Clear or pause your YouTube search history

Quick answer

One curious search and your suggestions get weird for weeks. Here's how to clean it up.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

Open 125x

Delete single searches

Go to My Activity and click Delete next to the search you want gone (YouTube Help).

Clear everything

In My Activity, choose Delete activity by, pick a time range, and confirm (YouTube Help). On a TV, go to Settings and choose Clear search history.

Pause it

Turn off saving activity in My Activity. Searches made while paused aren't saved (YouTube Help). Incognito mode in the app also keeps searches out of your history.

Auto-delete

In your Google Account, under Data & privacy and YouTube History, choose an auto-delete time frame (YouTube Help).

What changes

Cleared searches stop showing as suggestions in the search box.
Deleted searches no longer influence your recommendations.
For watch history, see pause watch history.

FAQ: questions people ask

How do I clear my YouTube search history?

In My Activity, choose Delete activity by, pick a time range, and confirm.

Does clearing search history change recommendations?

Per YouTube, deleted searches no longer influence your recommendations.

Can I stop YouTube saving my searches?

Yes. Pause search history, or use Incognito mode in the app.