How to delete search history (for good)

Your search history reveals a lot about you: your interests, habits, and especially personal information. In this guide, we’ll explain how to delete your search history across different platforms, clear your browser history, and stop Google from tracking your activity.

Unfortunately, your search history is not just stored on your browser where you can choose to delete it. Search engines, browsers, and social media platforms also store this data, which can be used for targeted advertising, tracking, or even accessed by unauthorized parties. So protecting your online privacy requires much more than regularly clearing your own history.

Deleting your search history from your browser is a good step, but it doesn’t stop websites, ISPs, and trackers from logging your online activity. With NymVPN you can ensure your searches stay private by encrypting your internet traffic and hiding your IP address.

Why is it important to delete search history?

Protects your privacy – Prevents third parties from accessing your personal search history stored on your browser.

Improves security – Reduces the risk of personal data exposure from browser tracking or account breaches.

Avoids embarrassment – Removes past searches you don’t want others to see.

Reduces targeted ads – Prevents advertisers from using your search history to serve personalized ads

How to clear your Google search history

Google tracks search history across devices, including desktop and mobile. Here’s how to delete it:

How to Delete Search History on iPhone (Google App)

1. Open the Google Search app
2. Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner
3. Select Search History
4. Choose Delete > Delete all time (or select a specific time range)

How to delete search history on Google account

1. Go to Google My Activity
2. Click Web & App Activity
3. Select Manage all Web & App Activity
4. Tap Delete activity by and choose a time range or select All time

How to clear your browser search history

How to delete browsing history on Google Chrome

1. Open Chrome and click the three-dot menu
2. Select History > Clear browsing data
3. Choose a time range and check Browsing history
4. Click Clear data

How to delete search history on Safari

1. Open Safari and tap Settings
2. Scroll to Clear History and Website Data
3. Select a time range and confirm deletion

How to delete search history on Firefox

1. Open Firefox and tap Menu > History
2. Select Clear recent history
3. Choose a time range and check Browsing & Download History
4. Tap Clear now

How to delete search history on Microsoft Edge

1. Open Edge and click the three-dot menu
2. Select Settings > Privacy, search, and services
3. Under Clear browsing data, select Choose what to clear
4. Select the history data and click Clear now

How to delete search history on Opera

1. Open Opera and tap Menu > History
2. Select Clear browsing data
3. Choose a time range and tap Clear data

How to delete search history on Bing & Yahoo

• Bing: Go to Bing Search History and click Clear history
• Yahoo: Visit Yahoo Search History, select searches, and delete them.

How to delete your search history on Brave

Brave is a privacy-focused browser that blocks trackers and ads by default — but that doesn’t mean it never keeps browsing history locally. If you want to delete your search and browsing history in Brave, here’s how:

1. Open Brave and click on the three horizontal lines (hamburger menu) in the top-right corner.

2. Select History, then click Clear browsing data on the left sidebar.

3. In the pop-up window, choose a time range — select All time if you want everything gone.

4. Check the boxes for Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, and Cached images and files.

Click Clear data.

Pro tip: If you’re using Brave Search, your queries aren’t tracked or stored in the first place. But for any browsing you do on other search engines or sites, clearing your local history regularly is still a smart move.

How to clear your social media search history

How to delete Facebook search history

1. Open Facebook and tap your Profile
2. Select Activity Log > Search History
3. Tap Clear searches

How to delete X (Twitter) search history

Open Twitter and go to the Search bar. Tap Recent searches > Clear all.

How to delete TikTok search history

Open TikTok and go to Settings & Privacy Tap Clear search history

How to delete Instagram search history

Open Instagram and go to Settings Tap Security > Clear Search History

Set up Auto-Delete for Google history data

Google allows users to set up automatic history deletion: Visit Google My Activity Select Auto-delete (On) under Web & App Activity Choose a time frame (e.g., 3, 18, or 36 months) Confirm Auto-delete activity

How to stop Google from tracking you

To reduce Google tracking:

• Turn off Web & App Activity in Google settings
• Use Incognito Mode for private browsing
• Install an alternative privacy-focused browser like Brave
• Use a VPN to mask your IP address

Can I permanently delete browsing history?

While you can delete search history from browsers and Google accounts, ISPs, websites, and governments can and actively are tracking your online activity. For better anonymity, be sure to take extra measures to protect your personal information and activities

Additional protections for your search history

• Use VPNs with advanced privacy protections like NymVPN
• Regularly clear cookies from your browser
• Use an **ad-blocker **and malware block
• Use privacy-focused browsers like Brave
• Use encrypted search engines like DuckDuckGo

How does NymVPN protect my search history?

In order to prevent third parties like ISPs or websites from keeping records of your personal online activities, you need to unlink your web traffic from your IP address. This is one of the primary functions of a VPN. However, traditional VPNs are centralized and vulnerable to network surveillance which can connect what you do with your IP even while using a VPN.

With NymVPN decentralized design, you can better protect your online activities from advanced AI-driven surveillance. Learn more about how NymVPN works to provide the most secure VPN technology available.

Summary

Deleting your search history improves privacy and security, but it’s not a foolproof method to erase all traces of online activity. Setting up auto-delete, using private browsing tools, and especially VPNs can further enhance digital privacy.

Search history FAQs

How long does Google keep your search history?

By default, Google stores search history indefinitely, but you can set it to auto-delete every 3, 18, or 36 months.

Can your Internet Service Provider (ISP) see your history?

Yes, ISPs can see browsing history unless you use a VPN or encrypted DNS service.

Can people see what you search on TikTok?

No, TikTok search history is private unless your device is accessed by someone else.

Can police see your search history?

Law enforcement can request access to search history through legal means, especially if stored on third-party servers like Google.

Can someone see my browsing history from another phone?

If you’re logged into the same Google account on multiple devices, search history syncs across them.

Who can see my search history?

Google and other search engines ISPs (unless using a VPN) Advertisers tracking cookies Anyone with access to your device Even after clearing your search history, your ISP and third-party trackers may still be collecting data on you. Take control of your privacy with Nym VPN, which ensures your browsing activity remains confidential — even from your internet provider.