Safari: How to Clear the Google Search Box History

Contributor Icon Contributed by AlexTheBeast Date Icon November 4, 2005  
Tag Icon Tagged: Apple Mac

Prevent people from seeing what you have previously searched for. Erase your google history in safari.


Two easy solutions exist to this problem.

    Reset Safari:

    [list]This just doesn’t erase your google data, it erases your cookies, autofills, cache, history list, usernames, and passwords.

    1. Goto the Safari menu
    2. Click Safari
    3. Select Reset Safari

Clearing Just Your Google History:

    1. Goto the Safari Menu
    2. Select Preferences
    3. Select Autofill tab
    4. Select the Edit button from the Other Forms Line
    5. From the AutoFill list of sites select Google.com
    6. Select Remove
    7. Select Done
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  • petsneverevenstep
    Thanks for this recipe. I am hoping that apple makes an option for Safari in the future that allows for permanent private browsing rather then activating it. With that the activiation isn't even a key command but requires an annoying confirmation click. At least now some of my "private" searches won't show up when a family member uses my machine. :oops:
  • chewy02421
    Thank u so so so so so so much that helped a lot
  • sdizzle
    whoever made this site is a genious, and i thank them for helping me out. You rock dude, and if I was rich, i would give you a donation
  • mahedi
    were is the safri menu on google :(
  • Anonymous
    this does not clear the search history. it merely disables the auto-fill function. As soon as you re-activate the auto-fill function the search history is retrieved.

    it seems the only way to clear the search history is to reset safari.
  • Jacquie
    This doesn't permanently keep new searches from being stored.
    (I find it annoying, for some reason, to be reminded of past searches.)
    If you follow these instructions under "Clearing Just Your Google History," this gets you half way there. After that, you also have to uncheck the Autofill box.
    That's working for me so far.
  • Sam
    At item #6 there appears nothing to remove. I'm unable to select "remove." My problem is that Safari reset command, has been somehow disabled. It work correctly for a period of time. Now, it doesn't work at all.
  • abby
    thanks really helpfull!
    :D
  • Alan
    Very helpful. Thanks.
  • mechu
    thank you!!!!! those damn autofill get really annoying
  • Silvia
    Thank you so much i learned some new from you my friend . again thank you so muchhhhh ! ! ! !
  • hack_4_hires
    your solution is close to perfect but when you only want google to be deleted it doesn't permanently deletes recent searches, and for a second look it just disabled auto fill. but this tip is quite helpful tough. now its for me to find my own solution for permanent deleting program.. anyway thanks its nearly a help.
  • fiasco frenzy ferocious
    Thank you so much for this! I really needed this in case my parents ever wanted to Google search something on my laptop. Thanks!
  • jared
    have tried both these and they don't work! help!
  • michael
    they both didn't work for me either !
    have you found a solution since?
    I would appreciate any help!
  • frazzle
    yes you're heaven sent! i barely have enough time to clean up my act before anyone starts sharing with me my laptop. it is inevitable because we type patient records and all that. thanks so much!!!
  • clueless mac user
    THANK YOU SO MUCH!
    i've been wondering how to do this for a while
    thank you :]
  • jasmine miller
    THANKYOU
  • naweed
    were is the safri menu on google
  • Name
    Didn't work for me. How come some users have had success while others have not?
    Thank you.
  • dexasvillarreal
    neither worked for me! my google bar doesnt have where i can erase it! and i did the reset thing twice. didnt do anything! anything else?
  • jamaicansmurf
    none of these work for me and can u show me a pic of where reset safari is?

    my safari is in spanish so i dunno were it is
  • carlos78
    this doesnt work for the safari version 4.. there has to be a way.. its SOOO annoying
  • Jean Loew
    getting rid of Google.com in Auto Fill does not work in Safari 4.03....now what?
  • Hank
    To delete search items you need to edit the preference file for Safari ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Safari.plist. Look for the RecentSearchStrings tag in the xml and you can delete any/all items.
  • davecorbett
    Hank, there IS no Safari.plist.

    I go from ... com.apple.RegLogicStudio.plist
    ... to ... com.apple.security.systemidentities.plist

    Even if Safari.plist WAS there, no amateur [like me] would DARE fiddle with it.

    I am new to Apple, and am very disappointed at the lack of a delete facility in the search box. Very short sighted.
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