YouTube keeps track of the videos you watch when you are signed in to your Google account. This allows YouTube to provide personalized recommendations based on your interests and viewing history. However, you may sometimes want to clear or delete your YouTube watch history for privacy reasons or to reset your video recommendations. Here are the steps to clear and delete your YouTube watch history.
Table of Contents
View Your YouTube Watch History
To view your YouTube watch history:
- Go to myactivity.google.com and sign in to your Google account
- Under “YouTube History”, click on “Manage History”
- You will see a list of all YouTube videos you have watched while signed in to your account
Delete Specific Videos from Your Watch History
To delete one or more specific videos from your watch history:
- Follow the steps above to view your YouTube watch history
- Check the box next to each video you want to delete
- Click on “Delete” and confirm the deletion
Note: Deleted videos will no longer influence your YouTube recommendations
Clear Your Entire YouTube Watch History
To delete your entire YouTube watch history:
- Go to myactivity.google.com/product/youtube
- Under “YouTube History”, click on “Manage History”
- Click on “Delete” drop-down menu
- Choose to delete your history from “Today”, “Custom Range”, or “All Time”
- Confirm that you want to delete your entire YouTube watch history
Note: Clearing your entire history will reset your video recommendations
Pause Your YouTube Watch History
Instead of deleting your history, you can choose to pause your YouTube watch history. This prevents new videos you watch from being added to your history and recommendations.
To pause your YouTube watch history:
- Go to myactivity.google.com/product/youtube
- Under “YouTube History”, click “Pause Watch History”
- Confirm that you want to pause your YouTube watch history
Delete YouTube Watch History on Mobile
You can also delete or pause your YouTube watch history right from the YouTube mobile app:
On Android:
- Open the YouTube app
- Tap on your profile picture
- Go to Settings > History & Privacy > Manage Watch History
- Tap to delete specific videos or entire history
On iOS:
- Open the YouTube app
- Go to Library > History
- Tap on “Clear all watch history”
Prevent YouTube from Tracking Watch History
If you want to browse YouTube privately without your watch history being tracked at all, you have a few options:
- Use YouTube’s Incognito mode, available in desktop and mobile apps
- Sign out of your Google account on YouTube
- Watch YouTube in a private browsing window or incognito tab in your web browser
In these modes, your watch history will not be saved and your video recommendations will not be influenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why should I delete my YouTube watch history?
A: Clearing your watch history can reset your recommendations, give you more privacy, and keep your interests private from others who use your computer or devices.
Q: Can I delete my watch history on YouTube TV?
A: Yes, deleting your watch history in the main YouTube platform will also delete it from YouTube TV. Manage your history at myactivity.google.com.
Q: Is it better to pause or delete my YouTube watch history?
A: Deleting completely resets your history and recommendations while pausing temporarily halts tracking. Choose based on your preferences.
Q: Will clearing my YouTube search history also delete my watch history?
A: No, these are managed separately. You’ll need to clear each one individually for a full reset.
Q: Can I automate deleting my YouTube watch history on a schedule?
A: Yes, in your Google account settings you can set your YouTube watch history to automatically delete on a rolling basis, such as every 3 months.
Clearing your YouTube watch history gives you more control over your privacy and recommendations. Follow the steps in this guide to delete or pause your YouTube history across devices. Let me know if you have any other questions!
