How to Clear Your Search History - 100% Working
Clear Google account activity and local browser history on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, Android, iPhone and iPad with one complete guide.
Nontuff Editorial10 min read · Updated September 2026Every search you type gets remembered somewhere. Google can log it to personalize results and ads, while your browser keeps its own separate list on your device. Clearing “search history” often means dealing with two different systems. This guide covers both, with steps for every major platform.
Clear your Google Search history
This is the activity tied to your Google Account—searches made while signed in across devices and browsers. You can manage it from Google My Activity.
- Go to My ActivityOpen myactivity.google.com and sign in with the Google Account you want to manage.
- Find the Delete optionNear the top of the page, select Delete.
- Choose a time rangePick the last hour, last day, a custom range or All time for a full deletion.
- Review what will be removedGoogle shows the activity and products involved, which may include Search, Maps or YouTube. Review the selection before continuing.
- Confirm deletionSelect Delete to finish. Deleted account activity cannot normally be restored.
Set up automatic deletion
Open Google My Activity, go to Activity controls, find Web & App Activity and choose Auto-delete. Select one of the time windows Google currently offers and confirm. Older activity will then be removed on a rolling basis.
Turn Web & App Activity off
Under Activity controls, open Web & App Activity and choose Turn off. Google may also offer the option to remove activity already saved. Pausing this setting can make services such as Search, Maps and Assistant less personalized.
Clear history from your browser
Your browser also keeps a local record of pages visited on that device. Clearing browser history does not remove Google Account activity, and deleting Google activity does not necessarily clear the browser.
Google Chrome
- Open the three-dot menu and choose History.
- Select Clear browsing data.
- Choose a time range and select Browsing history.
- Press Clear data.
- Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Delete, or ⌘ + Shift + Delete on Mac.
Mozilla Firefox
- Open the menu and choose History.
- Select Clear Recent History.
- Choose a time range and include browsing and download history.
- Select Clear Now.
Safari on Mac
- Open History in the menu bar.
- Select Clear History.
- Choose the required time range.
- Confirm with Clear History.
Microsoft Edge
- Open the three-dot menu and choose History.
- Open history management and select Clear browsing data.
- Choose a time range and select Browsing history.
- Press Clear now.
Clear history on mobile
| Device or app | Steps |
|---|---|
| Android · Chrome | Menu → History → Clear browsing data → choose a time range and Browsing history → Clear data. |
| Android · Google app | Profile picture → Search history → Delete → choose a time range. |
| iPhone or iPad · Safari | Settings → Apps → Safari → Clear History and Website Data → choose a timeframe and confirm. |
| iPhone or iPad · Chrome | Menu → History → Clear Browsing Data → select data types → confirm. |
A few things worth knowing
Clearing history is not the same as browsing privately
Incognito or private windows avoid saving some local history, but they do not hide activity from websites, workplace or school networks, or your internet service provider. Account activity may still be recorded when you sign in.
Deleting history can affect personalization
Address-bar suggestions and personalized experiences can draw on your history. After clearing it, you may notice fewer tailored suggestions.
It is not a substitute for account security
Clearing history does not sign you out or remove saved passwords. If someone may have accessed your account, change to a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication.