Google adds option to instantly delete your last 15 minutes of search history

Google is launching a new search privacy feature that lets you instantly delete your last 15 minutes of mobile search history, the company said Thursday. The new option was first revealed alongside several other search and Chrome improvements during I / O 2021 and is now rolling out to everyone.

The option to delete your last 15 minutes of search history is currently only available in Google’s iOS app and will make its way to Android later this year. On the desktop, your options for deleting searches are limited to setting your history to be deleted automatically every three, 18, or 36 months (18 months by default for new accounts) or deleting searches manually. You can see what the new option looks like in the iOS app below:

Image: Google

Google says it only tracks your search history to “personalize” your experience when the “Web & app activity” setting is turned on. Adding a way to instantly delete your history is great for your peace of mind, but it also means you can get some of the benefits that people who took the time to change their settings receive, without getting the job done. additional. Think of it as an “oh no” emergency button for awful, embarrassing, or just plain simple private searches. If you’d rather just protect your searches from prying eyes and not Google rather than delete them, Google also offers the option to password protect your search history.