How to clear your Google history

OK all you Google skeptics, we’re going to show you how to remove all your Google Web history in just a few simple steps. We don’t want Google showing you “targeted” ads – you might be missing some things like Wild Boar Safaris and dimpleskin socks — you’re not interested in at all – but would be fun to contemplate. If you’re interested in recipes – we don’t want Google showing you ads related to cooking and food, right? Wouldn’t you rather see ads for men’s bodywash or toilet bowl cleaners? Really?

So with all the paranoia about Google abounding – much of it fueled by bloggers hungry for Web traffic (and Microsoft whose opportunism is so puerile and obvious), we wanted to take a minute today to show you how easy it is to see all the goods Google has on you — and how easy it is erase it.

First here’s why all the uproar over Google’s consolidation of its privacy policies: Until now, your Google Web History — all of your searches and all the sites you’ve visited was kept separate from all of Google’s other services like YouTube, Google+, etc. Since your search history and the Web sites you visit reveal so much about you (religion, sexual orientation, political orientation, likes, dislikes, age, health issues, etc.), allowing Google to share this information across all its services makes a lot of folks nervous.

If you’re nervous about it, we’ll show you how to erase your Web History (all your search history and all the sites you’ve visited in the past month or two) in a few easy steps. And once you do this, it will stop Google from collecting more information about your searches and the Web sites you visit too – because erasing all your Web History stops Google from collecting future Web History (an oxymoron right?). Google will only start collection information about your searches and pages you visit if you choose to allow it.

Here’s how to erase your Google Web History (you must have a Gmail account to do this):

1. Log in to your Gmail account
2. Once you’re logged in, type https://www.google.com/history in your browser’s address bar
3. You’ll need to sign in to your Google account again.

You’ll see all the Web History that Google has collected.

Now click on “Remove all Web History” (notice the blue-shading on the calendar above — those are the dates Google has collected data from you).

Notice the calendar dates are no longer shaded in blue, and there are no longer any Web History items listed.  You’ll see that Google confirms your Web History has been removed. Notice also, at the top, it says “Web History is paused”. It will remained paused until you click the blue “Resume” button.

That’s how simple it is to remove all your Google Web History.

We think there are more important things to worry about. At least now you know how to remove all the goodies about you Google has stored.