How to clear search words on chrome

Follow these instructions to learn how to delete your Google history from your Google account, from the Google Chrome web browser, from the Google iOS or Android app, or from the Google app.

How to Delete the Search History From Your Google Account

Clearing your Google search history doesn't mean Google actually deletes your search data. Google still keeps records about how and when you use certain features, even when you delete the details of your activity. However, you can remove it so prying eyes in your life don't see it.

Delete your search history by following these steps:


  1. Visit myaccount.google.com in a web or mobile browser, and sign in to your Google account if you're not signed in.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  2. Select the Data & personalization category on the left, then scroll down to Activity and timeline. Select My Activity (enter your password or two-factor authentication if you have the extra verification setting turned on).

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  3. To clear all your Google search history, select the three vertical dots at the top of the screen to the right of the search field, then select Delete activity by.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  4. Select All Time in the Delete Activity box.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  5. Choose which services to delete activity from, or Select All to select all categories. Select Next.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  6. In the confirmation box, select Delete to delete your Google activity permanently.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

    To delete individual Google search activity items, scroll through your My Activity page (or use the search function) to find the search item you want to delete. Then, select the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner of the item, and select Delete.

Clear Google Search History From Your Chrome Web Browser on a Computer

If Google Chrome is your main web browser, you can clear your Google Search history from within the browser.

  1. Open the Chrome web browser on a desktop or laptop computer.

  2. Select the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner of the browser.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  3. Select History from the drop-down menu, then select History from the submenu.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  4. To clear all your search history between a specific time and the present, select Clear browsing data on the left side of the screen.

    To clear individual search items, go back to the History tab and scroll through your search items, or use the Search history field at the top to find the item you want to clear.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  5. On the following tab, select the Time range drop-down menu and choose All time to clear your history. Optionally, clear the check boxes next to the items you want to keep.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  6. Select Clear data.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  7. Select the three vertical dots to the right of an item you want to clear, then choose Remove from history.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

Clear Google History from Your Chrome Web Browser on Android

If you mainly use Google Chrome from your Android, you can clear your search history from within the browser.

  1. Open the Chrome web browser app on your Android device.

  2. Tap the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner, then tap History.

  3. If you want to clear your entire search history, tap Clear browsing data. Alternatively, if you want to clear individual search items from your history, scroll down to find the item, or tap the magnifying glass to search for an item, and then tap the X to the right of the individual item to clear it.

  4. If you're clearing the entire history, tap the Time range drop-down arrow and select All time. Optionally, clear the check boxes next to the items listed below if you prefer not to clear them.

  5. Tap Clear data in the lower-right corner.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

Clear Google Search History From Your Chrome Web Browser on iOS

If you use Google Chrome on an iPhone or iPad, you can clear your search history from within the browser.

  1. Open the Chrome web browser app on your iPhone or iPad.

  2. Tap the three horizontal dots in the bottom menu.

  3. Tap History in the submenu.

  4. To clear all of your search history, tap Clear Browsing Data at the bottom.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  5. On the following tab, choose a time range from the menu. To remove all of your history, leave it at All Time.

  6. Make sure Browsing History is checked. If it's not, tap it to add a check mark. Optionally, tap to check or uncheck any of the items below.

  7. Tap Clear Browsing Data and then tap it a second time to confirm you want to clear the data.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

Clear Individual Items

Sometimes there are items in your history that you want to keep for a while or specific items you want to remove. To clear individual search items, follow these steps:

  1. On the History tab, tap Edit in the lower-right corner.

  2. Scroll down or search for an item you want to clear, then tap the circle beside it to add a check mark.

  3. Tap Delete in the lower-left corner.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  4. Tap Done in the upper-right corner.

Clear Google Search History From the Google App on Android and iOS

If you use the official Android Google app for all your searches, clear your search history from the app by going to More > Search activity and then using the steps listed above to delete your activity.

Set up Auto-Delete to Clear Google Search History

You can use Google's auto-delete controls to clear your search history, along with web and app activity, using a web browser or the Google mobile app. Here's how.

  1. From a web browser, go to the Web & App Activity page.

  2. Select Auto-Delete.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  3. Choose the Auto-delete activity older than option and pick a time frame from the drop-down menu. You can choose to delete activity older than three months, 18 months, and 36 months.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

  4. Select Next.

  5. Select Confirm to save your changes.

    How to clear search words on chrome
    How to clear search words on chrome

FAQ

  • How do I see my Google Search history?


    To view your Google Search history, open Google Chrome and select the three-dot menu > History, or press Ctrl+H.

  • Why can't I delete my Google search history?

    A bug in older versions of Chrome can cause problems when trying to delete your search history. Update Google Chrome to the latest version and try again.

    Use the minus (-) sign to remove multiple words from any search result..
    With the minus sign, you're telling Google that you don't want to see any results that contain those particular words..
    Using quotation marks tells Google that you want to exclude any results that mention a specific phrase or term..

    How do I get rid of search results quickly?

    Navigate to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear browsing data. Select the data you want to remove and from what range, and click Clear data.

    How do I clear my search bar in Chrome?

    Select Settings. Tap Clear Browser Data. Select Browsing History. Select Clear.

    How do I clear my search menu?

    Delete browsing and search history on Android phones and tablets.
    Open the Google Chrome app on your Android..
    Tap the three dots in the right corner and select History..
    You can delete individual items from this list with the X buttons next to each link..
    To do everything at once, click Clear browsing data at the top..