How to find and delete your Google search history online, before someone else finds it!

Do you remember what you searched for two years ago or five years ago? Google remembers. This is how to hide your shame!

What about when you searched for a hangover cure on a Sunday morning exactly three years and two days ago after that big Saturday night out? Google remembers.

Or that time you got that strange rash and you searched for symptoms, possible cause and a cure?  Google remembers.  Do you remember cyberstalking that hot girl or boy using Google search?  Google certainly remembers that and keeps it all online.

butt-search

So unless you’ve got absolutely nothing to hide or be embarrassed about (not likely) then read on to learn how to delete your Google search history.

Google proudly states “you can download all of your saved search history to see a list of the terms you’ve searched for” to give “you access to your data when and where you want“.  Of course, if your password ever becomes compromised (or you forget to log out) then someone else, such as your partner, can download it for you!  Do you really want to wait for that awkward conversation if your partner asks you to show them everything you’ve ever searched for?

ex-search

If, for some reason, you want to take the risk and download your entire Google search history, you can learn how here:

https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/6068625

Google warns you should not download your search history while using a public computer. I also warn against downloading your search history on a shared household computer. You certainly don’t want your search history maliciously shared on social media or have uncomfortable conversations with your significant other.

Help! I want to delete it! How?

Yes, you can hide your shame and delete all of or part of your Google search history.

feet-search

These is Google’s step-by-step guide to deleting your search history

Delete searches & browsing activity

Your searches and browsing activity are saved in your Web & App Activity when it’s turned on and you’re signed in to your Google Account. You’re in control of what’s saved, and you can delete it or turn the setting off whenever you like.

Delete your searches and browsing activity

You can delete your past searches or other activity from your Web & App Activity page.

Desktop or Laptop Computer

Delete items one at a time

  1. Visit your Web & App Activity page.
  2. Check the box next to the items you want to remove.
  3. Click Remove items at the top of the page.

Delete multiple

  1. Visit your Web & App Activity page.
  2. In the top right corner of the page, click Options Settings > Remove items.
  3. Choose the time period for which you want to delete your history. (To remove all items, select The beginning of time).
  4. Click Remove.

Note: If you turned on the option to include history from Chrome and other apps in your Web & App Activity, visit the additional Web & App Activity page to see that information. If you only want to remove additional Web & App Activity from a certain device, choose that device in the “Remove items” dropdown menu.

Android App

Delete items one at a time

  1. Visit your Web & App Activity page.
  2. Check the box next to the items you want to remove.
  3. Touch Remove items at the top of the page.

Delete multiple

  1. Visit your Web & App Activity page.
  2. In the top right corner of the page, touch Options Settings > Remove items.
  3. Choose the time period for which you want to delete your history. (To remove all items, select The beginning of time).
  4. Touch Remove.

Note: If you turned on the option to include history from Chrome and other apps in your Web & App Activity, visit the additional Web & App Activity page to see that information. If you only want to remove additional Web & App Activity from a certain device, choose that device in the “Remove items” dropdown menu.

iPhone or iPad (iOS)

  1. Open the Google app .
  2. Touch the search box that appears when you open the app.
  3. Touch View search history.
  4. Touch Clear All in the top right corner > Clear on-device history.

Note: Any searches you’ve deleted from the Google app will be deleted from your iPhone or iPad device history, but a copy of the searches stays in your Web & App Activity so keep going below.

Any searches you’ve deleted from the Google app will be deleted from your iPhone or iPad device history, but there will still be a copy of the searches in your Web & App Activity. Follow the instructions below to remove the searches from your Web & App Activity.

Delete items one at a time

  1. Visit your Web & App Activity page.
  2. Check the box next to the items you want to remove.
  3. Touch Remove items at the top of the page.

Delete multiple

  1. Visit your Web & App Activity page.
  2. In the top right corner of the page, touch Options Settings > Remove items.
  3. Choose the time period for which you want to delete your history. (To remove all items, select The beginning of time).
  4. Touch Remove.

Note: If you turned on the option to include history from Chrome and other apps in your Web & App Activity, visit the additional Web & App Activity page to see that information. If you only want to remove additional Web & App Activity from a certain device, choose that device in the “Remove items” dropdown menu.

Prevent future searches from being saved

  1. Visit your Account History page.
  2. Touch Pause > Pause history.

Tip: If you occasionally want to prevent your searches from being saved, you can search within an incognito window in Google Chrome while not signed in to your Google Account. If you’re using a browser other than Google Chrome, check your browser’s help instructions to see whether it has a similar private browsing mode.

What happens to your searches and browsing activity when it’s deleted?

When you delete items from your Web & App Activity, they are no longer associated with your Google Account. However, Google may store activity separately to prevent spam and abuse and to improve our services.

source: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/465

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