Where to find and clear your search history on Samsung tablets
Your Samsung tablet stores search history in two main places: your web browser and Google's servers. To delete what you've searched for, you need to clear the browser cache and cookies, then sign into your Google account to remove activity from Google's side. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Samsung Internet (the built-in browser) or Google Chrome, but both take less than two minutes.
Most people find their search history by accident when they start typing in the address bar and old searches pop up. That's the browser's autocomplete feature pulling from your local history. Clearing it removes those suggestions and makes your tablet feel faster, since you're also deleting temporary files that pile up over time.
Key Takeaways
- Samsung tablets store search history in the browser app (Samsung Internet or Chrome) and in your Google account if you're signed in.
- Clearing browser history on your tablet removes local search suggestions but does not automatically delete your Google account activity.
- You must sign into your Google account on a web browser and visit myactivity.google.com to delete searches stored on Google's servers.
- Clearing cache and cookies removes temporary files and can speed up your tablet, but it also signs you out of most apps and websites.
How to clear search history in Samsung Internet
Open Samsung Internet, the blue globe icon that comes pre-installed on most Samsung tablets. Tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings.
In Settings, tap Privacy. You'll see an option that says Delete browsing data or Clear browsing data depending on your tablet's software version. Tap it. A window will pop up with checkboxes for History, Cookies and site data, and Cached images and files. Make sure History is checked. You can also check the other boxes if you want to remove cookies and cache, which frees up storage space. At the top, tap the dropdown menu that says All time or Time range and select how far back you want to delete — All time removes everything, while Last hour or Last 24 hours removes only recent searches. Tap Delete or Clear. The process finishes in seconds.
How to clear search history in Google Chrome
Open Chrome, the colorful circle icon. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner and select History. At the top of the screen, tap Clear browsing data.
A window opens with options for what to delete. Make sure Cookies and site data and Cached images and files are checked along with History. At the top, use the dropdown to choose your time range — All time deletes everything you've ever searched, while Last 24 hours or Last 7 days removes only recent activity. Tap Clear data. Chrome finishes within a few seconds and you'll be signed out of most websites and apps until you sign back in.
Removing search history from your Google account
Clearing your tablet's browser only removes local history. If you're signed into a Google account on your tablet, Google also stores a record of your searches on its servers. To delete that, you need to visit Google's activity page from any web browser.
Open Samsung Internet or Chrome and go to myactivity.google.com. Sign in with the Google account you use on your tablet. You'll see a timeline of everything you've searched for, watched on YouTube, and visited. On the left side, tap Delete activity by. Choose whether you want to delete All time or a specific date range. Tap Delete. Google removes the activity from your account within a few minutes. If you want to stop Google from recording your searches in the future, tap Manage all your data and privacy on the left side, then Web & App Activity, and toggle it off.
What gets deleted and what doesn't
When you clear browsing data on your tablet, you remove the list of websites and searches that appear when you start typing in the address bar. You also delete temporary files (cache) that websites store on your tablet to load faster next time. Cookies — small files that remember your login information and preferences — also disappear, which means you'll have to sign back into Gmail, Facebook, banking apps, and other services.
What does not get deleted: your passwords (unless you specifically check that box), your bookmarks, your saved passwords in apps, or any files you've downloaded and saved to your tablet's storage. If you're signed into a Google account, Google's own servers still have a record of your activity until you visit myactivity.google.com and delete it there. Your internet service provider and any network administrator (like a school or workplace) may also have records of websites you visited, but you cannot delete those from your tablet.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The biggest mistake is clearing history on your tablet and assuming you're done. Your Google account still has a record. If privacy is important to you, always visit myactivity.google.com afterward to delete your Google account activity as well.
Another common error is checking Cookies and site data without realizing it will sign you out of everything. If you only want to delete search suggestions without losing your logins, uncheck that box and only delete History. You can always clear cookies later when you have time to sign back in.
Don't assume clearing history makes you anonymous online. Your internet service provider, your tablet's manufacturer, and the websites you visit can still see your activity. Clearing history only removes the record stored on your tablet and in your Google account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will clearing my search history delete my saved passwords?
No, not unless you specifically check the box for passwords when you clear data. History, cookies, and cache are separate from saved passwords. If you want to keep your passwords but remove search history, make sure the password checkbox is unchecked before you tap Delete.
Can I delete just one search instead of all of them?
In your tablet's browser, no — you can only delete all history or history from a specific time range. However, on myactivity.google.com, you can click on individual searches and delete them one at a time. This is slower but gives you more control over what disappears from your Google account.
What's the difference between cache and cookies?
Cache is temporary files (images, scripts, videos) that websites store on your tablet to load faster next time. Cookies are small text files that remember your login information and preferences. Deleting cache frees up storage space; deleting cookies signs you out of websites and apps.
If I turn off Web & App Activity in my Google account, will my old searches disappear?
No. Turning off the setting stops Google from recording future searches, but it does not delete past activity. You must visit myactivity.google.com and manually delete old searches, then turn off the setting to prevent new ones from being recorded.
Does clearing history on my tablet clear it on my other devices?
No. Clearing history on your tablet only affects that device. If you want to delete history on your phone, computer, or other tablets, you must do it on each device separately. However, if you delete activity from myactivity.google.com, it removes your Google account activity across all devices where you're signed in.