them
When you search on Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, or any other search engine, that engine keeps a record of what you looked for. This record lives in your account — not just on your device, but on the company's servers. Google stores your searches indefinitely unless you delete them. Bing keeps them for up to six months by default. Other engines have different policies.
You might want to delete your searches for privacy reasons, to clean up your search suggestions, or simply because you don't want a record of what you've looked for. The good news is that deleting searches is straightforward on every major search engine, and you can delete them all at once or pick specific ones.
Key Takeaways
- Google stores your search history in your account unless you turn off Web & App Activity or delete it manually.
- You can delete all your searches at once or remove specific searches one by one from your search history page.
- Deleting your search history does not erase searches from your device's browser — you need to clear your browser history separately for that.
- Turning off search history recording stops Google from storing new searches, but does not delete what is already saved.
- Other search engines like Bing and DuckDuckGo have their own history pages where you can delete searches the same way.
How to delete all your Google searches at once
Go to myactivity.google.com in your web browser. This is Google's activity page where all your searches, YouTube views, and other activity are stored. You will need to be signed into your Google account.
On the left side of the page, click Delete activity by. A panel will open on the left. At the top, you will see a dropdown that says "All time" — click it and choose how far back you want to delete. Your options are "All time," "Last hour," "Last day," "Last week," "Last month," or a custom date range. Select All time if you want to wipe everything.
Below that, make sure the filter is set to Search only. You will see a dropdown that currently shows "All products" — click it and uncheck everything except Search. This prevents you from accidentally deleting your YouTube history or other activity. Then click the blue Delete button at the bottom. Google will ask you to confirm. Click Delete again, and your search history is gone.
How to delete specific Google searches
If you only want to remove certain searches instead of everything, go to myactivity.google.com and sign in. You will see a list of your recent activity in the center of the page, with your searches listed by date.
Find the search you want to delete and hover your mouse over it. A trash icon will appear on the right side of that entry. Click the trash icon, and that single search is deleted immediately. You can do this for as many searches as you want, one at a time. This is slower than deleting everything at once, but it lets you keep searches you want to keep.
How to turn off Google search history recording
If you want to stop Google from storing your searches going forward, go to myactivity.google.com and look for the button that says Web & App Activity near the top left. Click it.
A panel will open showing your activity settings. You will see a toggle switch next to "Web & App Activity" — it is probably turned on (blue). Click the toggle to turn it off. Google will ask you to confirm. Once you do, Google will stop recording your searches. However, this does not delete your past search history — it only stops new searches from being recorded. You still need to delete your old searches manually using the steps above.
Deleting searches from Bing and other search engines
Bing stores your search history if you are signed into a Microsoft account. To delete your Bing searches, go to account.microsoft.com and sign in. Click Privacy on the left side, then click Search history.
You will see your recent Bing searches listed. Click Clear all to delete everything, or click the X next to individual searches to delete them one at a time. Bing keeps search history for up to six months, so if you clear it, you will only be clearing what is currently stored.
DuckDuckGo does not store your search history by default — that is one of its main features. If you have used DuckDuckGo, there is nothing to delete on their servers. However, your device's browser still has a record of what you searched, so you would need to clear your browser history separately.
The difference between deleting search history and clearing browser history
Deleting your search history on Google or Bing removes the record from those companies' servers. But your web browser — whether it is Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — keeps its own separate record of everything you have visited and searched for. Deleting your search history on Google does not touch your browser history.
If you want to remove all traces of your searches from your device, you need to clear your browser history as well. In Chrome, press Ctrl + H (or Command + Y on Mac) to open your history. On the left, click Clear browsing data. Choose your time range and make sure Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files are checked, then click Clear data.
In Firefox, press Ctrl + H (or Command + Y on Mac), then click Clear Recent History on the right. In Safari, go to History in the menu bar and click Clear History. In Edge, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open your history settings.
What happens when you delete your search history
When you delete your search history from Google, Bing, or another search engine, that company stops using those searches to personalize your results and suggestions. You will notice that your search suggestions become more generic — Google will suggest popular searches instead of things based on your past behavior.
Deleting your history does not affect what websites you have already visited or what information those websites have about you. It only removes the record from the search engine itself. If you visited a website and that website tracked you, deleting your search history will not erase that tracking.
Also, if you are signed out of your account when you search, the search engine may still store your searches tied to your device or IP address rather than your account. Turning off search history recording (like turning off Web & App Activity in Google) is the most reliable way to prevent new searches from being stored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does deleting my search history delete it from my device too?
No. Deleting your search history on Google or Bing only removes it from their servers. Your web browser keeps its own separate history on your device. You need to clear your browser history separately using your browser's settings to remove searches from your computer or phone.
Can I delete my search history on my phone?
Yes. On an Android phone, open the Google app, tap your profile picture, go to Manage your Google Account, tap Data & privacy, scroll down to Web & App Activity, and tap Manage all Web & App Activity. From there you can delete searches the same way as on a computer. On iPhone, open Safari, tap the bookmarks icon, tap History, then tap Clear History at the bottom.
If I turn off search history, will Google stop tracking me?
Turning off Web & App Activity stops Google from storing your searches in your account history. However, Google still collects other data about you through your device, location, and websites you visit. Turning off search history is one privacy step, but it is not the same as opting out of all Google tracking.
What if I delete my search history but then sign back into Google?
Once you delete your search history, it is gone from Google's servers. Signing back into your account will not restore it. However, Google will start recording new searches again unless you have turned off Web & App Activity. If you want to stay signed in but not have searches recorded, keep Web & App Activity turned off.
Does DuckDuckGo save my search history?
DuckDuckGo does not store your search history on their servers by default — that is a core part of their privacy policy. However, your web browser still keeps a local history of what you searched for. If you want to remove DuckDuckGo searches from your device, clear your browser history using your browser's settings.