How to clear your Google Search cache on Android (and why it's a must for me)

1 day ago 10
Google Pixel 10 Pro
Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.


Your Android device retains your Google searches, enabling assorted 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 the level easier. However, successful this modern era, with companies leveraging specified accusation to make a highly personalized representation of you and your web usage, 1 could see this signifier an penetration of privacy. This tin beryllium particularly problematic if you accidentally hunt for the incorrect thing, lone to beryllium inundated with ads that autumn nether the class of, "Why americium I seeing this?"

Also: How to wide your Android telephone cache (and accidental goodbye to dilatory performance)

I've witnessed people's eyes spell wide erstwhile an advertisement pops up connected their phones that they either shouldn't spot -- oregon didn't privation to see.  For those who worth privacy, it is imaginable to reclaim power implicit however overmuch of a browser's hunt past 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 wide the Google hunt cache

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

This archetypal process works likewise across most Android releases. If, however, you find that the instructions don't use to your device, it whitethorn instrumentality immoderate probe to observe however it's done connected an older mentation of Android. I volition besides picture a method of clearing the Google hunt cache that should enactment connected astir devices.

Let's get to work.

From your Android App Drawer, unfastened the Google app. In the resulting window, pat your illustration representation astatine the top-right corner.

Show more

Google app

The Google app moving connected a Pixel 6 Pro.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

From the resulting menu, pat Search history.

Show more

Google app menu

The Google app paper makes it casual to rapidly delete the past 15 minutes of your hunt history.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Once you've verified it's you, the Delete drop-down volition go available. Select the clip framework for which you privation to delete (Delete Today, "Delete customized range," "Delete each time," oregon "Auto-delete.") and Android volition bare the cache for that specified range. You volition not beryllium prompted to OK the deletion; it volition 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 past and delete circumstantial searches.

Show more

Verify fastener  nether  Search history

You indispensable archetypal verify it's you earlier continuing.

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

An alternate method

As I mentioned, here's however the aforesaid happening is achieved connected a Pixel moving connected much caller Android software.

1. Open Settings > Apps

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

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

2. Locate the Google app

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

3. Clear the cache

On the resulting page, pat "Storage & cache" and past pat "Clear cache." That volition wide the hunt cache from your device.

The Google introduction  wrong   Settings > Apps.

You tin besides wide the retention if your instrumentality is getting full.

Sreenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Auto-deletion setup

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

Auto-delete enabling

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

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

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

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

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

Read Entire Article