Gmail actually saves the things you search for using its search bar. If you’d like to remove them, you can easily do so via Gmail’s site or mobile app. It’s also possible to clear your Gmail search history via your Google account.
This guide will show you how to delete your Gmail search history using all of those methods. In addition, we’ll also address other relevant topics. For example, if Chrome’s Incognito mode hides your Gmail search history, or if clearing your Gmail search history will log you out of Gmail.
>> Related Reading: How to Clear Your Search History in 2025
How to Clear Your Gmail Search History on Desktop
Clearing your Gmail search history on desktop is extremely simple. Just access your Gmail account, and click on the search field. If you can’t find it, it’s right at the top. It has a magnifying glass icon and the “Search mail” phrase.
When you click on the search field, you’ll see a drop-down menu of your latest searches. To remove a search entry, just hover over it, and then click the grey “X” to its right. This will instantly remove it.
FYI: Unfortunately, you can only remove Gmail search entries one by one via Gmail’s site. If this is too time-consuming, you should consider doing this on the Gmail mobile app. You could also use your Google account to clear your Gmail search history.
How to Clear Your Gmail Search History on Android & iOS
Whether you’re using an Android or an iPhone, the process to remove your Gmail search history is the same:
1. Access the main Gmail menu. To do this, launch the Gmail app, then tap on the three-line menu icon. It’s located in the top left.
2. Now, tap “Settings.” This option is located at the bottom of the main Gmail menu. It has a gear icon next to it.
3. Select “General settings.” This option is located right at the top of the settings menu.
4. Next, tap the three-dot menu. Its icon is located in the top right corner.
5. Finally, tap “Clear search history.” You’ll get a pop-up window asking you to confirm your choice. Just tap “Clear” to remove all search entries.
How to Clear Your Gmail Search History via Your Google Account
Since Gmail is a Google product, you can use your Google account to clear your Gmail search history. You can do this on both desktop and mobile — the process is the same.1
So, here are the steps you need to follow:
1. Open the “My Activity” page. To do this, access your main Google account dashboard, and select “My Activity.”
2. Next, click “Other activity.” This option is located on the left, right under the “Delete activity by” phrase.
3. Find and click “Manage Google Workspace search history.” You might have to scroll a bit to find this option. It’s located under the “Other activity” heading.
4. Click the blue “Delete” button. You can now see your Gmail search history. Use the “Delete” button to start clearing it.
5. Pick a time range. You can clear your Gmail search history from the last hour, last day or for all time. You can also delete your search history within a custom time range.
6. Finally, confirm your decision. On the new pop-up window, Google will show you what data you will remove. To confirm its removal, click the blue “Delete” button in the lower right.
And that’s it. Your Gmail history is now cleared. You can also use the “My Activity” feature in your Google account to clear browsing data from other Google products. If you’d like to learn more about this, we recommend reading our guide on how to clear your Google search history.
Can You Auto-Delete Your Gmail Search History?
You won’t have this option if you clear your search history via Gmail’s site or mobile app. But you can set the search history to auto-delete if you use the “My Activity” feature in your Google account.
To do this, you just have to access your Google Workspace search history. Google Workspace is a collection of online productivity and collaboration tools, including Gmail.2
Once you reach the Google Workspace search history page, you just need to click the “Auto-Delete” button. On the window that pops up, select after what period you want your Gmail search history to be automatically cleared: three months, 18 months, or 36 months. Then, just hit “Next,” and confirm your choice.
Can You Turn Off Your Gmail Search History?
You can turn off your Gmail search history but only for your Google account. This means your Gmail searches won’t show up on your Google Workspace history page. However, there’s no way to stop Gmail from saving your searches via its website or its mobile app. You’ll still need to manually remove them.
If you’re interested in disabling your Gmail search history on your Google account, you need to first access the Google Workspace search history page.
Once you’re on it, click the “Google Workspace search history” tab. It’s located right under the “Your Personalization Settings” heading. After that, switch the “Google Workspace search history” option to the “Off” position.
Does Clearing Your Gmail Search History Also Remove It From Chrome?
When you clear your Gmail search data, you only remove it from Gmail. And also from your Google account, if you use the “My Activity” feature.
But any Gmail web pages you access will still show up in Chrome’s browsing history. So, you’ll still need to remove all Gmail-related entries from your Chrome browsing history.
If you need help with this, we recommend checking out our guide on how to clear your Chrome search history. We provide step-by-step instructions for desktop and mobile users, as well as helpful screenshots.
Does Clearing Your Gmail Search History Also Clear Your Google Search History?
Your Google search history is separate from your Gmail search history. When you clear your Gmail searches, it will only remove the things you searched for via Gmail’s search bar. The things you look up and access via Google won’t be affected.
To clear your Google history, you’d have to use the “My Activity” feature in your Google account. You’d also have to clear your Chrome history, as it saves the web pages you access via Google.
Does Incognito Mode Hide My Gmail Search History?
Incognito mode doesn’t really work that way.3 It’s a privacy feature built into the Chrome browser. When you use it, Chrome won’t save your browsing history after you close your Incognito window. Also, any website you access won’t recognize you, unless you sign in.
Well, to use Gmail, you need to sign into your account. If you do this in Incognito mode, Gmail will recognize you. And any searches you make on Gmail will be saved by the platform. Chrome’s Incognito mode has no control over that.
We really only recommend using Incognito mode if you want to hide your Chrome browsing history from people who have access to your device. Or if you just don’t want Chrome saving cookies when you browse different websites.
Does a VPN Hide Your Gmail Search History?
VPNs don’t directly hide your Gmail searches since they don’t work that way. Instead, a VPN will encrypt your internet traffic, making it unreadable. This means that the VPN also encrypts your connection to Gmail’s website and mobile app. This won’t encrypt your searches on Gmail, but it will hide your connection to Gmail. So, third parties won’t be able to see that you’re using Gmail.
A VPN doesn’t need to encrypt your Gmail searches anyway. Google uses encryption to secure everything on Gmail, including users’ search histories. So, your searches are already hidden from third parties when you use Gmail.
VPNs are mainly used to enjoy extra privacy. In addition to hiding your Gmail usage, they also prevent Gmail from seeing your real IP address. In case you’re interested in using a VPN for Gmail, we recommend reading our guide to the best VPN services in 2025.
>> Read More: A 2025 Guide to VPNs
Does Clearing Your Gmail Search History Log You Out?
When you clear your Gmail search history, it will only remove the things you looked up on Gmail. It won’t log you out of your Gmail account.
You’d only be logged out of your Gmail account if you clear your browser’s cookies. These are small text files that websites place on your device. Sites use cookies to remember your login information, as well as your website preferences (like which language you use).
Why Should You Clear Your Gmail Search History?
The main reason to do this is to protect your privacy. For example, if you’re showing a friend or a work colleague an email, you might not want them to see your previous search terms. Clearing your Gmail search history also provides convenience. That’s because outdated and irrelevant search terms don’t interfere with your experience.
Conclusion
It’s actually possible to clear your Gmail searches, whether you’re a desktop or a mobile user. We recommend clearing your search history via Gmail’s site if you want to only remove individual entries. And if you want to clear your entire search history, you should use Gmail’s mobile app or the “My Activity” feature in your Google account.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can I remove individual Gmail search entries?
Yes. You can do this if you clear your search history via Gmail’s site, or if you use the “My Activity” feature in your Google account.
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Can you auto-delete your Gmail searches?
Yes. You can do this via the “My Activity” feature in your Google account. You just need to access your Google Workspace search history, and you’ll be able to configure the auto-delete options.
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Can you recover your Gmail search history after you clear it?
No, this isn’t possible. We recommend double-checking the search entries you will delete before you proceed with the removal process.
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Does clearing your Gmail search history reset your Gmail password?
No, this won’t happen. When you clear your Gmail search history, it will only remove the things you searched for on Gmail.
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Do I need to also clear my Chrome search history?
Yes, as clearing your Gmail search history will only remove the data from Gmail and your Google account. The Gmail web pages you accessed will still show up in your Chrome’s browsing history.
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Does clearing your Gmail search history delete your emails?
No, your emails won’t be affected. Only the things you searched for using Gmail’s search bar will be removed.
