Deleting your viewing history is a good way to reset recommendations or clear temporary internet files from your device. There are several methods to clear your YouTube history, depending on the platform you're doing it on, and we'll detail them here.
How to Clear YouTube History on PC
A desktop computer is one of the most popular platforms for watching YouTube. If you want to delete your viewing history on a PC, be it a Windows, Chrome OS or Mac operating system, follow the instructions below:
Delete videos individually
- Click on the main menu in the upper left corner of the YouTube page to reveal the directory. It's the three-line icon right next to the YouTube logo.
- In the left menu, under Library, click History.
- Scroll through the list of videos to find the one you want to remove from your history.
- Click the "X" icon at the top right of the video.
- Repeat the process for each video you want to remove from your recordings.
- Exit this page when you are done.
Clear all videos from your search history
- As per the instructions above, click on the main menu to display all available directory selections.
- Click History.
- In the right menu, click on Watch History.
- Under the toggles on the right, click Clear all watch history.
- A message will appear asking you to confirm your selection. Click Clear Watch History at the bottom right of the pop-up window.
- You can now leave this page.
Automatic deletion of YouTube viewing history
- Switch to the Google account which is linked to your YouTube account that you want to manage.
- Click Data & Personalization in the left menu, or click the Manage Your Data & Personalization link in the Privacy & Personalization tab under your profile icon.
- Scroll down until you see the Activity Controls tab. Click YouTube History.
- In the selections, click Automatically delete.
- A pop-up window will appear which will allow you to change your automatic deletion preferences. The available range is deletion of history older than three months, eighteen months, or three years. Click on the option that suits you best to activate or deactivate it.
- Once you have made your choice, click Next.
- A window will appear confirming that your preference has been saved. Click I understand.
- You can now leave this page.
Individual deletion of search history
- On the YouTube homepage, click the main menu in the upper left corner by clicking the three-line icon.
- In the left menu, click History under the Library tab.
- On the toggles on the right, click Search History.
- Scroll through the list to find the search terms you want to remove. Click the "X" icon to the right of each to remove them from the records.
- When you're done, exit this page.
Delete all search history
- Switch to the History page by clicking the three-line icon in the upper left corner of the home page, then clicking History in the main menu.
- On the toggles on the right, click Search History.
- Under the toggles, click Clear all search history.
- In the pop-up window that appears, click Clear search history.
- You can now navigate outside of this window.
Please note that deleting your viewing or search history will affect the recommendations YouTube gives you. This is basically a reset of your viewing and search preferences. You may still see familiar videos, but that will either be because of your location or your other Google apps connected to the YouTube account you're using.
How to Clear YouTube History on Android
If you use a web browser to watch videos on YouTube, you can clear history using a browser by following the instructions given for a PC. On the other hand, if you're using a YouTube mobile app, you can clear your history by following these instructions:
Delete View History Individually
- From the home screen of the YouTube mobile app, tap the library icon in the bottom right.
- In the menu, tap History.
- Scroll through the videos to find the ones you want to remove from your folder. If you've selected a video to delete, tap the three dots icon to the right of the video.
- In the menu that appears, tap Delete from watch history.
- Once you're done deleting all the videos you want, exit this screen by tapping Home in the bottom left or using your device's back button.
Delete all view history
- Tap the Library icon in the lower right corner of the YouTube mobile app.
- Tap History in the menu.
- Tap the three dots icon in the upper right corner of the History screen.
- In the menu that appears, tap the history controls.
- In the next menu that appears, tap Clear Watch History.
- A pop-up window will appear to confirm the deletion of your watch history. Tap Clear Watch History.
- Once you're done, you can exit this screen by tapping the Home icon in the bottom left or by using your device's back buttons.
Clear search history
Unlike the PC or browser version, there is no way to individually remove searches on the mobile app. To delete all searches you've done, follow these steps:
- Tap the Library icon in the lower right corner of the YouTube app home screen.
- Tap History in the phonebook menu.
- Tap the three dots icon in the upper right corner of the History screen.
- Tap History commands from the drop-down menu.
- Tap Clear search history from the list.
- In the window that appears, tap Clear search history.
- Get away from this screen by tapping Home in the lower left corner or using the back buttons on your Android device.
Automatic deletion of view history
The auto-delete feature is also accessible through the YouTube mobile app, but it will redirect you to a web-based version of your Google account. To do this:
- Tap the Library icon in the lower right corner of the home screen.
- Tap History from the list.
- Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the History screen.
- Tap the history commands.
- In the menu, tap Manage all activities.
- You will be redirected to the Google page of your currently active YouTube account. Tap Auto-remove from the list.
- Choose from the options offered: three months, eighteen months or three years. Once you have chosen an option, tap Next.
- Tap Confirm.
- You can now leave this screen.
Unlike the PC or browser version, there is no way to individually remove searches on the mobile app. To delete all searches you've done, follow these steps:
- Tap the Library icon in the lower right corner of the YouTube app home screen.
- Tap History in the phonebook menu.
- Tap the three dots icon in the upper right corner of the History screen.
- Tap History commands from the drop-down menu.
- Tap Clear search history from the list.
- In the window that appears, tap Clear search history.
- Get away from this screen by tapping Home in the lower left corner or using the back buttons on your Android device.
Automatic deletion of view history
The auto-delete feature is also accessible through the YouTube mobile app, but it will redirect you to a web-based version of your Google account. To do this:
- Tap the Library icon in the lower right corner of the home screen.
- Tap History from the list.
- Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the History screen.
- Tap the history commands.
- In the menu, tap Manage all activities.
- You will be redirected to the Google page of your currently active YouTube account. Tap Auto-remove from the list.
- Choose from the options offered: three months, eighteen months or three years. Once you have chosen an option, tap Next.
- Tap Understood.
- You can now leave this screen.
Note that you will need to sign in to your YouTube account to fully utilize the view and search history management tools. Deleting view history or search history on the mobile app will delete it from your entire YouTube account. The auto-delete feature will also be enabled for all devices logged into your Google account.
How to Clear YouTube History on iPad
The YouTube mobile app is platform independent and therefore works the same whether used on Android or iOS. The ways to delete both view and search history are the same on an Android device as they are on an iPad. You can either open YouTube on a web browser and proceed as instructed on the PC version or follow the instructions given above for Android devices.
How to Clear YouTube History on iPhone
There is no difference between the mobile version of YouTube for iPhone and iPad. Follow the same instructions as above if you want to delete search or display history or enable the automatic deletion feature for your account.
How to Clear YouTube History on TV
If you are using a Smart TV to watch YouTube, you can clear your viewing and search history by accessing the settings menu option. To do this, follow these instructions:
Clear monitoring history
- On the YouTube app home screen, use your remote to open the settings menu. It will be the gear icon at the bottom of the menu on the left of the screen.
- In the Settings menu on the left, scroll down to the History and data tab.
- When you get to Clear Watch History, choose it to highlight the Clear Watch History button on the main screen. Press OK or Enter on your remote.
- A confirmation message will appear on your screen. Highlight Clear Watch History with your remote, then click OK or Enter.
- Your watch history should now be cleared.
Clear search history
- Open the Settings menu by choosing the gear icon in the bottom left of your home screen.
- Scroll down until you find the History and data tab on the left, choose Clear search history.
- Use your remote to highlight the Clear Search History button on the main screen.
- Press OK or Enter on your remote.
- In the confirmation window, highlight Clear Search History, then press OK or Enter.
- Your search history should now be cleared.
How to Clear YouTube History on Roku
The controls for clearing view and search history on Roku are similar to those when using a Smart TV. The only difference is that instead of a menu where you enter settings, you have icons for each option. The instructions are as follows:
- With your YouTube for Roku app open, click the left arrow on your Roku remote to open the settings menu.
- Tap the down arrow until you get to Settings.
- Click on OK.
- Click the right arrow until you get to the Clear watch history or Clear search history icon.
- Click OK for your selection.
- After the confirmation message, your view or search history should be deleted.
Additional FAQ
Here are some of the most common questions that arise while clearing YouTube history.
Can I delete a single search or video view from my history?
Yes. As detailed in the instructions above, YouTube allows users to clear single videos or searches from their history. Just follow our steps above for the platform you are using.
Is it possible to automatically delete history on YouTube?
Yes. Technically, the auto-delete view history option can be accessed through your Google account settings, not directly from YouTube. The steps to do so are also given in the instructions above.
A useful tool
YouTube saves your search history for a number of reasons. For one thing, it allows the algorithm to give you better recommendations based on your viewing habits. It also helps users easily see videos they have already watched and quickly come back to them when needed.
YouTube certainly provides its…
