Quick answer: how to delete search history on iPhone

Before we begin

Quick takeaways: choose the right iPhone history

Start with the app where the search appears. A Google search can leave a browser entry and a separate Google account entry. Deleting one does not delete the other.

Apple says clearing Safari history does not change AutoFill information. Removing cookies can sign you out of websites, so have your sign-in method ready before clearing website data.

Warning: Choose the time range and account before confirming deletion. Browser cleanup does not erase records that websites keep independently, and Google says deleted account Search history cannot be recovered.

These instructions follow Apple and Google documentation reviewed in October 2026. No new on-device testing took place. The original screenshots remain as illustrations; older layouts and labels can differ from the written steps.

How to delete search history on iPhone in Safari

Use Settings to clear Safari history and website data together. Apple's Safari cleanup guide documents this route and the separate controls for keeping history or deleting selected websites.

1. Open Settings, then tap Apps > Safari.
2. Scroll to Clear History and Website Data.
3. Choose the timeframe you want to clear.
4. Tap Clear History to confirm.

On older iOS versions, Safari may appear directly in Settings rather than under Apps. Look for the named Clear History and Website Data control instead of matching every screen to an older screenshot.

The two illustrations below show the Safari settings workflow. Follow the written menu path if your iPhone's screen differs.

You can also clear history inside Safari. In Apple's iOS 26 guide, the entry point depends on your tab layout:

1. Open Safari. In the Compact layout, tap More > Bookmarks. In Top or Bottom layout, tap Bookmarks directly.
2. Tap History, then More > Clear.
3. Under Clear Timeframe, choose how much history to remove.
4. If you use Safari profiles, select one profile or All Profiles.
5. Tap Clear History.

Clear cookies and cache but keep Safari history

Use Website Data if you want to keep the list of pages you visited. Clearing cookies and cache is a different choice from clearing browsing history.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Safari.
2. Tap Advanced > Website Data.
3. Tap Remove All Website Data.
4. Tap Remove Now.

This removes data websites use for tracking and saved login sessions while keeping Safari history. For broader storage cleanup, use the separate guide to clearing app cache on iPhone; browser history is not the same as app storage.

Delete selected websites from Safari history

You can remove selected visits without clearing the whole history list. Apple now documents Select Websites and the Trash button; an older swipe-to-delete illustration may not match your layout.

1. Open Safari, then tap More > Bookmarks. In Top or Bottom layout, start with Bookmarks.
2. Tap History, then More.
3. Tap Select Websites and select the entries to remove.
4. Tap the Trash button.

If you see a different interface, use Apple's linked Safari guide to compare controls. The image below comes from the original article and shows an older deletion layout.

A history entry records a page visit. Website data includes cookies and cached content. Choose the history control to remove visits; choose Website Data when you mean stored site data.

Deleting Safari entries still leaves any matching Google account activity separate. If a search remains in the Google app, use the Google section below rather than clearing Safari again.

Use Safari Private Browsing for future searches

Private Browsing prevents private tabs from appearing in Safari History. It does not delete existing history. Apple's private-browsing guide also notes that private tabs are not shared with your other Apple devices.

In iOS 26 Compact layout, open Safari > More > All Tabs. In Top or Bottom layout, tap Tabs. Swipe right on the bottom tab bar to Private Browsing, then unlock it if prompted. The original illustration below may show an older tab picker.

Treat Private Browsing as a Safari history control, not an account-history eraser. If you sign in to Google or YouTube, review that account's saving controls too. Closing or switching away from private tabs does not delete past account activity.

Clear Chrome browsing history on iPhone

Chrome keeps its own browsing data. Check both the time range and data types before confirming. Google's Chrome instructions note that the default time range can be only 15 minutes.

1. Open Chrome, then tap More (the three-dot menu).
2. Tap Delete Browsing Data.
3. Open Time Range and choose the period you want.
4. Tap Browsing Data and select Browsing History. Review other selected types so you do not remove data you intended to keep.
5. Tap Confirm, then Delete Browsing Data.

If you sync Chrome history, deletion also removes that history from other devices signed in and syncing with the same Google Account. Google Search activity stored in your account remains a separate cleanup task. Older Chrome screenshots may use Clear Browsing Data instead of the current label.

Delete Google Search history on iPhone

Safari and Chrome cleanup do not erase searches saved to your Google Account. Use the Google app's Search history screen and check the account first. Google's iPhone Search history guide covers account history, signed-out app history, and individual search-bar entries.

1. Open the Google app and tap your profile picture or initial.
2. Confirm you are using the account whose searches you want to delete.
3. Tap Search history, then Delete.
4. Choose Delete all time or a narrower option such as Delete custom range.
5. Review the selection and confirm. Google says you cannot recover deleted Search history.

• Signed out of the Google app? Tap the profile/person icon, then Settings > Privacy & Safety > Clear app history > Clear all. This addresses app searches made while signed out; check account history separately if you also search while signed in.
• Only one search-bar entry? Tap the Google app search bar, swipe left on the activity, then tap Delete.
• Want to change future saving? Open Search history > Controls and review saving and auto-delete options. Google is updating its settings: you may see Search Services History or Web & App Activity. Follow the labels on your account rather than the older screenshot.

Delete YouTube search history on iPhone

YouTube has its own account-history controls. Deleting a time range also deletes watch history for that period, according to YouTube's search-history guide. Remove an individual search if you do not want to clear the wider period.

Check the selected Google Account in YouTube before deleting anything. The range control covers more than the text you typed into the search box.

1. Open YouTube and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Settings > Manage all history.
3. Find a specific search and use its delete control, or tap DELETE to choose a period.
4. Review the scope before confirming a time-range deletion.

To stop saving future YouTube searches, change the search-saving control. You do not need to turn off watch-history saving for this separate goal:

1. In YouTube, open profile picture > Settings > Manage all history.
2. Open the Controls tab.
3. Unselect Include your searches on YouTube.

Pausing search history does not erase past entries. Delete existing searches separately if that is your aim. The original screenshots illustrate the history pages, but use the current Controls label and search checkbox described above.

Why Clear History and Website Data is gray

Apple identifies two reasons for a gray Safari clear-history button: there is no data to clear, or Screen Time web content restrictions apply. A gray button alone does not show which reason applies.

Check whether Safari has history to remove, then review Screen Time restrictions with the person who manages them. For a family, school, or work device, ask the responsible parent or administrator for help rather than trying to bypass a restriction.

There is no need to install a cleaner app to unlock this control. Nor does a gray Safari button prove your Google or YouTube history is empty; those services have separate history screens.

Choose the cleanup that matches your goal

Use Safari for Safari visits, Chrome for Chrome browsing, and the selected Google or YouTube account for searches saved there. Review the result in that same history screen. If an entry remains elsewhere, identify its app and account before deleting more data.

For a different problem, see how to find downloads on iPhone or how to change your iPhone passcode. Deleting browser history is not a substitute for finding downloaded files or securing access to your phone.

FAQs about deleting iPhone search history