How To Delete Your Search History
The amount of information you give to internet companies doesn't stop at the posts you make on Facebook and Twitter. Even if you completely eschew social media, you likely use the web to search for interesting videos, gifts to buy, and more. Even if your actions are totally banal, you might not want someone profiting off them. There are tools like VPNs and proxies that can help you keep your privacy. But another good way to do this is to go through your Google search history and clear it out. We've provided detailed instructions on how to do just that. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
How To Delete Your Google Search History
- Log into your Google account
- Click "My Account"
- Click "Manage your Google activity"
- Click "Go to my activity"
- Click the three vertical dots in the upper right
- Select "Delete activity by"
- Change the "Delete by date" drop down to "All time"
- Click "Delete"
- Click "OK"
Pros And Cons Of Deleting Your Search History
| Pro | Con |
|---|---|
| Harder for advertisers to track your habits | Search results might be less useful |
| Search results are closer to Google's original formula | Other data like location will still be factored in |
| Avoid awkward conversations with family members who use the same computer | Lose access to easy autocomplete features |
| Archive can be downloaded in case you need it | Other Google service usage will be unaffected |
Deleting Parts Of Your Google Search History
- Once you are in your activity, you can delete any section by using the three dot menu next to the item, and clicking "Delete"
- You can also delete items within a section by clicking "Details" instead of "Delete," then clicking "Details" again on the individual item. This will allow you to delete it.
- Instead of changing the "Delete by date" drop down to "All time," you can specify a set period or create a custom period to remove all of that information
- You can also delete by products in this area. Removing all YouTube or voice search results, for instance, instead of (or in addition to) a specified time range.
Deleting Browser Data From Google Chrome
Conclusion
If you're getting interested in privacy but aren't quite ready to commit to a no-tracking search engine like Duck Duck Go, a good place to start is getting rid of your Google search history. But even if you aren't ready to run a background check on every name you see and install a monitor privacy filter, it can be a good idea to know what other people know about you. Whether you want to take the nuclear option or are simply curious about what happened that night you ordered thirty plastic crawdads from Amazon, knowing how to access this information is crucial.
In Depth
Your search history holds a lot of personal information about you. It contains everything from your favorite bands and restaurants to that special gift you're planning to buy for a loved one on their birthday. And while Google doesn't want to intentionally reveal your secrets to your friends and family, there are plenty of reasons you may want to get rid of it. Luckily, there are a few easy ways to do it.
To see your entire history across all the Google services you use, go to google.com and sign in to your account. Click on the icon with your first initial in the top right corner, then click "My Account." From the dashboard, go to "Manage your Google activity," then scroll down and click on "Go to my activity." This will show you all the information that Google has about your browsing habits. No one but you can access this page. Google uses this data to serve ads that are tailored to your interests and make your search results more relevant.
The default setting is called "bundle view," which groups your history by time frame and type of search. Click on "item view" to see a list of all the individual pages you've visited. To see items from your history from a specific date or service, click on "Filter by date and product." Select a time frame and the services you want to see results from, or type a specific term into the search bar. This is a useful feature for narrowing down the items you want to delete.
This is a useful feature for narrowing down the items you want to delete.
You can remove anything you want from your history in a variety of ways. If you want to get rid of everything, click on the three dots in the top right corner. From the drop down menu, select "Delete activity by." Under "Delete by date," click on the arrow next to "Today" and select "All time," then click "Delete." When the warning appears, click "OK" to permanently erase your history.
You can also delete items from your history individually. From the main page, click on the three dots next to any item and select "Delete" to erase the entire section. If there's a specific item within a section you want to get rid of, click on the three dots next to it to open the menu. Click on "Details," then find the item you want to delete and click on "Details" again. Open the menu at the top and click "Delete."
To get rid of your history from a specific time, go to "Delete activity by." Under "Delete by date," select a time frame or click on "Custom" to choose your own exact dates, then click "Delete." You can also choose to remove your history for specific Google products. Options include ads, image search, maps, news, and YouTube.
You can also choose to remove your history for specific Google products.
There are a few other types of information that aren't included on the list of services. To see them, go to "Activity Controls." Here, you can manage and delete your web and app activity, location history, device information, voice search data, and YouTube search and watch history. To view and delete your data from any of these services, click on "Manage Activity." Open the menu using the three dots next to any item to remove it from your history.
If you'd like to keep a copy of your search history for your records before deleting it, go to "Other Google activity." Scroll down to "Download your past searches" and click on "Create archive." Here, you can choose the services you'd like to include in your file. Click "Next" and select the type of file for your archive and a maximum size. You can choose to have it sent to you via email, or upload it to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. When it's ready, your archive will be available to download for about a week.
One thing to keep in mind is that your data is used to show you search results that are relevant to you. This means that clearing your history can change the types of ads and search results you see. If you like getting personalized suggestions based on your interests, this can be a downside. But if you want to reset everything and get results that aren't influenced by your past searches, clearing your history can give you a clean slate.
