How to Clear Search History on iOS 26 (Safari, Spotlight & More)

iOS 26 saves search history in different places — Safari, Spotlight, App Store, Maps, and individual apps. Here’s how to clear it wherever you need.

Clear Safari search history

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap Safari.
3. Tap Clear History and Website Data.
4. Pick a time range (Last Hour, Today, Today and Yesterday, All Time).

You can also check Safari history directly: open Safari, tap the book icon, then the clock tab.

More details here: View Safari history in iOS 26.

Clear Spotlight search history

1. Swipe down on the Home Screen to open Spotlight.
2. Press and hold a recent search.
3. Tap Clear Recents.

If you want to stop Siri from saving suggestions:

• Go to Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri.
• Tap Siri & Dictation History, then tap Delete Siri & Dictation History.
  

Clear App Store search history

1. Open the App Store.
2. Tap Search at the bottom.
3. Swipe left on an entry to delete it, or tap Clear to remove all.

Clear Maps search history

1. Open Maps.
2. Swipe up to reveal Recents.
3. Swipe left on an entry and tap Delete.
4. Tap See All to manage the full list.

Clear third-party app search history

Apps like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have their own history settings. For example, in YouTube:

1. Open YouTube.
2. Tap your profile picture → Settings.
3. Tap History & privacy → Clear search history.

Repeat this process in other apps if needed.

Related iOS 26 tips

• Make iOS 26 less animated
• Make apps clear on iPhone
• All reported iOS 26 bugs and fixes
• iOS 26 requirements: can your iPhone run it?

Clearing search history on iOS 26 isn’t one single switch — it depends on where you’ve been searching. Safari, Spotlight, App Store, Maps, and third-party apps each keep their own record. Once you know where to look, it only takes a few taps to clean things up and keep your iPhone feeling fresh.

If you’re noticing other quirks in iOS 26, check out our full roundup of all reported iOS 26 bugs and issues with fixes. Apple’s big updates usually smooth out after the first point release, but these quick adjustments can make life easier while you wait.