How to clear your device search history in Windows 10 today. Let's talk about something that's quietly building up behind the scenes your search history. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to Ninja One's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Why Windows keeps your search history. Windows 10 records your search activity from the start menu, file Explorer and Windows search in order to provide faster results and more relevant suggestions. While this can be useful, there are valid reasons to clear or disable search history, such as enhancing privacy, improving performance by removing cached data or eliminating outdated suggestions. But if you're all about privacy, want to tidy up old suggestions or just like keeping things squeaky clean, it might be time to clear that history. Erase away four methods to clear your search history. The simplest method is through Windows settings. Press Windows Key plus I to open settings. Select search permissions and history under the history section. Click Clear Device Search History. This action removes all saved search history from the device. You can also clear search history within File Explorer. Press Windows Key plus E to open file Explorer. Click in the search bar at the top right to reveal the search tools tab. Select recent searches, clear search history. This clears prior search queries from File Explorer, but does not delete any files or folders for a more advanced option. The registry editor allows you to remove search history entries at the system level. Please note that modifying the registry should be done with caution and it is advisable to back up the registry. First press Windows Key plus R type reg edit and press enter. Navigate to H Key Cursors user software, Microsoft Windows, current version Explorer Word wheel query. Review the numbered entries 0 1 2, et cetera, which represent previous searches. Right click and delete These entries restart the system to apply the changes. If you wish to prevent future search activity from being recorded, you can disable search history entirely, navigate to search permissions and history, and toggle off search history on this device. And if you're logged into a Microsoft account using Bing, don't forget to clear your cloud search history too. Head to bing.com, sign in and manage it all from the search history. Menu. Clearing or disabling search history in Windows 10 can help you maintain privacy, reduce unnecessary cached data, and keep your search experience streamlined. By using the methods we mentioned, you can ensure that your system reflects your preferences for security and efficiency. For more information, check out our official blog post on how to clear device search history in Windows 10, linked in the description below.