How to delete Google search history — protect your privacy

How to delete Google search history — Protect your privacy
(Image credit: Laptop Mag)

Wondering how to delete Google search history? You aren’t alone, our Google search histories have become almost sacred. For many, complete privacy is expected, though few realize just how much information they’re willingly handing over.

Your Google history can contain everything from your location information and medical conditions to other potentially embarrassing personal details like familial issues and debt relief. For me, I’m most concerned with all of the words I have to Google when writing to make sure I’m spelling them correctly (if my editors only knew).

Regardless of why you want to delete your Google search history, you should be planning to do it semi-regularly. There’s no reason to keep years of search data in a central location. It’s good practice, both for security and peace of mind, to delete these searches at periodic intervals.

It’s important to note that once you delete this, you can’t get it back. For a period of time after deleting you may notice that some of the personalized details that make Google search great are less than perfect. Luckily, it doesn’t take long to rebuild enough of a history to benefit from it without having a record of your entire digital life in there. 

How to delete your Google search history

1. Go to your Google My Activity page

(Image: © Laptop Mag)

To delete your Google search history, you first need to go to your Google My Activity page.

2. Scroll down and click Filter by date & product.

(Image: © Laptop Mag)

2. Next, scroll down and click Filter by date & product. This action will open a window that lets you specify items you want to delete from your Google activities.

3. Enter the date range or default period

(Image: © Laptop Mag)

3. Enter the date range or default period you want your deletion to cover.

4. Tick the checkbox beside Search and click Apply.

(Image: © Laptop Mag)

Lastly, under the Filter by Google product section, tick the checkbox beside Search and click Apply.