How to Delete Search History on iPhone Permanently

We all have our reasons for wanting to delete our search history. Maybe you’re worried about someone finding out what you’ve been looking up. Or you don’t want to be bombarded with ads for things you’ve searched for in the past. It might also be because you want to start fresh. Whatever your reason, there are a few different ways you can delete your search history on your iPhone. Read on to learn how to permanently delete search history on your iPhone to protect your privacy.

How to Delete Safari Search History on iPhone

Safari is the default web browser for iPhone and iPad devices, and as such, it stores your search history by default. However, if you want to delete your Safari search history, there are a few different ways. 

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone

2. Scroll down and select Safari

3. Tap Clear History and Website Data

4. Confirm your action by tapping Clear History and Data

Check out the video below for a quick visual guide to this method.

How to Permanently Delete Chrome History on iPhone

Assuming you use the Chrome app on your iPhone and you wish to delete your search history or entire browsing history, here’s how to do it: 

1. Open the Chrome app and tap the three dots

2. Tap History in the drop-down menu that appears

On the History page, tap Clear Browsing Data

Clear Browsing Data

How to Delete Google Search History on iPhone

It’s no secret that Google keeps track of your search history. If you’re worried about your privacy, here’s how to delete your Google search history on your iPhone.

Step 1: Open the Google App

If you want to delete your Google search history on your iPhone, the first step is to open the Google app. 

Step 2: Tap the Alphabet Icon at the Top of the Screen

After opening the Google app on your iPhone, the next step is to tap the alphabet icon at the top of your screen.

Step 3: Tap “Search History”

Once you select Search History, you’ll see all the search history associated with your Google account. 

Step 4: Click “Delete” 

The next step is to select Delete. Here, you’ll see various options, such as Delete Today, which will clear all your Google search history for the day. You can also delete your search history within a specified period, such as from January 2 to December 5. 

If you select Delete All Time, all your search history on Google since you created your account will be cleared. You can also set up auto-delete, automatically deleting your search history after some months.

Step 5: Select “Delete All Time”

Step 6: Press “Delete”

If you wish to proceed, select Delete. Afterward, a pop-up message will appear confirming your search history has been deleted from your account.

How to Prevent Your iPhone from Saving Your Search History

It is no secret that our iPhones keep track of everything we do on them, including our search history. This can be a privacy concern for many people, as anyone with access to your device can see what you have been searching for online. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent your iPhone from saving your search history. 

One way to do this is to use Private browsing mode when searching the web on your iPhone. This mode will not save your search history or cookies, so your browsing will be completely private. 

To enable Private browsing mode, open Safari and tap the tabs icon (two overlapping squares) in the bottom right corner. Then, tap Private at the bottom of the screen. You will know Private mode is enabled when you see a dark grey background behind the search bar.

Another way to prevent your iPhone from saving your search history is to clear your browser history regularly. This can be done by opening Safari and tapping the bookmarks icon (the open book). Then, tap History and select Clear History and Website Data. Confirm that you want to clear your history by tapping Clear History and Data in the pop-up window. 

If you are concerned about your privacy while using your iPhone, following these steps will help to ensure that no one can see what you have been searching for online.

Why Should You Delete Your Browsing History on Your iPhone?

Now that you know how to clear your browsing history in Safari, you might be wondering why you should bother doing so. Here are a few reasons.

To Protect Your Privacy

If you share your iPhone with others, or if it falls into the wrong hands, you don’t want anyone snooping through your search history and seeing what you’ve been up to online. Clearing your history regularly can help protect your privacy.

To Improve Performance

Over time, Safari can slow down if your browsing history becomes too large and cluttered. Clearing out browsing data can help improve its performance.

To Free up Storage Space

Like any other app on your iPhone, Safari will take up space on your device as it saves your browsing history over time. If you’re low on storage space, deleting your browsing history can free up some much-needed space.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Creative Instinct/Shutterstock.com.