Turn Off Google Web & App Activity on iPhone

This guide shows you how to stop Google from saving your search history, browsing activity, and app usage data on your iPhone. Turning off Web & App Activity affects all devices signed into your Google account, not just the iPhone you are using. You can do this in about two minutes directly in the Google app or Safari, and you can also delete what Google has already collected.

What You’ll Need

Your iPhone with the Google app installed, or access to Safari/Chrome
The password for your Google account (you will need to confirm your identity)

Step-by-Step

Open the Google app on your iPhone. If you do not have it, you can use Safari or Chrome and go to myactivity.google.com.
Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner of the Google app home screen. If you are not signed in, sign in with the account you want to adjust.
Tap “Manage your Google Account” from the menu that appears. This opens your account settings.
Tap “Data & privacy” at the top of the account settings screen. You may need to scroll horizontally through the tabs to find it.
Scroll down to the “History settings” section. You will see three options: Web & App Activity, Location History, and YouTube History. Tap “Web & App Activity”.
Tap “Turn off” (or the toggle switch if it is currently blue/on). A confirmation screen will appear.
Choose what happens to your existing activity. You will see two checkboxes:
- “Also turn off on other devices” – leave this checked if you want to stop activity tracking everywhere you are signed in, not just on this iPhone.
- “Delete past activity” – check this if you also want to erase the history Google has already saved. If you leave it unchecked, Google keeps your old data but stops adding new data.
Tap “Turn off” to confirm. Google may ask you to re-enter your password or confirm your identity. Do that and the setting is saved.
Verify it worked. Go back to the Web & App Activity screen. It should now say “Web & App Activity is off” with a grey toggle.

If you are using Safari instead of the Google app, the steps are the same: go to myactivity.google.com, sign in, tap the menu (three lines) in the top-left, tap “Activity controls,” then follow steps 5 through 8 above.

Common Mistakes

Only turning it off on one device. Web & App Activity is tied to your Google account, not your phone. If you skip the “Also turn off on other devices” checkbox, your searches on your computer or iPad will still be saved.
Confusing it with Location History. Web & App Activity saves your searches and browsing. Location History saves where you physically go. They are separate settings; turning one off does not turn off the other.
Not deleting past activity. Turning off the toggle only stops future recording. Your old history remains searchable in your Google account until you delete it.
Thinking the Google app is required. You can do this from any browser on the iPhone. The settings page is the same.
Forgetting YouTube is separate. YouTube has its own history setting. If you want to stop YouTube watch and search history too, you must turn that off separately under the same “History settings” section.

Tips

Use auto-delete as a middle ground. Instead of turning everything off, you can keep Web & App Activity on but set it to auto-delete after 3, 18, or 36 months. This keeps personalized search suggestions while limiting how long Google keeps your data.
Pause instead of delete. If you are not sure you want to permanently erase everything, just turn off the toggle first. You can always go back and delete past activity later.
Check your other Google services. While you are in the “Data & privacy” screen, review Location History and YouTube History. Many people want all three off for full privacy.
Use a private browsing mode. In the Google app, you can switch to Incognito mode for individual searches. This bypasses Web & App Activity for that session without changing your global settings.

Troubleshooting

The toggle turns back on by itself. This can happen if you are signed in to multiple Google accounts. Make sure you are adjusting the correct account — check the email address shown at the top of the settings page. If you have a work or school Google account, your administrator may enforce activity tracking that you cannot turn off. In that case, the toggle will appear greyed out or will snap back on.

You cannot find the “Data & privacy” tab. Google occasionally updates the layout of account settings. If you do not see it, tap “Privacy” or look for “Manage your data & privacy” in the main account menu. You can also go directly to myactivity.google.com and tap the menu icon, then “Activity controls.”

Google asks for your password but you do not have it. You will need to reset your Google password first. Go to accounts.google.com, tap “Forgot password,” and follow the recovery steps. You cannot turn off activity tracking without confirming your identity.

You turned it off but searches still appear in your history. Wait a few minutes — the change can take a short time to propagate. If it persists, check that you are not signed in to a second Google account in another browser or app on the same phone. Also check that you did not just pause it for one device; use the “Also turn off on other devices” option to be sure.

You want to delete everything but the delete button is missing. On the Web & App Activity settings page, look for “Delete activity by date” or “Delete all activity” links. These are usually below the toggle. If you only see “Auto-delete,” tap that and choose “Delete now” from the options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Web & App Activity stop Google from tracking me completely? No. Google still collects some basic data like your IP address and device information to provide core services. It stops saving your individual searches, the websites you visit through Google, and your app usage tied to your account.

Will I lose my search suggestions and recommendations? Yes, partially. Google uses your saved activity to personalize search results, Google Assistant responses, and recommendations across services. After turning it off, you will get more generic, non-personalized results.

Does this affect my iPhone’s other apps? No. This only affects Google services. It does not stop Apple from collecting your usage data, nor does it affect other apps like Facebook or Instagram. Each service has its own tracking settings.

Can I turn it back on later? Yes. Follow the same steps and toggle it back on. If you deleted your past activity, that data is gone permanently, but Google will start saving new activity again.

Is there a difference between the Google app and Safari? No. Both take you to the same Google account settings page. The result is identical.

Will this clear my Google search history from other people’s devices? No. If someone else is signed in to their own Google account on your phone, their history is separate. This only affects the account you are signed in to.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

More in this bed

The whole Tech How-To bed →