4

To be clear, I don't want to clear my search history in general. I just hate that when I go to search something a few bars beneath my search shows my three most recent searches. I don't mind search suggestions, I just don't want my recent searches showing up every single time.

I've included a screenshot of what I mean.

screenshot
click image for larger variant

Thank you for your help!

5
  • Are you trying to remove particular searches from the list, or turn off the display here?
    – Dan Hulme
    Sep 8, 2014 at 8:20
  • Please, specify what version of android have you installed on your device
    – Ale
    Sep 8, 2014 at 8:41
  • I'm trying to turn off the display.
    – sman
    Sep 9, 2014 at 7:34
  • I'm running 4.4.3.
    – sman
    Sep 9, 2014 at 7:34
  • @chiralphysicist's method worked fine for me
    – Suriya
    Oct 3, 2016 at 20:17

7 Answers 7

4

Here is an easy solution to disable recent search history in Google Chrome's (Android) search bar (as shown in OP's screenshot):

  1. First of all you have to make sure you sign out of your google account, you can do it from google chrome's settings. The first thing that appears is your account, click on it and search for close session in chrome.

    Signing out is necessary for the option to disable search history to appear. Remember this is not your account's search history, but rather the app's history.

  2. At the bottom of google.com (or rather you can access it fromhttps://www.google.es/preferences) go to 'settings' -> 'Search settings' -> 'do not save searches' -> Make sure you click SAVE button at the bottom of Search setting page.

  3. Now you can sign in again.

Those annoying purple recent searches should now be gone and never reappear!

0
3

To delete suggestions, type your search string in the chrome browser

Now chrome will suggest websites, select and hold the suggestion, you will get a popup and you can remove the suggestion.

2

Well you have 2 ways here -

  • Sign out from Chrome. To sign out just navigate through Chrome>Settings>Account(on top)>Off. And you won't get these recent search history.
  • Open Chrome (use Desktop version when navigating through the webpages I suggested). In address bar type-in history.google.com and sign in to your preffered Google account and remove all the history from using 'Remove items' from drop-down menu (Gear-like settings icon). Also you can 'Pause' this feature permanently by using 'Settings' in drop-down menu.

Second method is easy to follow if you have a PC.

3
  • I tried the first method and it turns out I'm not actually signed in to Chrome. Thanks for trying!
    – sman
    Sep 9, 2014 at 7:31
  • @sman - Have you tried turning off Auto-form fill data? Just give it a try. Sep 9, 2014 at 12:10
  • @sman - Also have you tried second method I suggested? Sep 9, 2014 at 12:12
2

If you (sman) still or anyone who is struggling with this exact same problem, here is the solution.

The problem happens to those who use Android Chrome. Many of these have tried by turning off (paused) one's google account's search setting. But when searching on google.com there are recent search histories still creeping out!

And one can only find tips to disable(pause) resent search history at google account setting. But we need one more step to fully disable search histories!

  1. Go to google.com

  2. If you are signed in, make sure you are signed out. Signing out must be done, because those recent search results are not related to your google account, those results are saved in the device'

    If you are signed in and proceed to step 3, you will only be able to turn off your account's search setting which is now managed under 'My activity' option...

  3. At the bottom of google.com, 'setting' -> 'Search settings' -> 'do not save searches' -> Make sure you click 'SAVE' button at the bottom of Search setting page

  4. Now you may sign in again!

0
0

The best you can do is just clear your mobile browser history. Also you can use apps like Clear master to clear temp files regularly.

Hope it helps!!

3
  • Thanks for your help! Although, I don't actually want to delete my history. I just want the recent searches to not come up when creating a new search.
    – sman
    Sep 9, 2014 at 7:30
  • 1
    Aren't "search history" and "browser history" separate entities – so you could clear one without deleting the other? Descriptions of many System Cleanup Tools suggest such.
    – Izzy
    Sep 9, 2014 at 11:43
  • I'm not sure if they are separate, but I'm not opposed to having the history on my phone, I just don't want it shown that way. It's probably a feature, but one that I wish I could just turn off!
    – sman
    Sep 9, 2014 at 18:06
0

Option 1:- You can turn off your Search History to prevent future searches from being saved to your Search History.

But some features, including Google Now, won’t work when your Search History is turned off.

1.Visit your History page.

2.In the top right corner of the page, touch the gear > Settings.

3.Touch Pause.

Your Search History will now be turned off for any computers or devices you use with your Google Account.

Note:-Doing so will disable all the search being saved irrespective of the device you use because your settings are saved based on the Google email id you use.

The bar which pop's is something called as auto fill/auto suggest.

Ex:-Your earlier search for Android is stored in your history and later when you simply type Android in the search box it will check for match in the history and display it .(I.e. Although your search is for Android devices and not Android it will display Android in the suggestion bar based on your history)

Option 2:-

1.Un-check the search suggestion from Settings Menu > Privacy > Search and URL Suggestions (un-check this)

2.Clear your browsing history.(auto search suggestion will be displayed based on the history also so you need to clear the history every time you are done with browsing/when ever you open it)

3.Next time when ever you try a search ,The browser will not display the bar which pop's as the auto suggestion is unchecked and browsing history is clear

Note:-If you want to avoid the auto suggestion bar you need to clear your history. If the auto search suggestion bar is seriously annoying for you then you have to trade it with the lost history. Hope this solves your problem

7
  • Man! I gave that procedure in my answer. Sep 9, 2014 at 12:11
  • yeah you gave but the OP didn't try that second method so for more ease I also gave the link so that the OP has is to simply click the link and turn off his history.
    – user285oo6
    Sep 9, 2014 at 12:13
  • Okay. Your answer is more descriptive than mine. Thank you. Sep 9, 2014 at 12:16
  • @MANI no offense but just hope it is easily understood and descriptive at the same time.
    – user285oo6
    Sep 9, 2014 at 12:18
  • Thank you both for your help! It's actually already on pause. So the searches are saved locally on the device, not with my Google account. Again, I don't mind the history on my device I just don't want those bars coming up every time I search!
    – sman
    Sep 9, 2014 at 18:03
-1

Well, what you can do is tap over the search bar type chrome://history/ clear the history and it shouldn't bother you any more.

Update: You can try incognito mode over the browser if you don't want the logs or any history to be created.

4
  • Thanks for helping! I don't actually want to clear the history though. I just don't want it from coming up every time I go to Google to search something. Even if I did clear the history I would have to do it after every search to make this go away.
    – sman
    Sep 9, 2014 at 7:32
  • Then I would say why doing you locked yourself over the incognito mode available over the browser over chrome. Surfing over this mode means no history .... etc nothing ! In short surfing over this mode would not create any logs. Why don't you make sure that you are over the incognito mode while using the browser. Sep 9, 2014 at 7:36
  • This would work, actually. It just seems like a hassle to go into incognito every time I want to use Google. Plus, I don't object to having the history recorded I just don't want it displayed every time I search.
    – sman
    Sep 9, 2014 at 18:04
  • Well @sman I am afraid but I don't think that there isn't any other option than left other than going to incognito mode every time, you open the browser. Sep 10, 2014 at 7:00

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