Have you ever gone back through your YouTube history and cringed at some of the videos you‘ve watched? Or realized just how much of your viewing history the site has tracked over the years? Most of us have watched some questionable videos we‘d rather not have associated with our accounts forever.
The good news is, deleting that YouTube viewing history is super simple. In this guide, I‘ll explain step-by-step how to erase your YouTube watch history or search history from any device. I‘ll also answer common questions about how clearing history affects your account.
Why Bother Clearing YouTube History?
YouTube keeps shockingly detailed records of your activity logged into any Google account:
- Every video view – Whether you watch 30 seconds or 30 minutes
- All searches – Even random phrases you typed years ago
User privacy advocates have criticized YouTube‘s tracking practices for years. But even if you aren‘t worried about "Big Brother" Google, there may be odd one-off videos or searches that you want removed from your permanent record.
Hey, we all go down bizarre YouTube rabbit holes sometimes! But why let a roast chicken recipe search from 2009 or that 80s music video binge permanently cling to your account?
Fortunately, deleting your YouTube history only takes a few clicks…
Step-By-Step: Clear YouTube History on Desktop
You can erase your YouTube watch history right from any web browser, whether using Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chromebook laptops and desktops:
1. Sign Into Your YouTube Account
- Navigate to YouTube.com
- Click the blue Sign In button on the top right
- Enter your Google account credentials on the next page
Once signed in, you‘ll have access to your account settings and privacy controls.
2. Access Your YouTube History Page
- Click on your account icon in the top right corner
- Select History from the left-side menu
- This shows your complete YouTube history
From here, you can search for specific videos, clear your entire history, or delete individual items.
3. Open Your Watch History
- Near the top, switch from Search history to Watch history
- You‘ll now see your full video watching history by date
Note this only shows videos you watched while signed into your account. Guest/incognito viewings won‘t appear.
4. Clear Your Entire Watch History
- Click the blue Clear all watch history button
- Confirm clearing everything by clicking Clear
That‘s all it takes to wipe your YouTube history completely clean! Just be aware this also erases your history from any mobile devices signed into the same account.
Step-By-Step: Clear YouTube History on Mobile
You can also easily delete your YouTube history right from the official Android or iOS app:
1. Launch YouTube App
- Open the YouTube app on your iPhone, Android, iPad or tablet
- Ensure you‘re signed into the account whose history you want to erase
2. Access Account Settings
- Tap your account icon (top right corner)
- Choose Settings from the menu
This menu contains all your account, privacy, and settings options.
3. Navigate to History & Privacy
- Select History & privacy from settings
- Choose to clear Watch history or Search history
And that‘s all there is to it! A couple taps cleared your entire YouTube history from all mobile devices.
Expert Tips for Managing YouTube History
For some people, permanently deleting their entire YouTube history feels too extreme. Luckily, you have options to selectively curate your history.
Quickly prune searches right from the search drop-down menu:
Or pause tracking your Watch and Search history under History & privacy settings. You can toggle this back on anytime.
For power users who want hands-on data management, set your YouTube history to auto-delete every 3 months up to 3 years. You configure this under Google Account > Data & privacy.
Key Takeaways: Clearing YouTube History
Hopefully you now feel empowered to take control of your YouTube privacy! To recap, you can:
- Clear entire history in 2 clicks (desktop & mobile)
- Selectively remove items from search dropdown
- Pause tracking to take a break
- Auto-delete history on a schedule
Still have questions about managing your YouTube account privacy? Ask away in the comments!