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To clear recent device search history in Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions. Under History, select Clear device search history. This clears the Windows Search history saved on that device; it does not clear every other kind of search or activity record.
Clear device search history in Windows 11
- Select Start, then open Settings.
- Choose Privacy & security.
- Open Search permissions.
- Under History, select Clear device search history.
Microsoft Support says, “Windows Search saves your search history locally on your device to help you find things faster.” That local history can also affect how prominently an app appears in search results. Clearing it resets this Windows Search history; it does not delete files or uninstall apps. Microsoft Support: Windows Search and privacy
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Which history does this control clear?
Windows has separate controls for different records. Use the one that matches what you want to remove:
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →| Record | Where to clear it | What the control covers |
|---|---|---|
| Recent Windows Search terms saved on this device | Settings > Privacy & security > Search permissions > History > Clear device search history | Local Windows Search history on that device. Microsoft Support |
| Bing or web searches associated with a personal Microsoft account | Microsoft privacy dashboard | Account-associated search history. Searches made while signed out are unaffected and do not appear on the dashboard. Microsoft says some copies of deleted history may remain in backup systems for a limited time. Microsoft Support: Privacy dashboard |
| Microsoft Search history associated with a work or school account | Bing Search History while signed into the work or school account | History associated with that account. Microsoft Support Bing Search History |
| Windows Activity history | Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history, then use the clear-history control | Activity history, a different record from Search permissions history. Microsoft Support: Activity history and your privacy |
| Browser searches and visited pages | The history controls in the browser you used | Browser-managed history; the Windows Search setting is not a universal browser-history clearing control. Microsoft Support |
If you meant Windows Activity history
Open Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history and use the clear-history control on that page. You can also turn off Activity history storage there, but Microsoft notes that on-device features that rely on it will no longer work. Microsoft Support: Activity history and your privacy
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If you meant Bing or browser searches
For searches associated with a personal Microsoft account, use the account’s privacy dashboard. Searches made while you were signed out are not included in that dashboard’s deletion. Microsoft also cautions that copies may remain in backup systems for a limited time, so dashboard deletion should not be read as a promise of immediate removal from every system. Microsoft Support: Privacy dashboard
For Microsoft Search history associated with a work or school account, open Bing Search History while signed into that account. For searches typed into a browser or pages you visited, use that browser’s own history controls; Microsoft’s Windows Search settings do not provide one universal control for every browser. Microsoft Support: Windows Search and privacy Bing Search History
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