If you just updated to iOS 18.4.1 this week, you may have noticed that Safari on your iPhone or iPad has started showing a list of your recent search queries. The feature was added in iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, with the goal of making it quick and easy to look for something again (a common occurrence).
Even though your search history was always just a couple of taps away, Apple has changed the way it behaves, opting to show your recent searches every time you tap into the search bar. If you don’t find it useful or if you’re worried about privacy, here’s how to disable this feature.
How to turn off Safari recent search list
When looking at the recent search list, you’ll see a small “Clear All” label in the upper-right. You can tap that to clear the list, but it won’t stop new searches from appearing in the future.
To disable this feature entirely, follow these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom and select Apps.
- Select Safari.
- Disable the toggle for Show Recent Searches.
Foundry
Of course, this will only disable the list of your recent searches, but won’t stop Safari from saving your history. if you want to stop searches from being saved, you’ll want to open a Private Browsing window (tap the Tabs button in the toolbar, then swipe over to the Private section).
Finally, to delete your existing browser history, open Settings > Apps > Safari and scroll down to the History and Website Data section. Select Clear History and Website Data, and then select which option for how far back you want to delete.