What is search history?
Search history is a record of the terms or queries you’ve entered into a search engine or platform. Whenever you type something into a search engine like Google or use a search bar on a website or app, that search gets saved. Saving your searches helps browsers or apps remember what you’ve looked up, making it easier to find specific websites, information, or products again. These browsers or apps can also offer suggestions based on your past searches.
Search history isn’t just limited to search engines, though. Major social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram collect it too. If you’ve ever used the search function on these sites, they likely already have your search history saved.
Search history vs. browsing history
The main difference between search and browsing history is that your search history is a list of anything you’ve typed into a search engine or search bar, while your browsing history is all of your online activity stored in your specific browser. Both still involve your cookies and a cache and are usually saved automatically during online sessions.
| Feature | Search history | Browsing history |
|---|---|---|
| What it tracks | Everything you search for using a search bar (like Google or YouTube) | Every website or page you visit, whether you searched for it or clicked a link |
| Where it’s stored | Stored on the servers of search engines or apps (Google, YouTube, Facebook) | Stored locally on your device (in the browser) or in the app (for in-app browsers like Facebook and Instagram) |
| Purpose | Helps suggest relevant searches and ads based on your queries | Allows you to quickly revisit sites you have already visited |
| Can you clear it? | Yes, you can delete your search history | Yes, you can clear all or parts of your browsing history |
| Privacy concerns | Companies use search history to personalize ads or provide search suggestions | Browsing history tracks all visited websites, which can be sensitive if shared |
| Example | You search for "best VPN for streaming" on Google | You click on a blog link and visit multiple pages on the site |
Here’s a good rule of thumb to remember which is which: If it’s web data that’s accessible when you log in to your Google account or it’s a word that you’ve entered as a search term, it’s search history. Suppose it’s data accessible via the settings menu of a specific browser like Opera, Firefox, or Chrome. In that case, it’ll most likely fall under browsing history.
Should I delete my search history?
Yes, you should delete your search history regularly. Clearing your search history can help protect your privacy, prevent personalized ads from following you around, and remove old data you might not need.
However, given the usefulness of having a search history with the websites and search engines you often use, you might think that deleting your search history would worsen your online experience. But would it really?
While search history makes it easier to revisit sites and get personalized suggestions, deleting it won’t hurt your online experience. Search engines still offer relevant results, and clearing your search history improves privacy and gives you a fresh start. It’s better to delete it regularly to maintain control over your data and prevent third parties from using it against you.
How to delete search history
You can’t delete your entire search history with a single click. To fully clear it, you have to go through each browser or search engine you use one by one. Plus, every platform handles deleting search history differently. Here’s how to find and delete your search history from the most-used search engines and websites.
Note: Before you delete your search history, make sure you’re signed in to the account associated with that search history.
How to delete Google search history
To completely erase your Google search history, you must clear all the areas where Google tracks your activity. Google doesn’t just keep track of what you search for on its search engine — it also records your activity on Google Maps, Google Play, and your Google Account. Here’s how you can delete your search history from each of these services:
Delete Google Maps search history
On desktop:
- 1.
Once you’ve opened Google Maps, click the menu icon (“≡”) in the top-left corner.
- 2.
Select “Your data in Maps.”
- 3.
Click “See & delete activity.”
- 4.
Tap “✖” to delete individual searches. If you want to delete all your search history, click “Delete,” then select “Delete all time.”
- 5.
Confirm your choice by clicking “Delete” again.
On mobile:
- 1.
Once you’ve opened the Google Maps app, tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.
- 2.
Go to “Settings.”
- 3.
Scroll down and tap “Maps history.”
- 4.
You’ll see a list of all your recent searches and activity. To delete specific items, tap “✖” next to the entry. If you want to delete your entire search history, tap “Delete” and select “Delete all time.”
- 5.
Confirm your choice by tapping “Delete.”
Delete Google Play Store search history
- 1.
Once you’ve opened the Google Play Store app on your Android device, tap your profile icon at the top-right corner.
- 2.
Tap "Settings."
- 3.
Tap “General.”
- 4.
Tap "Account and device preferences."
- 5.
Find the "Clear device search history" option. Tap it to delete your entire search history on Google Play.
- 6.
Follow the steps to confirm your choice.
Delete Google Account search history
You can delete your Google search history via your Google Account. To delete your Google Account search history (which includes Google Search activity across devices), follow these steps:
On desktop:
- 1.
On your computer, go to “https://myactivity.google.com/product/search.”
- 2.
Tap “✖” to delete individual searches. To delete all, click “Delete” and select “Delete all time.”
- 3.
Follow the steps to confirm your choice.
On mobile (via Google app):
- 1.
Once you’ve opened the Google app on your mobile device, tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.
- 2.
Tap “Search history.”
- 3.
Tap “✖” to delete individual searches. If you want to delete all your search history, click “Delete,” then select “Delete all time.”
- 4.
Follow the steps to confirm your choice.
Note: Doing this won’t delete voice search results — to do that, check out our guide on how to delete your Google voice search history.
How to delete Bing search history
You can delete your Bing search history via your Microsoft Account, so make sure you’re logged in before you begin the clearing process. Navigation on desktop and mobile is very similar.
- 1.
Once you’ve logged in to your Microsoft account, click “Privacy” in the left navigation bar.
- 2.
Scroll down until you see “Browsing and search.” Click it.
- 3.
Scroll down until you see “Search history.” Click “Clear all activities.”
- 4.
Confirm your choice by clicking “Clear.”
How to delete Yahoo search history
You can clear your Yahoo search history by navigating to the settings on the Yahoo search page. Before proceeding, make sure you’re logged in to your Yahoo account. The navigation on desktop and mobile is very similar.
- 1.
Once signed in, go to “www.search.yahoo.com/history” to view your search history.
- 2.
Click the trash icon next to the search to remove individual searches from your Yahoo search history. To clear your entire history, click “Clear history.”
- 3.
Confirm your choice by clicking “Delete.”
How to delete YouTube search history
Since YouTube uses Google to store your search history, you can also delete your YouTube search history via your Google account. Here’s a shortcut on how to do it (this navigation works both on mobile and desktop):
- 1.
Go to “https://myactivity.google.com/product/youtube” (sign in if you need to).
- 2.
Tap “✖” to delete individual searches. To delete all search history, click “Delete” and select “Delete all time.”
- 3.
Confirm your choice.
In the same settings, you can also choose whether you want YouTube to save your search history or auto-delete it after a set number of months.
How to delete Facebook search history
You can delete your Facebook search history via your account’s “Settings & privacy” menu. The navigation below works on both mobile and desktop:
- 1.
Choose the “Settings & privacy” option from the menu.
- 2.
Tap “Settings.”
- 3.
Scroll down to find the “Your activity and permissions” tab and select “Activity log.”
- 4.
Scroll down and choose “Logged information.”
- 5.
In the dropdown menu, tap “Manage search.”
- 6.
On mobile, tap “⋯” and then “Delete” to remove individual searches. On desktop, tap “Clear searches” at the top right to delete all your search history.
On mobile:
On desktop:
How to delete Instagram search history
You can delete your Instagram search history via the accounts center. Keep in mind that Instagram automatically clears your search history after 30 days (unless you’ve changed this setting).
On mobile:
- 1.
Tap “≡” (“More”) in the top-right of your Instagram profile.
- 2.
Tap “Accounts center.”
- 3.
Choose “Your information and permissions.”
- 4.
Select “Search history.”
- 5.
Tap “Clear all searches.”
- 6.
Select “All time,” then tap “Clear all searches” to confirm the deletion process.
On desktop:
- 1.
Click “⚙️” (“Settings”) in the top-right of your Instagram profile.
- 2.
Click “Settings and privacy.”
- 3.
Click “Accounts center.”
- 4.
Choose “Your information and permissions.”
- 5.
Select “Search history.”
- 6.
Tap “Clear all searches.”
- 7.
Select “All time” from the menu, then tap “Clear all searches” to confirm the deletion process.
Alternatively, you can delete your search history when you clear your Instagram cache.
How to delete Twitter (now X) search history
You can delete your search history on Twitter (now X) from both the mobile app and the desktop browser.
On desktop:
- 1.
Choose “Explore” from the left menu.
- 2.
Click the search bar at the top.
- 3.
You can delete individual search entries by tapping “✖” next to each entry or select “Clear all” to delete everything.
On mobile:
- 1.
Tap “🔍” (“Explore”) from the bottom menu.
- 2.
Tap the search bar at the top.
- 3.
You can delete individual search entries by swiping left and tapping “Delete.” Or, you can tap “✖” at the top to clear all searches.
You can also try clearing your Twitter cache to remove more of your data from the platform, but that won’t clear data like saved search terms.
How to delete LinkedIn search history
The process for deleting your search history on LinkedIn is different for desktop and mobile.
On desktop:
- 1.
Click the search bar at the top of the page.
- 2.
In the dropdown, click “See all.”
- 3.
Click “Clear” to delete your search history.
- 4.
Confirm your choice by clicking “Clear history.”
On mobile:
- 1.
Tap the search bar at the top of the page.
- 2.
Tap “See all.”
- 3.
Tap “Clear” to delete your search history.
- 4.
Confirm your decision by tapping “Clear.”
How to delete Pinterest search history
Currently, Pinterest doesn’t allow you to delete all search history at once, so you’ll need to remove searches individually. The instructions below apply to both desktop and mobile.
- 1.
Open the search bar at the top of the page.
- 2.
Delete individual search entries one by one by clicking/tapping the “✖” next to each one.
How to keep your online searches more private
Most search engines and social media platforms already offer options in their account settings to help make your online activity — including search history — more private. However, if you’re looking for general ways to keep your online searches more secure, consider some of these tips:
- Browse using incognito mode. Using incognito mode prevents some tracking of your online activity. However, this protection only applies to the specific incognito session or browser window you have open. Your activity may still be visible to your internet service provider (ISP) or network administrators.
- Use a VPN. A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts information you send online and changes your IP address, helping to keep your device and online activity (including search history) more secure. However, a VPN won’t prevent search engines like Google from logging your activity if you’re logged into your Google account or tracking search engine activity on social media platforms. A VPN will, however, encrypt your online traffic from parties like your ISP.
- Consider using private search engines. Unlike Google or Yahoo, search engines like Qwant, DuckDuckGo, and Startpage don’t collect your personal information when you use them. When combined with a VPN, these private search engines are often the best approach to ensuring that your search history, web app activity, and general online data remain more private.
- Delete yourself from the internet. Deleting yourself from the internet can be a lengthy process, but it’s an important step if you want to protect your online privacy. Consider deleting your social media accounts, clearing cache on different browsers, and researching how to remove personal information from the internet.
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