Tech Reference

How to clear your Google search history on your Android phone or tablet

Written by Steven John
google android messages app
It might be a good idea to clear your Google search history on your Android device to ensure your privacy. Antonio Villas-Boas/Business Insider
Read in app

What you search for on your Android phone or tablet is your own private business, but if someone were to go through your Google search history on your device, that private stuff could become all too public. That's the main reason you should regularly clear your Google search history on your Android, but it's not the only reason.

Past Google searches can impact the results you get in future searches, which means that the results Google gives you could be influenced by keywords you searched in the past. For example, say you had an assignment about the Civil War, but now that it's submitted your interest in the 1860s has faded — until you clear your search history, those dozens of Civil War-centric search queries will still influence your Google results here in the 21st century.

Clearing search history on an Android device is a quick and easy process, so don't skip it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $899.99 at Best Buy)

Microsoft Surface Go (From $549 at Best Buy)

How to clear your Google history on your Android device

1. Launch the Google Chrome app and check to make sure you are logged into your account.

2. Tap the three little dots at the top-right corner of the screen.

How to clear Google history on Android
Using an incognito search tabs means your search history will not be logged in the first place.  Steven John/Business Insider

3. Tap on "History" in the drop-down menu.

How to clear Google history on Android
You should wipe all search history off a phone or tablet before you turn the device in for repairs or before you sell or exchange the device.  Steven John/Business Insider

4. Tap "CLEAR BROWSING DATA" on the next screen.

5. Tap the words "Last hour" to select the time and date range of search data you want to erase, then tap "CLEAR DATA."

How to clear Google history on Android
Tap the amount of time that you want to clear data for and then tap "CLEAR DATA."  Steven John/Business Insider

 

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

Read next

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

极速168赛车官方网站图片

Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know

Headshot of Steven John
Steven John
Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.