To disable Google search history on your Android phone or tablet, follow these steps:
- Open the Google app on your device.
- Tap on the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner to open the menu.
- Scroll down and tap on "Settings".
- Tap on "Privacy".
- Tap on "Activity controls".
- Scroll down to the "Web & App Activity" section and tap on it.
- Tap on the toggle switch next to "Web & App Activity" to turn it off.
- If you see the option "Turn on", it means that web and app activity is already disabled and your search history is not being saved to your Google account.
To clear all visited sites on Chrome for Android, follow these steps:
- Open the Chrome app on your Android phone or tablet.
- Tap on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner to open the menu.
- Tap on "History".
- Tap on "Clear browsing data".
- Select the checkbox next to "Browsing history" under the "Time range" section.
- Select any other data you don’t want to delete.
- Finally, tap on "Clear data".
Google does not delete search history by default to provide a more personalized experience for its users. However, you can follow the steps mentioned above to disable and clear your search history.
To avoid leaving traces of the websites you visit, you can enable the incognito browsing mode. Here’s how:
- Click on the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner or press "Ctrl+Shift+N" on your keyboard.
- Select "New incognito window".
To delete recent searches on Google, follow these steps:
- Go to google.com.
- Click on "Settings" at the bottom right of the page.
- In the menu that appears, select "Your data in search".
- Here, you will find quick links to delete the search history from the last hour or day and view some of your recent searches made with Google.
Google shows recent searches as part of its trending searches feature, which gives insight into what people are searching for at a particular time. It is an extension of Google Trends with a broader audience.
To avoid saving Google searches, you can follow these instructions:
- Open the Google app on your Android device.
- Tap on the three horizontal lines in the top-left corner to open the menu.
- Tap on "Settings".
- Tap on "Data & privacy".
- Select an activity or history you don’t want to save in the "History settings" section.
- Tap on the section that says "Pause web & app activity".
Apart from Google, it’s important to note that your employer or anyone with access to your computer and work account can easily monitor your browser history. Therefore, it’s best to avoid using social media platforms like Facebook during work hours.
To view your Google search history on Windows using Google Chrome, follow these steps:
- Click on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of Chrome.
- Choose "History" from the menu.
- Alternatively, you can press "Ctrl+H" on your keyboard.