How To Clear Your Google Search Cache On Android (and Why It Makes Such A Big Difference)

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Google Pixel 10 Pro
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Your Android device retains your Google searches, enabling various sites and services to usage that information to personalize ads and different types of recommendations. 

For immoderate of us, that level of personalization makes utilizing nan level easier. However, successful this modern era, pinch companies leveraging specified accusation to create a highly personalized image of you and your web usage, 1 could see this believe an penetration of privacy. This tin beryllium particularly problematic if you accidentally hunt for nan incorrect thing, only to beryllium inundated pinch ads that autumn nether nan class of, "Why americium I seeing this?"

Also: How to clear your Android telephone cache (and opportunity goodbye to slow performance)

I've witnessed people's eyes spell wide erstwhile an advertisement pops up connected their phones that they either shouldn't spot -- aliases didn't want to see.  For those who worth privacy, it is imaginable to reclaim power complete really overmuch of a browser's hunt history is saved and erstwhile it's deleted. 

I'm going to locomotion you done 2 processes:

  1. Manually deleting that hunt cache.
  2. Configuring Android to auto-delete saved data.

How to manually clear nan Google hunt cache

What you'll need: To do this, you'll request an Android instrumentality that is connected to your Google account. I'll first beryllium demonstrating connected a Pixel 6 Pro moving Android 14 (with updated instructions afterward for much caller package versions).

This first process useful likewise across most Android releases. If, however, you find that nan instructions don't use to your device, it whitethorn return immoderate investigation to observe really it's done connected an older type of Android. I will besides picture a method of clearing nan Google hunt cache that should activity connected astir devices.

Let's get to work.

From your Android App Drawer, unfastened nan Google app. In nan resulting window, pat your floor plan image astatine nan top-right corner.

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Google app

The Google app moving connected a Pixel 6 Pro.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

From nan resulting menu, pat Search history.

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Google app menu

The Google app paper makes it easy to quickly delete nan past 15 minutes of your hunt history.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Before you tin summation entree to nan Delete drop-down, you person to verify it's you. To do that, pat nan Verify fastener and you'll beryllium prompted for either your PIN, pattern, password, fingerprint, aliases look scan (depending connected really you person Android configured for nan unlocking process).

Also: The champion Android phones correct now

After a successful verification, you should past spot a Delete drop-down.

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Once you've verified it's you, nan Delete drop-down will go available. Select nan clip framework for which you want to delete (Delete Today, "Delete civilization range," "Delete each time," aliases "Auto-delete.") and Android will quiet nan cache for that specified range. You will not beryllium prompted to OK nan deletion; it will conscionable happen. Once deleted, that cache is gone.

Also: I changed 12 settings connected my Android telephone to springiness it an instant artillery boost

From this aforesaid window, you tin spell done your history and delete circumstantial searches.

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Verify fastener nether Search history

You must first verify it's you earlier continuing.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

An replacement method

As I mentioned, here's really nan aforesaid point is achieved connected a Pixel moving connected much caller Android software.

1. Open Settings > Apps

Pull down nan Notification Shade doubly and click nan cogwheel icon successful nan bottom-right corner. Once you've done that, find and pat Apps wrong Settings.

Also: I changed this Android mounting to instantly double my telephone velocity (and it useful connected immoderate model)

2. Locate nan Google app

Tap "See each X apps" (where X is nan number of apps you person installed). On nan resulting page, scroll down until you find nan introduction labeled, Google. Tap that entry.

3. Clear nan cache

On nan resulting page, pat "Storage & cache" and past pat "Clear cache." That will clear nan hunt cache from your device.

The Google introduction wrong Settings > Apps.

You tin besides clear nan retention if your instrumentality is getting full.

Sreenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Auto-deletion setup

If you for illustration to person things done automagically, Google has made it imaginable to group nan cache to beryllium auto-deleted. To do this, spell to nan Google app, pat your floor plan image, and pat Settings from nan drop-down. In nan resulting window, pat "Search history," and past pat Auto-delete. In nan resulting window, pat to alteration "Auto-delete activity older than" and then, from nan drop-down, prime nan day scope to beryllium deleted.

Auto-delete enabling

Enable auto-delete truthful you don't person to interest astir manually taking attraction of nan process.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

You tin take from three, 18, aliases 36 months. Once you've made your selection, pat Next and past pat Confirm to decorativeness nan setup.

Also: How to mill reset your Android telephone without unlocking it

And that's each location is to deleting your Google hunt cache (either manually aliases automatically). If you're concerned astir your online privacy, see this a must-do. And remember: Since you tin only group auto-delete for a minimum of 3 months, you mightiness want to regularly spell backmost to nan surface and manually delete your cache (to support your Android instrumentality from redeeming cached items that are not much than 3 months old).

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