Did you know that your Android device stores your Google search history? Many sites and services may use that data to personalize ads and other types of recommendations.
For some, this level of personalization makes the platform easier to use. But in this modern age, where companies and sites can use that information to paint a very specific picture of you and your web usage, it can be seen as an invasion of privacy. It can be a problem when you accidentally search for the wrong thing and then find relevant ads that fall into the category of “Why am I seeing this?” I’ve seen others roll their eyes when they see ads they don’t want to see or shouldn’t see on their phones. For those who value their privacy, it’s important to take back control of how much of your browsing history is stored in your browser and when you delete it.
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Here we will guide you through the process of manually clearing the search cache and configuring Android to automatically delete stored data.
also: How to clear cache on your Android phone or tablet
How to manually clear Google search cache
Things that you need: To do this, you will need an Android device linked to your Google Account. Pixel 6 Pro It runs Android 14 with the latest security patches.
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This process should work the same on most modern Android devices, but if the instructions don’t apply to your device, you may need to do some research to find out how to do it on older versions of Android.
Let’s get started.
Open the Google app from your Android app drawer. In the results window, tap your profile image in the upper right corner.
Google apps running on Pixel 6 Pro.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
In the menu that appears, tap Search History.
The Google app menu lets you quickly and easily delete your search history from the last 15 minutes.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
To access the Delete dropdown, you must verify your identity. To do so, tap the Verify button and you will be prompted to enter your PIN, pattern, password, fingerprint, or face scan (depending on how you have configured Android for the unlock process).
Upon successful confirmation, a delete dropdown will appear.
Once you verify your identity, the Delete dropdown will become available. Select the time period you want to delete (“Delete Today”, “Delete Custom Range”, “Delete All Time”, or “Delete Automatically”), and Android will clear the cache for the specified time period. You won’t be prompted to confirm the deletion; it will simply be deleted. Once deleted, the cache will be gone.
Also: How to clear cache on iPhone
You can review your search history and delete specific searches in the same window.
Before you continue, you must first verify that you are correct.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Auto-delete settings
If you want everything to be done automatically, Google has made it possible to set up automatic cache deletion. To do this, go back to the same place where you performed the manual deletion and tap the Automatic deletion (off) entry. In the resulting window, tap to enable Automatically delete activity older than, and then select the date range you want to delete from the drop-down.
Enabling the auto-delete feature eliminates the need to manually handle the deletion process.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
You can choose between 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months. Once you’ve made your selection, tap Next, then tap OK to complete the setup.
also: How to clear opera browser cache
This is the only way to clear your Google Search cache (either manually or automatically). If you care about your online privacy, this is a must-do. And since automatic deletion can only be set for a minimum of 3 months, it is recommended that you regularly go back to the screen and manually clear the cache (to prevent your Android device from storing cached items that are less than 3 months old).
