To delete your Google search history on a computer, go to myactivity.google.com/product/search, click Delete and choose Delete all time, a custom range, or single searches. On a phone, open the Google app, tap your profile picture, then Search history.
To stop Google saving searches, open Controls and turn off Web & App Activity (or the newer Search Services History). Your Chrome history is separate, so clear that too.
When you search while signed in to your Google Account, Google can save those searches to your account. That makes results more personal, but you may not want years of searches stored. Here’s how to see what’s saved, delete it on any device, and control what gets saved from now on. Every step comes from Google’s own help pages.
Where your Google search history is saved
Your searches can end up in more than one place, and deleting one doesn’t clear the others.
| Where | What it holds | Where to delete it |
|---|---|---|
| Your Google Account (My Activity) | Searches made while signed in, across all your devices | myactivity.google.com or the Google app |
| Chrome or your browser | Web pages you visited, including search results pages | Your browser’s history settings |
| Your device | Recent searches saved locally when you’re signed out | The search box itself (touch and hold a search, then Delete) |
Google is rolling out a new setting called Search Services History, covering Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate and News. Until it reaches your account, your search history is controlled by Web & App Activity. The steps below work with either name.
How to see your Google search history
- On a computer, go to myactivity.google.com/product/search and sign in. On a phone, open the Google app, tap your profile picture or initial at the top right, then tap Search history.
- Scroll to see your searches grouped by day, newest first.
- Use the search bar or date filter at the top to find something specific.
Using several Google Accounts? Check each one. Searches are saved to whichever account was signed in at the time.
How to delete Google search history on a computer
- Go to myactivity.google.com/product/search.
- Click Delete (with the down arrow) above your history.
- Choose Delete all time to erase everything, or Delete custom range to pick dates.
- To erase a single day, find the day and click Delete all activity from [day]. To erase one search, click the delete icon next to it.
- Confirm when asked.
Google says that once you erase your search history, you can’t get it back..
Delete your Google search history on Android or iPhone
The Google app works the same way on both:
- Open the Google app.
- Tap your profile picture or initial at the top right, then tap Search history.
- Tap Delete, then choose Delete all time, Delete custom range, a single day, or tap the delete icon next to one search.
On Android you can also go through Settings: open Settings → Google → Manage your Google Account, tap Data & privacy, and open My Activity under History settings. Searches saved on the phone while you were signed out can be removed from the search box: touch and hold a recent search and tap Delete.
Set your search history to delete itself
Auto-delete is the set-and-forget option. Google keeps recent history for personalized results and removes older entries on a schedule.
- Go to myactivity.google.com/product/search (or in the Google app, profile picture → Search history).
- Open Controls.
- Find the Auto-delete option under Web & App Activity or Search Services History.
- Choose 3 months, 18 months or 36 months, then confirm.
Three months is a good middle ground. Recent searches still help your results, and nothing older piles up.
Stop Google saving your searches
- Go to My Activity and open Controls.
- Under Web & App Activity (or Search Services History), click Turn off.
- Choose Turn off to stop saving new activity, or Turn off and delete activity to also erase what’s already there.
Google notes that simply turning it off doesn’t delete past activity, so pick the second option if you want a clean slate. Turning it off makes some features less personal, such as suggestions based on past searches.
While Web & App Activity is on, there’s also a checkbox to Include Chrome history and activity from sites, apps, and devices that use Google services. Untick it if you want searches saved but not your Chrome browsing.
Add as a preferred source on Google (opens in new tab)
For one-off private searches, Google says searches aren’t saved to your account when you use Incognito mode or search while signed out. Your internet provider, employer or school network may still see your activity.
Clear your Chrome history too
Chrome keeps its own history of every page you open, including search results pages. Clear it separately:
- Computer: click More (three dots) → Delete browsing data. Pick a time range, or All time for everything, check Browsing history, then click Delete data. To remove only certain pages, press Ctrl + H, check the pages and click Delete.
- Android: tap More → Delete browsing data, choose a time range, check Browsing history, untick anything you want to keep, then tap Delete data.
If you’re signed in to Chrome with sync on, Google says deleting history also deletes it on your other synced devices. Want to clear stored website files too? See our guide to clearing the cache in Chrome.
What deleting does and doesn’t do
- Google says it first removes deleted activity from view, and it’s no longer used to personalize your experience. It then starts a process to delete it from its storage systems.
- Google keeps some data longer for business or legal reasons, as described in its privacy policy.
- Other activity is stored separately. YouTube history, Maps Timeline and Gemini activity each have their own settings. Our AI privacy settings guide covers Gemini and other assistants.
Managing a child’s account? Google Family Link gives parents controls over their child’s Google Account. Find more Google how-tos in our Google section.
FAQ
How do I delete all my Google search history at once?
Go to myactivity.google.com/product/search, click Delete and choose Delete all time. In the Google app, tap your profile picture, Search history, then Delete.
Does deleting Google search history delete my Chrome history?
No. Chrome history is separate. Delete it in Chrome with More → Delete browsing data.
Can I recover deleted Google search history?
No. Google says once you erase it, you can’t get it back.
How do I stop Google saving my searches?
In My Activity, open Controls and turn off Web & App Activity or Search Services History. Choose Turn off and delete activity to clear the past too.
Does Incognito mode save my Google search history?
Google says searches in Incognito aren’t saved to your Google Account. Websites and your network may still see your activity.
