How to Clear Your Browser Search History on iPhone, Android, Mac & PC

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An easy-to-follow guide to keep your search history private and cleared
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Do you want to prevent the search boxes on websites from auto-filling as you type? Luckily, this is something you can easily delete and get rid of. Read on to learn more, with expert privacy tips from computer and tech specialist Luigi Oppido.

Quick Steps

  1. Type the search you want to delete in a desktop browser.
  2. Highlight the search result.
  3. Press Shift + Del .
  4. The search term is deleted and will no longer show up as a result or search suggestion.
Method 1
Method 1 of 11:

Keyboard Shortcut for All Desktop Browsers

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  1. 1
    Enter the search you want to delete into your web browser's address bar. This only works on desktops, but since many browsers sync, the same searches should disappear from your smartphone and tablet.
    • This works for many web browsers, like Chrome and Firefox, to delete embarrassing search terms or phrases. It doesn't delete your browser history, however.
    • Oppido notes that whether you should clear your browsing data comes down to personal preference. "If it's my own computer, I just think of it as my footprint," he says. "Now, if I'm on my parents' computer, a friend's computer, or a library computer, I will delete my history when I'm done because I don't want anybody to see what I've been doing."
  2. 2
    Highlight the term or phrase you want to delete. Use the arrow keys on the right side of your keyboard to highlight the term or phrase that you want to delete; don't press Enter or click the item to search.
    • You'll know if the search term or phrase is something from your history if you see a clock with an arrow around it. You'll also see icons for pages you've visited in the past and suggestions from your preferred search engine, like Google or Bing.
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  3. 3
    Press ⇧ Shift + Del . The Shift key is on the left side of your keyboard and the Del button is on the right; pressing these two together will delete the search term or phrase. If you type the beginning letters of that search term or phrase, it will no longer auto-complete or appear as a suggestion.
    • Continue using the methods below if you want to delete your entire search history on different devices.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 11:

Chrome on iPhone & iPad

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  1. Tap the Chrome app icon, which resembles a red, yellow, green, and blue sphere.
  2. It's in the top-right corner of the screen if you're using an iPad and in the bottom if you're using an iPhone. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. 3
    Tap History . This is in the row of buttons at the top of the drop-down menu. Scroll to the side until you find History , then tap it. Doing so opens your iPhone's Chrome history page.
  4. 4
    Tap Delete Browsing Data… . You'll find it in the lower-left corner of the screen.
  5. 5
    Tap Autofill Data . It's at the bottom of the menu. Doing so will place a checkmark next to Autofill Data .
    • If Autofill Data already has a checkmark next to it, skip this step.
    • You can uncheck every other item on the page, but the Autofill Data option must be checked.
  6. 6
    Tap Delete browsing data . This option is at the bottom of the page.
    • Tap Delete browsing data when prompted. Doing so will clear your search box data for Google Chrome on your iPhone. [1]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 11:

Chrome on Android

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  1. Tap the Chrome app icon, which resembles a red, yellow, green, and blue sphere.
  2. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. This option is in the drop-down menu.
  4. 4
    Tap Delete browsing data… . It's at the top of the History page.
  5. It's in the middle of the screen.
    • You can uncheck every other, but the "Autofill form data" box must be checked in order to clear the search box contents.
    • If the "Autofill form data" box is already checked, skip this step.
  6. 6
    Tap the time range drop-down box. You'll find this on the upper-right side of the page across from the "Time range" header. A drop-down menu will appear.
  7. It's in the drop-down menu.
  8. 8
    Tap Delete data . This is at the bottom of the screen.
  9. 9
    Tap Delete when prompted. Doing so clears all of your search box data for Google Chrome on your Android.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 11:

Chrome on Desktop

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  1. Click or double-click the Chrome app icon, which resembles a red, yellow, green, and blue sphere.
  2. It's in the top-right corner of the Chrome window. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. 3
    Click Delete browsing data… . Alternatively, press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Del .
  4. This is in the top-right corner of the pop-up window.
  5. 5
    Scroll down and check the "Autofill form data" box. It's near the bottom of the pop-up window.
    • You can uncheck every other box on the Advanced tab, but the "Autofill form data" box must be checked in order to clear the search box contents.
    • If the "Autofill form data" box is already checked, skip this step.
  6. This is at the top of the pop-up window. A drop-down menu will appear.
  7. It's in the drop-down menu.
  8. 8
    Click Delete data . This blue button is at the bottom of the window. Doing so clears your search box data for Google Chrome on your computer.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 11:

Safari on iPhone & iPad

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  1. 1
    Navigate to Safari in Settings. Tap the app icon that looks like a gear to open Settings, then tap Apps to see a list of all the apps installed on the device.
  2. 2
    Tap Clear history and Website Data . While this doesn't affect your autofill saved settings (like usernames and passwords), it will delete your browsing data; the next time you type into a search bar, it doesn't fill with other terms or phrases you've searched. [2]
    • If you want to delete your Autofill information, follow the steps to do this on a Mac.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 11:

Safari on Mac

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  1. 1
    Click History . It's in the menu bar at the top of your screen when you have Safari open.
  2. 2
    Click Clear History and choose the time range. If you have Safari synced across devices, clearing your history this way will delete the history for every device.
    • Click Clear History to finish the process.
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Method 7
Method 7 of 11:

Changing AutoFill Preferences for Safari on Mac

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  1. 1
    Open Settings . Click Safari from the menu bar at the top of your screen and select Settings .
  2. 2
    Click the AutoFill tab. You'll see this at the top of the "Settings" window as a tab. This will show you a list of AutoFill options.
  3. 3
    Uncheck the box next to the autofill item. Click Edit if you want to edit the autofill entry, but unchecking the box next to each item will prevent autofill from working with that type of information.
    • For example, if you uncheck the box next to "Other forms," Safari should no longer store and autofill information that you enter into search engines.
    • You can also click Edit next to "Other forms" and remove entries for individual sites (such as Google).
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Method 8
Method 8 of 11:

Firefox on iPhone

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  1. Tap the Firefox app icon, which resembles an orange fox on a blue globe.
  2. It's in the bottom-right corner of the screen. A pop-up menu will appear.
  3. 3
    Tap Settings . This option is in the pop-up menu.
  4. You'll find it near the middle of the page under the "Privacy" header.
  5. Doing so turns on the switch, thus indicating that you want to clear your Firefox browsing history.
    • You can turn off every other switch on this page.
    • Unfortunately, Firefox for the iPhone doesn't include an "Autofill" option, so you'll have to clear your whole browser's history in order to clear the search box contents.
    • If the "Browsing History" switch is blue, skip this step.
  6. It's at the bottom of the screen.
  7. Doing so will clear your iPhone's Firefox search box history.
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Method 9
Method 9 of 11:

Firefox on Android

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  1. Tap the Firefox app icon, which resembles an orange fox on a blue globe.
  2. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. This option is in the middle of the drop-down menu.
  4. You'll find this in the middle of the screen.
  5. Doing so indicates that you want to clear your Firefox search box history.
    • If this box is already checked, skip this step.
    • You can uncheck every other box on this page, but the "Form history" box must be checked.
  6. It's at the bottom of the screen. Doing so will clear your Android's Firefox search box history.
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Method 10
Method 10 of 11:

Firefox on Desktop

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  1. Click or double-click the Firefox app icon, which resembles an orange fox on a blue globe.
  2. It's in the top-right corner of the Firefox window. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. 3
    Click History . It's in the second grouping of menu options with Bookmarks .
  4. This is near the top of the menu. Doing so opens a pop-up window.
  5. 5
    Click the "When" drop-down box and select Everything . You'll see a warning that all your history and everything you have selected will be deleted.
  6. 6
    Check the box next to History . You can uncheck the other boxes, but this one must be checked to delete your autofill history.
  7. 7
    Click Clear . Your history and autofill history will be deleted from Firefox. [3]
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Method 11
Method 11 of 11:

Microsoft Edge

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  1. Click or double-click the Microsoft Edge app icon, which is either a dark-blue "e" or a white "e" on a dark-blue background. [4]
    • If you want to clear the autofill history on your other synced devices, like your smartphone or tablet, leave sync on in your profile settings. However, if you don't want to delete the autofill on other devices, turn off sync as you follow these steps.
  2. According to Computer & Tech Specialist Luigi Oppido, you'll find the option to clear your browsing history here. Clearing your browsing history includes your autofill data, which includes information you've typed into search boxes on sites. It's in the top-right corner of the Edge window. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. 3
    Click Settings . This option is near the bottom of the drop-down menu and will load the "Settings" page.
  4. 4
    Click Privacy, search, and services . It's in the menu on the left-side panel.
  5. 5
    Click Choose what to clear . It's towards the middle of the page, under the "Delete browsing data" header.
  6. 6
    Check the "Autofill form data" box. This option is in the middle of the menu and lets you know that examples of "Autofill form data" include forms and cards.
    • You can uncheck every other box here, but the "Autofill form data" box must be checked.
    • If this box is already checked, skip this step.
  7. 7
    Click Clear now . It's at the bottom of the menu.
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Expert Q&A

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      Tips

      • Clearing your search history will change your browser's behavior so it no longer auto-fills your past searches in the search bar. It will, however, still show you popular searches.
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      Warnings

      • Clearing your browser's search bar data won't remove results for sites you've visited. If you want to remove websites as well, you'll need to delete your browser's history .
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      • Some sites, like Reddit, which require an additional log-in, may still have your search history within the website. For sites like that, you'll need to delete the autofill options within that site. For example, in Reddit, log in, tap Settings > Privacy > Clear history .
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      Expert Interview

      Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about computers and technology, check out our in-depth interview with Luigi Oppido .

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95589?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&oco=1#zippy=%2Cdelete-an-item-from-your-history
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/105082
      3. ↑ https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/clear-recent-searches-search-bar
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/view-and-delete-browser-history-in-microsoft-edge-00cf7943-a9e1-975a-a33d-ac10ce454ca4

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Chrome.
      2. Tap the three dot menu.
      3. Tap History .
      4. Tap Clear Browsing Data .
      5. Tap Autofill Data .
      6. Tap Clear Browsing Data .
      7. Tap Clear Browsing Data' to confirm.

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        Feb 20, 2017

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