How to Check Your Google Search History?
Do you want to return to a webpage or website you visited some time ago but can’t recall how to get there? Perhaps it was on your phone, but now you’re having trouble finding it on your computer. Google maintains a complete history of all websites and links you’ve ever visited.
The history feature on Google allows you to search for any webpage you have visited before and revisit it easily. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use the function for check Google search history.
NOTE
Your Google account history is always available, as long as your Gmail profile is synchronized on all of your devices. Google maintains a detailed record of web and product searches, viewed images, and watched videos, as well as apps used.
In This Article
What type of information is stored in Google search history?
Every time you use Google Chrome or any other Google product, a record is made of your action, such as searching the web. You can think of this history as sort of an online timeline that records what pages you view and when you view them. It doesn’t store what’s on the page, but it does save things like the URL, favicon (the little icon next to a website’s name), page title, and timestamp.
The data is stored in a variety of ways by Google. You can get your saved data in the following ways depending on your Chrome browser version and settings:
- A list of events from your synced devices, sorted by date and time.
- A tab displaying a history of websites visited on other devices.
- Journeys views can be used to group together similar content. This feature is currently being rolled out.
How to Check Your Google Search History with Your Account
Accessing your Google account history is simple and possible from any device that has a browser. For example, you can use a Windows PC, Mac, mobile phone, or tablet. All you need are your username and password. To do this:
Open up the Google homepage. In the top right corner of the screen, click on your profile icon. You need to login first.
Click “Manage your Google Account.”
Go to the “Data & Privacy” tab.
Find and select the “Things you’ve done and places you’ve been” section below.
To access your activity history, click on the “My Activity” option.
To use the general search bar, scroll down the page to find it or choose Filter by date & product from the drop-down menu (Android, Maps, YouTube, etc.); then scroll down the list and look for items.
The options listed above allow you to see a log of all websites, apps, and updates accessed across all devices linked to your Google account. The “search bar” allows you to input keywords to find specific activities within the logs. If you click on the “filtered options”, this will give additional choices such as sorting by date or app.
The activity page above records everything you do through your Google account, unless you delete the history.
Discovering How to View Your Google Search History on Android
Despite the fact that viewing your Chrome history on a computer or phone is similar, you won’t find this option in the settings. Here’s how to accomplish it.
- Open the “Chrome” app and paste “myactivity.google.com” into the address bar or search box without quotes.
- To search your activity, scroll down to the “Search your activity” box and enter in a query. You can also apply filters or simply scroll down to view your browsing history.
Using an iPhone or iPad to Look Back at Your Google Search History
Although Google has done a wonderful job optimizing its apps, the instructions for iOS users are quite different. Here’s how to get your search history back:
- Open the “Chrome” app and, under “discover,” touch the gear symbol (Settings) at the bottom of the screen.
- Select “Manage Activity.”
- To search through your history, enter a query in the search box at the top of the page or apply filters. If you prefer, you can also scroll down to view all entries.
Google Search History FAQs
How do I delete Google searches?
It’s very simple to delete your Google search history. First, open Chrome on your computer, tablet, or phone device. In the upper right corner, click on the three vertical dots and then choose “History” from the drop-down menu. Then pick “Clear browsing data” and choose a time range from the drop-down menu before hitting “Clear data.”
Can people see what I search on Google?
Yes, people can see what you search on Google. You can delete your Google search history, but it’s not possible to prevent others from seeing your activity. If you’re using a public computer or someone else is using your device, they could see what you’ve searched for. Additionally, your employer might be able to see your searches if you’re using a work computer. To avoid this, use incognito mode when you’re searching sensitive information.
How do I stop Wi-Fi owner from viewing my history?
If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of people being able to see your Google search history, you can take a few steps to prevent them from doing so. To stop Wi-Fi owners from viewing your history:
Open the Google Chrome app and paste “myactivity.google.com” into the address bar or search box without quotes.
Under “My Activity,” on the right side of the page, select “Activity Controls.”
Toggle off “Web & App Activity.”
Now, when people try to access your Google search history on Chrome, they’ll be unable to do so.
