Why and how to clear your search history
Deleting your search history removes the record of what you've searched for from your browser. When you search for something in Google, Bing, or another search engine, your browser stores that query locally on your device. Clearing this history means those searches won't appear in your browser's dropdown suggestions, and anyone with access to your device won't see what you looked for.
This is different from clearing your browsing history (the websites you visited) or your cookies and cache, though most browsers let you clear all three at once. Search history specifically refers to the terms you typed into a search box.
You might want to clear your search history for privacy within a shared household, before selling or giving away a device, or simply to keep your browser's suggestions clean. The steps vary slightly depending on whether you use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, but the process takes less than a minute in any of them.
Key Takeaways
- Search history is stored locally on your device by your browser, separate from what your search engine company knows about you.
- Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all let you clear search history through their settings menu, usually under "Clear browsing data" or "History".
- You can delete all search history at once or choose a specific time range, like the last hour or last week.
- Clearing your browser's search history does not delete searches from your account with Google, Microsoft, or other search engine companies — you need to do that separately in your account settings.
How to delete search history in Chrome
Open Chrome and press Ctrl + H on Windows or Command + Y on Mac. This opens your History page. On the left side, click Clear browsing data.
A window will appear with options. Make sure the time range at the top is set to what you want — All time clears everything, while Last hour, Last 24 hours, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, and Last 90 days let you be more selective. Check the box next to Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files if you want to clear those too, though they're not necessary for removing search history. Click Clear data.
If you want to stop Chrome from storing search history going forward, you can use Incognito mode by pressing Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Command + Shift + N (Mac). Searches in Incognito mode won't be saved to your history.
How to delete search history in Firefox
Press Ctrl + H on Windows or Command + Y on Mac to open your History sidebar. At the top, click Clear Recent History.
A window opens with a time range dropdown at the top. Choose Everything to clear all search history, or pick a specific range like Last Hour or Last 24 Hours. Make sure Search Bar & Form History is checked — this is what stores your search terms. Click Clear Now.
To prevent Firefox from storing searches in the future, open a Private Window by pressing Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows) or Command + Shift + P (Mac). Firefox won't save search history, browsing history, or cookies in Private mode.
How to delete search history in Safari
Click History in the top menu bar, then select Clear History. A dropdown menu appears asking how far back you want to clear — choose all history to remove everything, or pick the last hour, today, today and yesterday, or the last week.
Safari will clear your browsing history and search history together. There's no separate option to clear only searches, so this removes both at once.
To browse without saving history, open a Private Window by clicking File in the menu bar and selecting New Private Window, or press Command + Shift + N. Safari won't store searches or website visits in Private mode.
How to delete search history in Microsoft Edge
Press Ctrl + H on Windows to open your History page. On the left side, click Clear browsing data. A window appears with a time range dropdown at the top — select All time to clear everything, or choose a specific range.
Make sure Cookies and other site data is checked if you want to remove those too. The search history itself is part of the general browsing data, so clearing browsing data removes your searches. Click Clear now.
To browse without saving history, press Ctrl + Shift + N to open an InPrivate window. Edge won't record searches or website visits in InPrivate mode.
The difference between browser history and search engine history
When you clear your browser's search history, you're only removing what your browser stored locally on your device. Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other search engine companies keep their own separate records of your searches if you're signed into an account with them.
If you want to delete searches from Google's servers, you need to visit myactivity.google.com, sign in, and delete items from there. For Microsoft Bing, go to account.microsoft.com, click Privacy, and manage your search history. These are different from clearing your browser's local history, and they require you to be signed into your account.
Clearing your browser history is useful for privacy on a shared device, but it doesn't prevent the search engine company from keeping records on their end if you're logged in.
What gets cleared when you delete search history
When you clear search history in your browser, you remove the list of search terms that appear in your search box dropdown. If you've typed "best coffee shops near me" before, that phrase won't auto-complete the next time you click on a search box.
Most browsers also let you clear browsing history (websites you visited), cookies (data websites store about you), and cached files (images and data downloaded to speed up loading) at the same time. You can usually choose to clear only search history or all of these together, depending on the browser.
Clearing history does not delete your browser bookmarks, saved passwords, or autofill information unless you specifically check those boxes. It also doesn't affect your accounts with websites — you'll still be logged in to Gmail, Facebook, or other services after clearing history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing search history delete what Google knows about me?
No. Clearing your browser's search history only removes searches from your device. Google keeps its own records if you're signed into a Google account. To delete those, visit myactivity.google.com, sign in, and delete items there. You can also pause activity tracking in your Google Account settings, though this doesn't delete past searches.
Can someone recover my search history after I delete it?
Deleting search history from your browser removes it from the normal history view. However, a person with technical skills and access to your device might be able to recover deleted data using specialized tools. For most everyday situations, clearing your browser history is sufficient. If you need stronger privacy, use your browser's private or incognito mode while searching.
Will deleting search history log me out of websites?
Clearing search history alone won't log you out. However, if you also clear cookies (which many people do at the same time), you may be logged out of some websites. You can usually choose to clear only search history without touching cookies, depending on your browser's settings.
How often should I clear my search history?
That depends on your situation. If you share your device with others, clearing history regularly keeps your searches private. If you use your device alone, clearing history is optional. Some people clear it weekly, others monthly, and some never do. There's no security risk to leaving it alone if privacy on your device isn't a concern.
Does private or incognito mode prevent search history from being saved?
Yes. When you use Chrome's Incognito mode, Firefox's Private Window, Safari's Private Window, or Edge's InPrivate mode, your browser doesn't save search history, browsing history, or cookies. When you close the private window, nothing is stored. However, your internet service provider and the websites you visit can still see your activity — private mode only hides it from your browser.