How to clear your Instagram search history
- 4 years ago
My stomach drops and my mind starts to race as I attempt to remember the last few people I snooped on while searching on the app.
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Whether it's someone leaning over your shoulder to watch you look up an Instagram account you were both just talking about
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or they borrow your phone to quickly search for a profile themselves — those first few Instagram handles that appear in the search bar are almost always embarrassing.
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All you have to do is destroy the evidence.
Here's how to clear your Instagram Search History in a few simple steps on both the app and desktop:
1. Head to your Instagram profile. Your main profile area is where you want to head.
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The first step is to click on your profile icon. Then, tap on the three clustered lines in the right-hand corner of your Instagram account.
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2. Access your Settings. The button is sort of hidden under the Settings menu.
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When the pop-up menu appears, tap on Settings. Then, find and tap on the Security tab.
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3. Clear your Instagram search history. The one button that solves all your snooping, errr search, problems.
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Once you're in the Security section, tap on "Clear Search History" all the way at the bottom.
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This brings you to all of your recent searches, at which point you can tap on "Clear All" in the right-hand corner.
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It's important to note that clearing your entire search history can seem a bit suspicious.
Thankfully, you also have the option to delete specific parts of your browsing history, aka the most embarrassing searches, individually (your ex, your ex's new partner, your ex's partner's best friends, etc.) by tapping on the "x" next to their handles instead.
If you only want to delete specific handles, tap on the 'x.'
You can also do this by simply going into the Search tool on the app to avoid having to go through the aforementioned steps.
But, depending how long your search history is, tapping on the "Clear All" button might be quicker. Especially when you only have a few seconds before someone might see the evidence of your mortifying search history.
4. Don't forget to clear your Insta web browser
Of course, your search history is different if you're using Instagram on a web browser.
To delete it on the desktop version, go to Settings and click on your profile photo in the upper right-hand corner.
--bl--
Then, tap on the Settings icon and the "Privacy and Security" tab. Scroll down and click on Account data and then "View Account Data."
--bl--
Under the "Account Activity" tab, you'll see "Search History" and the option to "View All."
--bl--
Then, click "Clear Search History" and "Yes, I'm Sure" to delete the list of Instagram handles. (You might also just want to delete your browser history while you're at it.)
--bl--
While all these steps might sound confusing at first,
I promise you (from experience) you'll have them all down and memorized quicker than a friend or family member can say: "Hey, l'm gonna use your phone to look someone up on Instagram."
Breathe a sigh of relief. They won't find a thing.
--bl--
Whether it's someone leaning over your shoulder to watch you look up an Instagram account you were both just talking about
--bl--
or they borrow your phone to quickly search for a profile themselves — those first few Instagram handles that appear in the search bar are almost always embarrassing.
--bl--
All you have to do is destroy the evidence.
Here's how to clear your Instagram Search History in a few simple steps on both the app and desktop:
1. Head to your Instagram profile. Your main profile area is where you want to head.
--bl--
The first step is to click on your profile icon. Then, tap on the three clustered lines in the right-hand corner of your Instagram account.
--bl--
2. Access your Settings. The button is sort of hidden under the Settings menu.
--bl--
When the pop-up menu appears, tap on Settings. Then, find and tap on the Security tab.
--bl--
3. Clear your Instagram search history. The one button that solves all your snooping, errr search, problems.
--bl--
Once you're in the Security section, tap on "Clear Search History" all the way at the bottom.
--bl--
This brings you to all of your recent searches, at which point you can tap on "Clear All" in the right-hand corner.
--bl--
It's important to note that clearing your entire search history can seem a bit suspicious.
Thankfully, you also have the option to delete specific parts of your browsing history, aka the most embarrassing searches, individually (your ex, your ex's new partner, your ex's partner's best friends, etc.) by tapping on the "x" next to their handles instead.
If you only want to delete specific handles, tap on the 'x.'
You can also do this by simply going into the Search tool on the app to avoid having to go through the aforementioned steps.
But, depending how long your search history is, tapping on the "Clear All" button might be quicker. Especially when you only have a few seconds before someone might see the evidence of your mortifying search history.
4. Don't forget to clear your Insta web browser
Of course, your search history is different if you're using Instagram on a web browser.
To delete it on the desktop version, go to Settings and click on your profile photo in the upper right-hand corner.
--bl--
Then, tap on the Settings icon and the "Privacy and Security" tab. Scroll down and click on Account data and then "View Account Data."
--bl--
Under the "Account Activity" tab, you'll see "Search History" and the option to "View All."
--bl--
Then, click "Clear Search History" and "Yes, I'm Sure" to delete the list of Instagram handles. (You might also just want to delete your browser history while you're at it.)
--bl--
While all these steps might sound confusing at first,
I promise you (from experience) you'll have them all down and memorized quicker than a friend or family member can say: "Hey, l'm gonna use your phone to look someone up on Instagram."
Breathe a sigh of relief. They won't find a thing.