Introduction
Google knows a lot about you. It knows your search history, the videos you watch, and even your embarrassing ailments. Your Google Activity, unless deleted, contains a wealth of personal information that Google uses to create a profile about you. While this may seem clever, it also poses a significant threat to your privacy. This article will guide you on how to permanently delete your Google search history and protect your privacy.
How to First Download Your Google Search History
If you want to keep a copy of your Google search history before deleting it, you can use Google’s Takeout feature to download all your Google data. Here’s how:
- Go to the Google Takeout “Download your data” page and select the data you want to download. By default, all the boxes are selected. Click Next step.
- Choose where you want to save your files, select the file type and size, and decide whether you want to export files regularly or just once. Then click Create export. Google will compile your requested files, which may take a few minutes to a few days.
- Once the exporting is complete, Google will send you an email with a link to view your archive.
Now that you have downloaded your data, you can proceed to delete your history.
How to Delete All Your Google Activity
If you want to delete all your Google activity, including your searches, video searches, and clicked ads, follow these steps:
Delete Your Google Activity on Your Computer
- Go to the My Activity page and select “Delete activity by” on the left-hand menu.
- Choose how far back you want to delete your Google search history and activity. Select “All time” to delete everything.
- Select the Google services from which you want to delete your search history and activity. You can either select all or specify the services. Then click Next.
- Google will ask you to confirm that you want to delete your activity. Click Delete.
- Your screen should now display “Deletion complete.” Click OK.
Delete Your Google Search History and Activity on Your Mobile Device
- On your Android or iOS device, open a browser and go to myactivity.google.com.
- Tap Menu > “Delete activity by”.
- Below “Delete Activity,” tap “All time”.
- Make sure the “Select All” box is ticked to delete your activity from all services.
- Tap Next > Delete.
How to Set Auto-Delete for Google Activity
If you want to automatically delete some of your Google activity after a certain period, you can follow these steps:
- Go to myactivity.google.com.
- Select “Data & privacy” on the left.
- Under “History settings,” choose the activity or history setting you want to auto-delete.
- Select “Auto-delete”.
- Choose how long you want to keep your activity before deletion from the drop-down menu. Click Next and confirm your choice.
How to Stop Google from Saving Your Search History and Activity
While you can’t permanently disable Google from saving your activity, you can pause it. Here’s how:
- Go to the My Google Activity page.
- Select a section, such as “Web & App Activity”. If a section is already “Off,” your activity is not being saved, and you don’t have to do anything.
- Select “Turn off” and choose “Turn off” in the drop-down menu. If you haven’t deleted your activity yet, you can choose to “Turn off and delete activity”.
- A screen will inform you that new activity won’t be saved, but Google will still personalize your experience using other methods. Click “Got it”.
How to Delete Your Browser Search History on a Computer
Even after deleting your Google history, your browsing activity may still be saved on your computer. To ensure your privacy, follow these steps to delete your browser search history:
Delete Your Search History in Safari
- In a Safari browser, click “History” in the taskbar at the top of the screen.
- In the drop-down menu, click “Clear History” at the bottom.
- Select the date range for stored Google searches that you want to delete. To clear your entire browser search history, choose “all history” and click “Clear History”.
Delete Your Search History in Firefox
- In a Firefox browser, click “History” in the taskbar at the top of the screen.
- In the drop-down menu, click “Clear Recent History”.
- Select “Everything” in the “Time range to clear” option.
- To clear your entire browser search history, tick the appropriate box and any other information you want to clear. Click “Clear Now”.
Delete Your Search History in Chrome and Chromium
- In a Chrome browser, click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right of the screen.
- In the drop-down menu, click “Settings”.
- Scroll down to “Privacy and security” and click “Clear browsing data”.
- From the time range drop-down menu, select “All time”. Tick the box for “Browsing history” and any other information you want to clear. Click “Clear data”.
Delete Your Search History in Brave
- In a Brave browser, click the three horizontal lines (≡) in the top-right of the screen.
- In the drop-down menu, click “Settings”.
- Scroll down to “Privacy and security” and click “Clear browsing data”.
- From the time range drop-down menu, select “All time”. Tick the box for “Browsing history” and any other information you want to clear. Click “Clear data”.
Delete Your Search History in Microsoft Edge
- In an Edge browser, click the ellipses (…) in the top-right of the screen and select “Settings”.
- On the left, click on “Privacy, Search, and Services”.
- Under “Clear browsing data”, click “Choose What to Clear”.
- From the time range drop-down menu, select “All Time”. Tick the boxes for the information you want to clear from your browsing history. Click “Clear Now”.
How to Delete Your Browser Search History on a Phone or Tablet
Delete Your Safari Search History on an iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings, scroll down, and tap “Safari”.
- Scroll down and tap “Clear History and Website Data”. The setting will turn gray once your browser search history, cookies, and cache have been deleted.
Delete Your Chrome Search History on an iPhone or iPad
- In a Chrome browser, tap the menu button (≡) at the bottom of the screen (on iPad, the menu will be at the top right).
- Tap “More” and then “History” from the bottom panel.
- Tap “Edit”.
- Select the entries you wish to delete.
- Tap “Delete”.
- Tap “Done”.
Delete Your Search History on an Android Device
- In a Chrome browser, click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right of the screen.
- Depending on what you see in the drop-down menu, tap “More” if you don’t see “History” or tap “History”.
- Tap “Clear browsing data”.
- From the time range drop-down menu, select “All time”. Tick the box for “Browsing history” and any other information you want to clear. Click “Clear data”.
Delete Individual Items in Your Browsing History
Each browser has a slightly different method for deleting individual items from your browsing history. In general, you can access your browsing history page, select specific items, and delete them. Here’s an example for Chrome:
- Click the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right of the screen.
- In the drop-down menu, click “Settings”.
- Click “History” and then select “History” again.
- Choose the specific items you want to delete.
- Click “Delete” at the top right of the page.
Delete Your Google Maps Search History
If you want to delete your Google Maps search history, follow these steps:
On Your Computer
- Open Google Maps and sign in.
- Click ☰ in the search bar and select “Maps activity”.
- To delete individual items, click “Remove” next to the entries you want to delete.
- To delete a group of items, click “Delete” on the right. You can specify a date range or delete all activity.
On Your Mobile Device
- Open the Google Maps app on your Android or iOS device and sign in.
- Tap your profile picture > “Your data in Maps” > “Web & App Activity: See & delete activity”.
- To delete individual items, tap “Remove” next to the entries you want to delete.
- To delete a group of items, tap “Delete” on the right. You can specify a date range or delete all activity.
What Happens When You Delete and Disable Your Google Search History
Deleting and disabling your Google search history has consequences. By default, Google personalizes your search results based on your activity. If you delete your history, your search results will become more general and less tailored to your preferences. Some people prefer this because they want a more diverse range of information. It’s also important to note that Google may still personalize your experience using other methods, even if you disable search history.
Do More to Stay Private as You Browse
Deleting your Google search history is a great first step towards protecting your privacy. However, if you want to enhance your internet privacy even further, here are some additional steps you can take:
- Use a privacy-focused search engine like DuckDuckGo instead of Google.
- Opt for privacy-focused browsers such as Firefox or Brave instead of Chrome.
- Download a VPN app like ExpressVPN to hide your IP address and encrypt your internet activity.
Conclusion
Your Google search history contains a wealth of personal information, and deleting it is crucial for protecting your privacy. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can take control of your online privacy and ensure that your search history remains private. Remember to regularly delete your search history and take additional measures to stay private as you browse the internet.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I recover my deleted Google search history?
No, once you delete your Google search history, it cannot be recovered. Make sure to download a copy of your data before deleting it if you want to keep a record.
2. Will deleting my Google search history affect my Google account?
No, deleting your search history will not affect your Google account. Your account will still function as usual.
3. Can I delete my Google search history on someone else’s device?
No, you can only delete your Google search history on devices where you are signed in to your Google account.
4. Does deleting my browser search history also delete my Google search history?
No, deleting your browser search history is separate from deleting your Google search history. You need to follow the steps outlined in this article to delete your Google search history.
5. How often should I delete my Google search history?
It is recommended to delete your Google search history regularly to maintain your privacy. You can set up auto-delete for your Google activity to ensure it is deleted automatically after a certain period.