Show Me How To Clear Google History

It's okay to want to keep your search history safe from Google.

How to Delete Google Search History on Android, iPhone and Chrome

Google has been in the data-security news section quite a lot—and not always in a good way. People are learning to be wary of how data is being used by Google, from leaking its products to leaking customer data and even collecting the personal information of people who use Google apps.

Even if you don't own an Android phone, you probably use three or four of Google's services each day, and so the company knows a lot about you. Your harvested information can include your work commute and shopping habits, even if you used the service offline.

This privacy database doesn't mean Google is trying to stalk you personally as the information is stored anonymously, but it is attached to you. The process allows advertisers to understand demographics better and determine your interests to target ads better.

If you've been looking at something you shouldn't, doing things for work, or don't want sites to extract your private information, there are ways to delete the Google history stored on your devices.

Use a Web Browser to Delete Google Search History in MyActivity

Take note that deleting search history removes it from your Google account, not specific devices. Therefore, deleting any history deletes it from all devices.

Follow the steps below to delete Google history using your iPhone, Android phone, tablet, MacBook, Chromebook, desktop PC, or laptop.

Go to your My Activity page using a browser.
DO NOT CLICK THE "DELETE" DROPDOWN at this point. This action has time filters (only before adding other filters like time or product), but it deletes all Google History (not just Google Search) immediately upon clicking it. If filters were already added, you'll receive a prompt first.
Click on "Filter by date & product," then choose "Search" from the Google product list at the bottom. New filtered results get displayed that only show your Google search history.
To filter/find your Google Search history on a specific word or phrase, type it in the "Search your activity" box.
To filter/find your Google Search history based on date, click or tap on "Filter by date & product" once more, then choose your time filter data. You may want to confirm that "Search" is still selected in the Google products list.
Now that you have your filtered (or unfiltered) list, you can change the default "Bundle view" to "List view" if desired, which lists search activity one by one. Click/tap the "vertical ellipsis" (three dots) next to the search box, then select "List view."
To delete the displayed results after applying your custom filters and display options, tap or click on the "X" to the right of each entry, then you are done. For the bulk-delete option, continue to the next step.
To bulk-delete your filtered list, tap/click on the "Delete" button.
A confirmation prompt appears with a preview of your filtered results. This is just a preview, even when you click the "Preview more" button. Tap or click on "Delete" once more to permanently remove all filtered items.

Using the above steps allows you to quickly delete your Google search history using specific dates and keywords if desired. Once you have selected "Search" from the product list, you can add other filters to find what you want to delete, but not the other way around. You can also delete other Google data within the same process.

Clear All Google Search History Entirely using Google Chrome

Follow the steps below: if you want a quick and easy way to bulk-delete all Google search history, plus optionally remove browsing history, saved passwords, cache, and cookies on Chrome.

Launch Chrome and ensure you are logged in.
Click the "vertical ellipsis" (three vertical dots) in the top right-hand corner of your browser to open the Chrome menu.
Now, select "Settings" from the options.
Next, click on "Clear browsing data," located in the "Privacy and security" section.
A new tab will open from which you can choose from "Basic" or "Advanced" tools. "Basic" is a way to quickly clear Google history while "Advanced" gives you more control over the individual elements, such as passwords.

The above steps delete all Google history (including search history) you selected during the removal process.

Clear Google History on an Android

On your Android device, open Google Chrome and follow these steps:

Tap on the "vertical ellipsis" (three vertical dots) in the upper right-hand corner.

2. Now, tap "History."

3. Next, select "Clear browsing data…" in the new window.

4. Confirm when finished.

All of your Google history, including search history, disappears after performing the above steps. Therefore, ensure you saved any sites, data, and other personal information elsewhere.

Clear Google History on an iPhone

For iPhone users, open Google history and follow these steps to clear your history:

Tap the "horizontal ellipsis" (three horizontal dots) menu icon in the lower right-hand corner.

2. Next, tap on "History."

3. Then, tap "Clear Browsing Data…" on Cookies and iMessage Search History.

All of your Chrome browsing history on your iPhone is now deleted, including Google search history.

Set Up Auto-Delete for Google History Data

Google does offer an option to dump your data automatically. If you prefer to keep some data, it's best to avoid this function. However, if you feel like manually deleting your Google search data, follow these steps to set up the auto-delete feature:

Visit your Google Activity page, but be sure you are logged into the correct account.
In the left navigational menu, click on "Activity controls."
Scroll down and click on "Auto-delete (Off)"
Choose to auto-delete activity older than "3 months," "18 months," or "36 months," then click "Next."
Confirm your auto-delete activity option by clicking on "Confirm." Remember that the preview is just that.

Google History FAQs

I want to save my passwords but delete everything else. How can I do this?

If you're deleting all of your Google data, it is possible to de-select the option under Clear Browsing Data for clearing passwords. But, if you want more security, you can use a browser extension such as Last Pass to store all of your passwords in a secure location.

Similar to Google or Chrome storing these passwords for you, Last Pass will auto-fill your passwords.

Can I permanently close my Google account?

Yes. If you're no longer interested in using your current Google account, you can permanently delete it. We do have an article here that explains the entire process.

If you visit the Google Account webpage, you can click on the option to download all of your data and delete your entire Google account and everything that goes with it.

Just keep in mind, performing this action will completely wipe out all of your Google-related information. This process includes losing all Google Docs, emails, contacts, and more. If you're using an Android device, you'll need to create or use another Google account to access many features and backup your device.