How to delete YouTube history on Mac (and any device): The complete 2026 guide

YouTube hosts billions of hours of content and ranks among the most visited websites globally (Statista, 2024). You probably use YouTube frequently for tutorials, music videos, or vlogs. It's an amazing learning resource.

But because YouTube is free, it uses your data to build a profile of your preferences. This helps them recommend videos and keep you watching longer, generating more ad revenue. If you care about your privacy, this might sound like an intrusion, and you might wonder if there's a way to stop that.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to delete your YouTube history, including both watch and search history, across desktop and mobile. I’ll also cover how to pause history tracking, use Incognito mode, and manage your privacy more effectively.

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How to clear your YouTube search and watch history in Google

You can clear everything in a single sweep from Google’s My Activity dashboard — no need to open YouTube at all.

To clear YouTube search history:

1. Open My Activity and sign in.
2. Click YouTube History > Turn off.
3. Go back to the dashboard, and click Delete > All time (or choose a custom range) and confirm.

How to clear your YouTube search and watch history on desktop and mobile

Fortunately, YouTube also gives you a few ways to limit how much data it collects about you, including deleting your search and watch history right from the app or website.

To clear search history on desktop (YouTube.com):

1. Go to YouTube and sign in.
2. Click History in the left sidebar.
3. To delete specific videos:

• Find the video in your history list.
• Click the X or Remove from Watch History icon next to it.

4. To search for a specific video: Use the Search watch history field at the top.

5. To delete all watch history: Click Clear all watch history in the right sidebar.

6. To clear search history: Click Manage all history > Delete > choose Delete all time or a custom range.

To clear search history on mobile (YouTube app):

1. Open the YouTube app and sign in.
2. Tap your profile picture in the bottom-right corner.
3. Tap Settings (the gear icon).
4. Tap Manage all history. This opens your combined YouTube activity (watch + search).
5. Tap Delete > Delete all time.

Note: Once you delete your YouTube watch or search history, you can't recover it. Make sure this is what you want to do.

Also, check out how to delete Safari history.

How to pause YouTube history and search tracking

If you want YouTube to stop tracking your watch and search history going forward, you can pause history tracking.

On desktop:

1. Go to the History tab on YouTube.
2. Click Pause Watch History > Pause.

When you pause these options, YouTube will stop saving your activity until you turn them back on.

Read also:

• Delete recent files and search history on Mac
• YouTube not working on iPhone
• Download YouTube videos 2026 guide

How to set YouTube to auto-delete your history

Sometimes, knowing which videos you've recently watched can be helpful. But getting those same videos in your recommendations repeatedly can be annoying. 

To set YouTube to auto-delete your history after a certain period:

1. Go to the History tab on YouTube.
2. Click Manage all history.
3. Click Auto-delete.
4. Choose a time frame: 3, 18, or 36 months.
5. Click Next > Got it.

This way, YouTube will only keep your recent activity and automatically erase older data.

How to hide your YouTube watch history

Sometimes you might want to hide your YouTube watch history without having to configure different settings. To hide the history:

On the mobile app: Tap your profile picture and tap Turn on Incognito (it’s under your profile picture). YouTube stops logging your activity until you switch Incognito off.

On desktop: Use your browser’s private or incognito mode:

• Safari: Shift + Command + N or File > New Private Window.
• Google Chrome: Shift + Command + N or Menu > New Incognito Window.
• Firefox: Shift + Command + P or File > New Private Window.

Keep in mind: In private mode, you won’t have access to your subscriptions, playlists, or ad-free experience (if you subscribe to YouTube Premium).

Recommended tools for watching YouTube privately

If you want even more privacy, consider using dedicated apps to watch or download YouTube videos on your Mac.

• Elmedia Player: A powerful media player for Mac that plays almost any video format, including YouTube streams, with accelerated decoding and no ads.
• Downie: A one-click media downloader for Mac that lets you save YouTube videos (up to 4K) or just extract audio.
• Pulltube: Another top YouTube downloader. PullTube supports 1,000+ sites, captures subtitles, and lets you trim videos or convert formats. It also offers browser extensions for instant downloads.

All three apps are available with afree 7-day trial of Setapp, giving you access to over 210 curated Mac apps for productivity, creativity, and privacy.

Why delete your YouTube history?

The moment you sign in, YouTube starts saving every video you watch. This helps the algorithm hide clips you’ve already seen and surface similar ones it thinks you’ll binge next (YouTube Help Center).

You might be uncomfortable sharing that information with YouTube, or even letting others (on a shared account or computer) see what you've watched before. Deleting your YouTube history can help protect your privacy, prevent awkward recommendations, and limit the amount of data tied to your Google account.

How to delete YouTube history: Final words

Following these steps will help you control how much data YouTube collects about your viewing habits. Whether you want to clear your entire history, remove specific videos, pause tracking, or watch privately, YouTube gives you the tools to manage your privacy. 

In any case, having the right tools makes a big difference. Apps like Elmedia Player, Downie, and Pulltube give you a much more private way to watch or save YouTube videos without relying on your browser or YouTube’s tracking. You can stream, download, or keep videos offline on your own terms, with fewer ads, less data collection, and more control over your media.

All of these apps are available on Setapp, where you can try them with a free 7-day trial and get access to 250+ curated Mac apps.