Delete your Google Maps search history in three steps
Google Maps stores every place you search for, every route you ask for directions to, and every location you view. You can delete this history from your phone or computer in a few minutes. The steps differ slightly between Android and iPhone, but both let you clear everything at once or remove individual searches.
Your search history stays on Google's servers even after you delete it from the app — Google keeps a separate record tied to your account. If you want to stop Google from recording your searches altogether, you can turn off location history in your account settings. This is different from deleting what has already been recorded.
Key Takeaways
- On Android, open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, select Settings, then tap Clear search history to remove all searches at once.
- On iPhone, open Google Maps, tap the menu icon, go to Settings, then tap Clear search history to delete everything.
- You can delete individual searches by long-pressing them in the search bar, but this does not remove them from Google's account records.
- Turning off location history in your Google Account settings stops Google Maps from recording new searches, but does not delete past history.
- Clearing search history from the app does not affect your location history — those are two separate records that require separate deletion steps.
Delete all searches at once on Android
Open the Google Maps app and tap your profile picture in the top right corner. A menu will appear with several options. Select Settings.
In Settings, scroll down until you see Clear search history. Tap it. Google Maps will ask you to confirm — tap Clear again. All your searches are now deleted from the app. This removes them from the search bar and the "Your places" section, but Google still has a record of them in your account.
Delete all searches at once on iPhone
Open Google Maps and tap the menu icon — three horizontal lines — in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings.
In Settings, tap Clear search history. Confirm when Google Maps asks. Your searches are removed from the app when ready. Like Android, this clears what you see in the app but does not remove Google's server-side record.
Remove individual searches instead of clearing everything
If you only want to delete certain searches, you can remove them one at a time. Open Google Maps and tap the search bar at the top. Your recent searches appear below the search field.
Long-press (press and hold) the search you want to delete. A menu will appear with a delete option. Tap it. The search disappears from your recent list. You can repeat this for as many searches as you want. This method is slower than clearing everything, but it leaves other searches intact.
Stop Google Maps from recording new searches
Deleting search history only removes what has already been recorded. To prevent Google Maps from storing new searches, you need to turn off location history in your Google Account settings, not in the Maps app itself.
On any device, go to myaccount.google.com in a web browser. Click Data & Privacy on the left side. Under "History settings," click Web & App Activity. Toggle it off. This stops Google from recording your Maps searches, YouTube views, and other activity across Google services. You can turn it back on anytime.
Turning off Web & App Activity does not delete your existing search history — it only stops new recordings. You still need to manually clear your search history using the steps above if you want to remove past searches.
Understand the difference between search history and location history
Google Maps keeps two separate records: search history (the places you looked up) and location history (the places Google tracked you visiting). Clearing search history does not delete location history, and vice versa.
Search history is what appears in your search bar when you open Maps. Location history is a timeline of everywhere Google tracked your phone's location, whether you searched for it or not. If you want to delete location history, go to myaccount.google.com, click Data & Privacy, then My Activity. From there you can delete location records by date or turn off location tracking entirely.
Most people only need to clear search history. Location history is only recorded if you have it turned on in your phone's location settings and in your Google Account. Check your phone's location permissions to see whether Maps is allowed to track your location.
What happens after you delete search history
Deleting search history from the Google Maps app removes it from your device and from the search suggestions that appear when you open the app. It does not remove it from Google's servers or from your Google Account activity log.
If you sign into Google Maps on another device, your deleted searches will not appear there either — the deletion syncs across all devices tied to your account. However, Google still maintains a record of your searches in case you need to recover them or for its own analytics purposes. If you want Google to stop recording searches entirely, use the Web & App Activity toggle described above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing search history delete my saved places?
No. Saved places (starred locations, home address, work address) are stored separately from search history. Clearing search history only removes the list of places you have searched for. Your saved places remain in the app.
Can I delete search history on Google Maps for web?
Yes. Go to maps.google.com in a browser, click your profile picture, select Settings, then Clear search history. The process is the same as on mobile, and it syncs with your phone.
Will deleting search history stop Google from showing me ads based on my searches?
Deleting search history removes those searches from your Maps app, but Google may still use older data to target ads. To limit ad targeting based on your activity, turn off Web & App Activity in your Google Account settings. This stops new data collection but does not erase past data Google has already used.
What if I accidentally deleted a search I needed?
Once you clear search history from Google Maps, you cannot undo it from the app. However, if you have Web & App Activity turned on, you may be able to view deleted searches in your Google Account activity log at myaccount.google.com under My Activity. From there you can see what you searched for, even if it no longer appears in Maps.
Does Google Maps delete search history automatically?
No. Google Maps keeps your search history indefinitely unless you manually delete it or turn off Web & App Activity. There is no automatic expiration date. If you want old searches removed, you must delete them yourself.