How to delete youtube history?
Updated: July 16, 2024Introduction to Deleting YouTube History
YouTube, being one of the largest video-sharing platforms, offers personalized experiences by tracking your watch and search history. While this can enhance your user experience by providing tailored recommendations, there might be situations where you prefer to delete your history for privacy concerns or to reset your recommendations. This guide will walk you through the steps to delete your YouTube history on different devices and platforms.
Understanding YouTube History
Before diving into the steps, it's crucial to understand the two types of history YouTube tracks:
- Watch History: This includes the videos you've watched on YouTube.
- Search History: This includes the searches you've made on YouTube.
Deleting your history can be done for both types, and you can choose to clear individual items or the entire history.
Deleting YouTube History on Desktop
Clearing Watch History
- Open YouTube and ensure you're logged into your account.
- Click on the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the top-left corner.
- Select History from the menu.
- On the right side, you'll see your watch history. To delete an individual video, click the X next to it.
- To clear all watch history, click on Clear all watch history on the right side.
Clearing Search History
- In the same History section, click on Search history under the History type filter.
- Here, you'll see your search history. To delete an individual search, click the X next to it.
- To clear all search history, click on Clear all search history on the right side.
Deleting YouTube History on Mobile Devices
Using the YouTube App
- Open the YouTube app and ensure you're logged into your account.
- Tap on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Select Settings from the menu.
- Tap on History & privacy.
- Here, you have options to Clear watch history and Clear search history. Tap on each option to clear the respective history.
Using a Mobile Browser
- Open your mobile browser and go to the YouTube website.
- Ensure you're logged into your account.
- Tap on the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the top-left corner.
- Select History from the menu.
- Follow the same steps as the desktop version to clear watch and search history.
Advanced Settings: Pausing YouTube History
If you prefer YouTube not to track your history temporarily, you can pause your history.
Pausing Watch History
- Go to the History section on YouTube.
- On the right side, click on Pause watch history.
- A confirmation dialog will appear. Click Pause to confirm.
Pausing Search History
- Go to the Search history section under History type on YouTube.
- Click on Pause search history on the right side.
- A confirmation dialog will appear. Click Pause to confirm.
Managing YouTube History on Google My Activity
YouTube history is also part of your broader Google account activity. You can manage it through Google My Activity.
Accessing Google My Activity
- Go to the Google My Activity website.
- Ensure you're logged into your Google account.
- Click on Other Google activity on the left sidebar.
- Scroll down to find YouTube History.
Deleting YouTube History from Google My Activity
- Click on Manage activity under YouTube History.
- Here, you can see all your YouTube activity. To delete specific items, click on the three dots next to the item and select Delete.
- To clear all history, click on the three dots in the search bar and select Delete activity by. Choose the desired time range and confirm.
Using YouTube's Incognito Mode
For those who prefer not to leave any traces, YouTube's incognito mode serves as an excellent alternative.
Activating Incognito Mode
- Open the YouTube app on your mobile device.
- Tap on your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Select Turn on Incognito.
- Browsing and watching videos in this mode won't be saved to your account history.
Understanding and managing your YouTube history is essential for maintaining your privacy and ensuring a tailored content experience. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively control your YouTube watch and search history, whether you wish to delete individual items, clear all history, or pause tracking altogether. The choice is yours.
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