This guide aims to provide you with detailed step-by-step instructions on how to erase your Google search history across various devices. Maintaining your online privacy is vital in today’s digital age, and this guide will help you achieve just that.
Most internet users utilize Google’s ubiquitous search engine for their daily browsing needs. If you’re among them and have a Google account, it’s essential to know that, by default, your search history is automatically stored by Google. This data is subsequently utilized to curate personalized results tailored to your preferences each time you’re searching online.
You might ask why it’s important to delete your Google search history. While it might seem like a minor detail, this stored data can, over time, paint a detailed picture of your online activities, preferences, and habits. For individuals concerned about their digital privacy, removing this search history can be an effective way of managing their online footprint.
Let’s dive into how you can delete your search history.
Firstly, it’s possible to clear your search history directly from your Google account. This will wipe out all the search queries you’ve made, irrespective of the device used. This is particularly useful if you use multiple devices to access your Google account, as clearing the search history from your account will erase it across all these devices.
If you’re using a smartphone, both Android and iPhone devices allow you to erase your search history. On an Android device, you can accomplish this through the Google app or your preferred web browser, while iPhone users can utilize the Safari browser or Google app to delete their search history.
Finally, if you’re a desktop or laptop user, you can also remove your search history directly from your web browser. This can be beneficial if you’ve done most of your browsing on a personal computer and would like to clear your search records from that specific device.
To summarize, this guide provides a thorough walkthrough of how you can maintain your online privacy by deleting your Google search history from your Google account, smartphone (either Android or iPhone), and from a web browser on your computer. Keep reading to learn more about these steps and further protect your digital privacy.
Delete history from your Google account
To delete the search history from your Google account, go to myaccount.google.com in a web browser and make sure you are signed into your account. Now go to Privacy and Personalization and select Manage your data and privacy.
You will now see a section History Settings, under there select My Activity, this will take you to another page where you will see Web & App Activity, you will now see a Delete option, select this, and then you can choose to delete your Google history.
You then have a number of options, you can delete the data for the Last hour, Last day, and All time or you can select a custom range if you want to delete everything and then select the All time option. Will then be given a range of options which will include your history for Search, Image Search, News, the Google Play store, and more. If you just want to delete your search history then select the Search option. Once you have deleted your data your search history will be clear and you can choose to set up the auto-delete function if you would like, you can see more details on this below.
How to automatically delete your Google search history
If you would like to automatically delete your search history on a regular basis, this can be done from your Google account. Go to myactivity.google.com, and then select the Auto-delete section.
Now select Choose and auto-delete option and you will be given a choice of activity to delete, you can choose from the activity that is older than 36 months, 18 months, or 3 months. Select the option you would like, let’s assume you have chosen 3 months, then all of your Google activity that is older than three months will automatically be deleted.
This will include your search history and history on any Google apps that you use, basically, any history for anything you have used on Google will automatically be deleted after the time period you have selected.
How to permanently turn off search history on Google.
If you would like to stop your search history and other histories from being recorded by Google, then there is the option to turn this feature off completely on your Google account, to do this go to myactivity.google.com, and make sure you are signed into your account.
Now select Web & App Activity on your device and you will then see an option to Turn Off under Web & App Activity, click this and you will then see a Pause button down the bottom, select this and your search history and other history on Google will no longer be recorded.
This will stop any further history on searches, images, videos, and basically any of the Google apps that you use with your Google account from recording any further history when this is turned off.
To turn your Google search history and other histories back on Googe to myactivity.google.com and select Web & App Activity, you will now see a Turn on button, click this and you will see a further menu, click Turn on and now all of your history on Google will be recorded again.
How to delete history from the Google Search app
If you use the Google Search app on your iPhone or Android device, then you can easily delete the history from within the app on your smartphone. Open the app on your device and select your profile picture at the top right.
You will now be taken to another screen and you will see Search History, click on that and you will be taken to an options page within the app, you will now see a Delete button, click on that and you will be given a range of options. You can choose to delete your history from today, a custom range of for all time. Select the option you want, for example, today, and all of the search history and your activity in the Google app will be deleted for that time period.
Conclusion
These are the main methods that you can use to delete your Google search history on multiple devices, like your PC or Mac or your Android smartphone or tablet, or your iPhone or iPad.
Should you have any thoughts, ideas, or inquiries that you’d like to share, we encourage you to leave a comment in the section provided below, we would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
Image Credit: Mitchell Luo
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