Delete search history in your web browser first

Your search history lives in two places: your web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and your operating system (Windows or Mac). Most people need to clear the browser history, which is where Google, Bing, or whatever search engine you use stores what you looked for. The steps differ slightly by browser, but all of them let you delete history in under a minute.

The fastest way is to use the keyboard shortcut. On Windows or Mac, press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + H (Mac) to open your history. Then look for a button that says "Clear browsing data" or "Delete history" — the exact wording depends on your browser. A window will pop up asking what time range you want to clear. Choose "All time" if you want everything gone, or pick a specific date range if you only want to remove recent searches.

Before you click delete, make sure the checkbox next to "Cookies and cached images and files" is unchecked unless you want to log out of websites. Clearing cookies will sign you out of Gmail, Facebook, and other sites you stay logged into. If you only want to remove search history and not cookies, leave that box empty.

Key Takeaways

  • Search history is stored in your web browser, not your computer's operating system, so you delete it from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — not from Windows or Mac settings.
  • Use Ctrl + H on Windows or Command + H on Mac to open your browser history, then click "Clear browsing data" and select "All time" to remove everything.
  • Clearing cookies will sign you out of websites, so uncheck that box if you only want to delete search history.
  • Private or Incognito mode prevents your browser from storing searches in the first place, so future searches won't appear in your history.
  • Deleting browser history does not erase searches that your internet service provider or network administrator can see.

Chrome: clear history in three steps

Open Chrome and press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + H (Mac). A sidebar will appear on the left showing your recent searches and websites. At the top of that sidebar, click "Clear browsing data." A box will pop up with options for what to delete.

At the top of the box, you will see a dropdown menu that says "Time range." Click it and select "All time" to delete everything, or pick "Last hour," "Last 24 hours," "Last 7 days," "Last 4 weeks," or "Last 90 days" if you only want to remove recent searches. Make sure the checkbox next to "Cookies and other site data" is unchecked unless you want to be logged out of websites. Then click "Clear data."

If you want Chrome to stop storing your searches going forward, open Chrome and press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Command + Shift + N (Mac) to open an Incognito window. Searches in Incognito mode are not saved to your history.

Firefox: delete history from the menu

Open Firefox and press Ctrl + H (Windows) or Command + Y (Mac). A sidebar will open showing your history. At the top of the sidebar, click the gear icon and select "Clear Recent History."

A window will appear. At the top, there is a dropdown that says "Time range to clear." Select "Everything" to delete all your history, or pick a specific time period. Make sure "Browsing & read history" is checked. Uncheck "Cookies" unless you want to be logged out of websites. Then click "Clear Now."

To prevent Firefox from storing searches, open a new Private Window by pressing Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows) or Command + Shift + P (Mac). Firefox will not save your searches in Private mode.

Safari: clear history on Mac

Open Safari and click the "History" menu at the top of the screen. Select "Clear History" from the dropdown. A window will appear asking how far back you want to clear. Choose "All history" to delete everything, or pick "The last hour," "Today," "Today and yesterday," or "The last week."

Click "Clear History." Safari will remove your search history when ready. If you want to prevent Safari from storing searches, open a new Private Window by pressing Command + Shift + N. Safari will not save searches made in Private windows.

Microsoft Edge: delete history on Windows

Open Edge and press Ctrl + H. Your history will appear in a sidebar on the left. At the top of the sidebar, click "Clear browsing data." A window will pop up with options.

At the top, select the time range from the dropdown menu. Choose "All time" to delete everything, or pick "Last hour," "Last 24 hours," "Last 7 days," "Last 4 weeks," or "Last 90 days." Make sure "Browsing history" is checked. Uncheck "Cookies and other site data" unless you want to be logged out of websites. Then click "Clear now."

To stop Edge from storing searches, press Ctrl + Shift + N to open an InPrivate window. Edge will not save your searches in InPrivate mode.

What clearing history does and does not do

Deleting your browser history removes the list of websites you visited and searches you performed from your computer. It does not erase the searches from Google's or Bing's servers if you were logged into your account. If you want to delete searches from your Google account, you need to go to myactivity.google.com and delete them there separately. For Bing, go to account.microsoft.com/privacy.

Clearing browser history also does not hide your searches from your internet service provider, your employer if you are on a work network, or your school if you are on a school network. Those organizations can see what websites you visit regardless of whether your browser history is deleted. If you need privacy from your network, you would need to use a VPN, which is a different tool entirely.

Deleting history from your computer does not affect other devices. If you use Chrome on your phone and your laptop and you are signed into the same Google account, clearing history on your laptop will not clear it from your phone. You need to clear history on each device separately.

Use private or incognito mode to prevent history from being saved

Every major browser has a private mode that does not save your searches or browsing history. When you close the private window, nothing you did in that window is stored. This is the easiest way to prevent history from building up in the first place.

In Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Command + Shift + N (Mac) to open an Incognito window. In Firefox, press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows) or Command + Shift + P (Mac) for a Private Window. In Safari, press Command + Shift + N for a Private Window. In Edge, press Ctrl + Shift + N for an InPrivate window.

Private mode does not make you anonymous online — websites can still see your IP address and track you while you are browsing. It only prevents your browser from storing a record of what you did. Once you close the private window, your searches and websites visited in that session are gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting browser history delete my Google account search history?

No. Deleting history from your browser only removes the list stored on your computer. If you were logged into your Google account while searching, Google keeps a separate record on its servers. To delete those searches, go to myactivity.google.com, sign in, and delete the searches from there.

Will clearing my history log me out of websites?

Only if you also clear cookies. When you clear browsing data, uncheck the box next to "Cookies" or "Cookies and site data" to stay logged in. If you check that box, you will be logged out of Gmail, Facebook, Amazon, and other sites.

Can my internet provider see my search history after I delete it?

Yes. Your internet service provider can see what websites you visit regardless of whether your browser history is deleted. Clearing your history only removes the record from your computer. To hide your searches from your ISP, you would need to use a VPN.

What is the difference between deleting history and private mode?

Deleting history removes past searches from your computer. Private mode prevents future searches from being saved in the first place. If you use private mode, you never have to delete history because nothing gets stored. Once you close the private window, everything you did in it is gone.

If I delete my history, can someone recover it?

Deleting your browser history removes it from the normal places where it is stored. Recovering deleted history would require specialized data recovery software and is not something most people can do. For most purposes, deleting your history is sufficient.