- Delete YouTube searches in the Android or iPhone app
- Clear YouTube searches on a computer through My Activity
- Pause YouTube search history so new searches aren't saved
- Set YouTube searches to delete automatically
- YouTube search history vs watch history
- What clearing your YouTube search history changes
- Clearing YouTube searches on a shared or work device
- If old YouTube searches keep showing up
- Frequently asked questions
To clear YouTube search history in the app, tap your profile picture, then Settings, then Manage all history, and tap the X beside a search or use Delete to remove several. On a computer, use your YouTube page in My Activity. To stop new searches being saved, untick Include your searches on YouTube in the Controls tab.
Your YouTube searches say a lot about you: the gift you're planning, the health worry you looked up at midnight, the competitor you've been studying. They also shape what YouTube recommends next. So it's worth knowing how to wipe them, how to stop new ones being saved, and how search history differs from watch history, because they're two separate records. This matters even more on a shared family tablet or a work laptop where someone else might open the search box and see your suggestions.
The steps below follow YouTube's help article on viewing or deleting your search history. Menus vary by app version, so if a label's slightly different on your screen, use the nearest match.
Delete YouTube searches in the Android or iPhone app
- Open the YouTube app and make sure you're signed in.
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Settings, then Manage all history.
- To remove one search, tap the X (close) icon beside it.
- To remove several at once, tap Delete. The calendar icon lets you limit it to a date range.
The search and calendar icons on the same screen help you find a particular search or a particular date range before you delete.
Clear YouTube searches on a computer through My Activity
On a computer, your YouTube searches live in your Google account's My Activity page for YouTube.
- Sign in and open your YouTube history in My Activity (search for My Activity in your Google account and choose YouTube).
- Find the search you want to remove and click the X beside it.
- To clear more than one, click Delete, using the calendar icon to limit it to a date range if you like.
- Use the search icon or the calendar icon to narrow the list down first if you're hunting for something specific.
Pause YouTube search history so new searches aren't saved
If you'd rather YouTube didn't keep a record at all, pause it. YouTube's help page gives these steps for the app:
- Tap your profile picture.
- Tap Settings, then Manage all history.
- Tap the Controls tab.
- Untick Include your searches on YouTube.
On a computer, open your YouTube activity in My Activity, select Saving your search history, then clear the same Include your searches on YouTube option. While it's paused, new searches won't be added to your history. You can switch it back on any time by ticking the box again.
Set YouTube searches to delete automatically
If you like the idea of a tidy history without remembering to clear it, YouTube's My Activity page has an Auto-delete option. You can choose to remove activity older than 3, 18 or 36 months, or choose not to auto-delete at all. It's a sensible middle ground if you want recommendations to stay relevant without keeping years of searches.
YouTube search history vs watch history
People often clear one and expect the other to vanish too. Here's how they differ.
| Search history | Watch history | |
|---|---|---|
| What it records | Words you typed into the YouTube search box | Videos you've watched |
| Where you see it | Manage all history in the app, or My Activity | The History section of the You tab, or My Activity |
| What it affects | Search suggestions and recommendations | Your history list and what's recommended |
| Can you pause it? | Yes, untick Include your searches on YouTube | Yes, through its own watch history setting |
One overlap to know about: YouTube's help page says that using Delete for a time range in your history also removes your watch history for that same period. If you only want to remove searches, delete them one at a time with the X icon instead.
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What clearing your YouTube search history changes
- Searches you delete stop influencing your recommendations, according to YouTube's help centre.
- After clearing, your past searches no longer pop up as suggestions when you tap the search box.
- Searches made in an Incognito window aren't saved to your history in the first place.
- Clearing searches doesn't delete your account, the channels you follow or your playlists.
Clearing YouTube searches on a shared or work device
If you share a tablet with family or use a work laptop, the simplest habit is to pause search history on that device's account, or search in an Incognito window. And if you run a business channel, there's a flip side: what people type into that same search box is exactly the language you want in your titles. My guide to keyword research for YouTube videos shows how to use those searches to your advantage.
If the content you're seeing is the problem rather than your history, my guide to turning Restricted Mode off on YouTube might be what you need. For more account and channel fixes, have a look at my YouTube help hub.
If old YouTube searches keep showing up
- Check you're signed in to the right account. Searches belong to whichever account was signed in when you made them.
- If you manage a Brand Account as well as a personal one, switch between them and clear each one separately.
- Remember that pausing only stops new searches being saved. It doesn't remove old ones, so delete those too.
- Update the YouTube app if Manage all history isn't showing in Settings.
Frequently asked questions
How do I delete all my YouTube search history at once?
In the app, go to your profile picture, then Settings, then Manage all history and tap Delete for the time range you want. On a computer, use Delete on your YouTube page in My Activity. This also removes your watch history for the same period.
Can I stop YouTube saving my searches?
Yes. Tap your profile picture, then Settings, then Manage all history, open the Controls tab and untick Include your searches on YouTube.
Does clearing YouTube search history change my recommendations?
Yes. YouTube's help centre says searches you delete no longer influence your recommendations.
Is YouTube search history the same as watch history?
No. Search history records what you typed into the search box, and watch history records what you watched. They have separate controls, although deleting a time range removes both for that period.
Do Incognito searches show up in my YouTube history?
No. YouTube's help page says searches made in Incognito mode aren't saved to your search history.
