To delete search history on Android, open the Google app, tap your profile picture, tap Search history, then tap Delete and choose a range. That erases searches saved to your Google Account. It does not erase the pages your browser remembers, so clear Chrome, Samsung Internet, or Firefox separately using the steps below.
There is no single Android switch that wipes every search at once. Your searches can sit in up to three places: your Google Account, your browser, and the recent-search list on the phone itself. Pick the section that matches what you want gone.
Which history do you actually want to delete?
Before you tap anything, work out where the entry you want to remove is stored. This table shows the common cases.
| What you see | Where it is stored | Where to delete it |
|---|---|---|
| Old searches suggested in the Google app or search bar | Your Google Account (or the phone, if you are signed out) | Google app > profile picture > Search history |
| Web pages listed under History in Chrome | Chrome, plus any synced Chrome devices | Chrome > More > Delete browsing data |
| Web pages listed in Samsung Internet | Samsung Internet on that phone | Tools menu > Settings > Personal browsing data |
| Web pages listed in Firefox | Firefox on that phone | Menu > History > trash icon |
Two terms are worth knowing. Search history is the list of things you typed or said into Google Search. Browsing history is the list of web pages a browser opened. Deleting one never deletes the other.
What you need before you start
- An Android phone or tablet with the Google app and an internet connection.
- The right Google Account. If you use more than one, check which account the Google app shows before you delete. Each account has its own history.
- Current versions of the Google app and Chrome. Google changes labels from time to time, so an older app can show slightly different wording.
Warning: Google states that once you erase your search history, you cannot get it back. If you might need an old search later, note it down first, and delete a single day or a custom range instead of everything.
How to delete Google Search history in the Google app
These steps follow Google’s current Android instructions for erasing Search history.
- Open the Google app on your Android phone or tablet.
- At the top right, tap your profile picture or initial. Confirm that the account shown is the one you want to change.
- Tap Search history. A list of your saved searches opens, grouped by day. Google may ask you to verify that it is you first.
- Choose how much to erase. To remove everything, tap Delete above your history, then Delete all time. To remove a period, tap Delete, then Delete custom range, and pick the dates.
- To remove one day, tap the delete icon next to that day. To remove one search, tap the delete icon next to that item.
- Read the confirmation screen, check the range it lists, and confirm.
If you prefer a browser, Google also lets you manage the same activity at myactivity.google.com while signed in. Its Delete your activity page explains how to filter by date or product there before you delete.
Remove one recent search from the search bar
For a single recent search, you do not need to open the full list. Tap the Google search bar on your home screen, or open the Google app. Touch and hold the recent query, then tap Delete. Google says a search erased this way is also erased from My Activity.
How to delete browsing history in Chrome on Android
Chrome keeps its own list of the pages you visited. Google notes that the Google app also saves web pages you open from it in Chrome’s browsing history, so clearing Chrome matters even if you rarely open Chrome directly.
Before you delete: if you are signed in to Chrome with history sync on, deleting browsing history here also deletes it on your other synced devices.
- Open Chrome.
- At the top right, tap More (the three dots), then tap Delete browsing data.
- Next to Time range, select the period to remove, or tap All time to remove everything.
- Check the box next to Browsing history.
- Uncheck any other data you want to keep, such as cookies or cached files. Deleting cookies signs you out of most websites.
- Tap Delete data.
To remove a single page instead, tap More > History, find the entry, and tap Remove to the right of it. To remove several, touch and hold one entry until a checkmark appears, select the others, then tap Remove at the top right. If your address bar is at the bottom of the screen, Google says to swipe up on it before tapping History.
See Google’s Chrome browsing history instructions for the full list of options. If your real goal is freeing space or fixing a misbehaving site, our guide on how to clear cache on Android covers that separately.
How to delete history in Samsung Internet
Galaxy phones come with Samsung Internet, which stores its own history. Clearing your Google Account or Chrome does not touch it. Samsung’s support page gives this path:
- Open Samsung Internet.
- Tap the Tools menu (the three horizontal lines), then tap Settings.
- Tap Personal browsing data, then tap Delete browsing data.
- Select Browsing history. Select other data types only if you want them removed too.
- Tap Delete data, then tap Delete to confirm.
Samsung says Samsung Internet has no automatic delete feature, so this is a manual job each time. The steps come from Samsung’s auto delete features page. Menu names can differ slightly between One UI versions.
How to delete history in Firefox for Android
- Open Firefox and tap the three-dot menu button.
- Tap History.
- Tap the trash icon in the top right corner.
- Choose Everything as the time range to delete.
- Tap Delete.
Firefox can also clear selected data every time you quit the app, through Settings > Privacy and security > Delete browsing data on quit. These steps are from Mozilla’s Firefox for Android help page, which was last updated some time ago, so a newer Firefox version may word the options a little differently.
Any other browser, such as Edge, Opera, or Brave, keeps its own history too. Look for a history or privacy option in that browser’s menu.
How to confirm the history is gone
- Google Account: go back to Google app > profile picture > Search history and check that the entries no longer appear.
- Chrome: tap More > History. The pages from the range you chose should be missing.
- Other browsers: reopen the browser’s History screen and check the list.
- Search bar: tap the Google search bar and see whether the old query is still suggested.
There is no undo. Deleted Search history and browsing history cannot be restored from these screens. The only thing you can reverse is a setting, such as turning history saving back on.
Stop saving searches or delete them automatically
If you clear history often, let Google do it for you. In the Google app, tap your profile picture, then Search history, then Controls. On the Web & App Activity card, tap the option under Auto-delete, choose Auto-delete activity older than, and pick 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months. Tap Next to finish. You can still delete items by hand at any time.
To stop saving altogether, use the same Controls screen. Under Web & App Activity, tap Turn off.
Read this before you confirm: Google then offers Turn off or Turn off and delete activity. The second choice can cover much more than Google Search, because Web & App Activity includes activity from other Google services. Check the products and dates listed on the confirmation screen.
Your screens may not match these labels. Google is gradually replacing these controls with a setting called Search Services History, which covers Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, and News. Google says that if you do not see the new setting yet, Web & App Activity still controls your history.
For a one-off private search, use Incognito mode in Chrome. Google says search history is not saved to your Google Account when you search in Incognito mode. If you sign in to your account inside a private window, though, your searches may be saved to that account.
Troubleshooting: an old search still shows up
- Wrong account. Tap your profile picture in the Google app and check which account is active. Deleting history from one account leaves the others alone.
- Another device is offline. Google says erased history can still show on a device that is offline. It disappears once that device connects to the internet.
- You were signed out. When you use the Google app while signed out, searches can be saved to the phone instead. In the Google app, tap your profile picture or initial, then Settings > Privacy & Safety, and turn off Search customization. Google’s help page also calls this setting Search personalization, so use whichever label your app shows.
- The entry is a web page, not a search. Address bar suggestions in a browser come from that browser’s history. Clear it in Chrome, Samsung Internet, or Firefox.
- Search history is missing from the menu. Update the Google app from the Play Store, then look again. You can also go to myactivity.google.com in a browser.
- The Delete control is unavailable. Accounts managed by an employer, school, or parent can have different controls. Ask the administrator or account manager.
- It still appears after all of that. Google suggests clearing your cache and cookies, then checking again.
What deleting search history does not do
- It does not remove records kept by the websites you visited, your mobile carrier, or your Wi-Fi network owner.
- It does not remove cookies, saved passwords, or downloads unless you select those items separately in the browser.
- It does not erase everything instantly. Google says deletion first removes the activity from view, then starts a process to delete it from its storage systems, and that some data may be kept longer for limited purposes such as business or legal requirements.
- It does not prepare a phone for sale. For that, back up the phone and do a factory reset.
- It does not close your open tabs. See how to close tabs on Android for that.
Frequently asked questions
Does deleting Google Search history on my Android phone remove it from my other devices?
Yes, for history saved to your Google Account. That history belongs to the account, not the phone, so erasing it in the Google app removes it everywhere you are signed in with that account. A device that is offline may keep showing it until it reconnects.
Can I recover search history after I delete it?
No. Google states that once you erase your search history, you cannot get it back. Delete a single item or a custom range if you are unsure.
Does clearing Chrome history delete my Google Search history?
No. Chrome’s Delete browsing data screen removes pages stored by the browser. Searches saved to your Google Account stay until you erase them under Search history in the Google app or at myactivity.google.com.
Will deleting browsing history sign me out of websites?
Not by itself. You are signed out of sites when you delete cookies. In Chrome, leave the cookies box unchecked and check only Browsing history to stay signed in.
How far back does Chrome history go on Android?
Google says the Chrome History page lists pages you visited in the last 90 days. It does not list pages opened in Incognito mode or pages you already deleted.
Does Incognito mode hide my searches from everyone?
No. Incognito mode stops Chrome from saving your browsing history on the device, and Google says searches are not saved to your account while you use it signed out. Websites and network providers can still see activity.
Next steps
Start with the Google app, then clear whichever browser you actually use, and set auto-delete if you do not want to repeat the job. Using an Apple phone as well? See how to clear search history on iPhone. To stop another kind of account syncing, see how to unsync Google Photos.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.