How to Delete Play Store History on Android

Have you ever browsed the Play Store looking for new apps to download, only to be bombarded later with recommendations and ads for apps you have zero interest in?

Or maybe you simply want to clear your Play Store history for privacy reasons.

Whatever the case, deleting your Play Store browsing history is easy to do.

In this complete guide, we’ll provide step-by-step instructions for deleting your Play Store history on Android.

With over my years of experience helping Android users optimize their devices, we’ve discovered all the most effective methods.

Why You Should Delete Your Play Store History

Here are some of the top reasons for deleting your Play Store history:

• Remove irrelevant recommendations – The Play Store algorithm tracks everything you search for and view. By deleting your history, the recommendations you see will be based on a fresh start.
• Protect privacy – Your Play Store history contains data on your browsing habits and interests. Clearing it regularly helps keep that information private.
• Free up device storage – The Play Store cache and data can build up over time, taking up valuable storage space. Deleting history helps clear out that junk.
• Fix Play Store issues– Sometimes glitches occur if the Play Store data becomes corrupted. Wiping your history can help resolve problems.
• Prevent purchases – If you share your device, deleting history prevents other users from seeing your downloaded apps or making purchases.

No matter your specific reason, clearing your Play Store history is easy to do.

Now let’s look at the step-by-step process.

How to Delete Play Store History from the Play Store App

The easiest way to delete your Play Store history is directly within the Play Store app.

Here is how:

1. Open the Play Store app on your Android device.
2. Tap the ≡ menu icon in the top left corner.
3. Select ‘Settings’ from the menu.
4. Tap on ‘General’.
5. Scroll down and tap ‘Delete search history’.
6. Confirm the deletion by tapping ‘Delete’.

That’s it!

The Play Store app will now have forgotten everything you previously viewed or searched for.

This wipe of your history is only for the app itself – your downloaded apps are not affected.

The benefit of using this method is how quick and convenient it is.

Within seconds, your Play Store history can be cleared without leaving the app.

The downside is it only deletes your search and browsing history within the app.

As we’ll cover next, additional steps are needed to delete the Play Store cache and data.

Clearing Play Store Cache and Data

In addition to your search and browsing history, the Play Store also stores cache and data files on your device.

Here’s what each of them are:

• Play Store Cache – Contains temporary files like images and info on apps you interacted with recently. Clearing it can speed up the Play Store app.
• Play Store Data – Includes permanent collections of data the app saves related to your usage, searches, settings, and more.

To give your Play Store history a true fresh start, the cache and data need to be wiped in addition to just the search/browsing history.

Here are the steps to clear both on Android:

1. Open your device’s Settings app.
2. Select ‘Apps & notifications’.
3. Tap on ‘See all ### apps’.
4. Locate and tap on ‘Play Store’.
5. Tap ‘Storage & cache’.
6. Tap ‘Clear cache’ to delete the Play Store cache.
7. Tap ‘Clear storage’ to delete the Play Store data.
8. Confirm each deletion.

This will wipe both the temporary cache files as well as permanent data stored by the Play Store app.

All your usage details, searches, settings, and anything stored locally will be erased.

Clearing cache and data is more thorough than just deleting search history within the Play Store app itself.

However, it takes longer and requires navigating outside of the Play Store.

For the most comprehensive deletion, doing both steps is recommended.

Using Android Settings to Delete Play Activity

In addition to cache/data removal, there is one more place Play Store information gets stored on Android – your Google account.

Android keeps track of apps installed from Google Play along with search and browse history.

To fully wipe your Play Store activity, these need to be deleted in your Google account settings:

1. Open Settings and go to ‘Accounts’.
2. Tap on your Google account.
3. Tap ‘Manage your Google Account’.
4. On the left menu, select ‘Data & privacy’.
5. Tap on ‘Things you’ve searched for’.
6. Tap the three dots menu and select ‘Delete activity by’.
7. Choose ‘All time’ and confirm deletion.
8. Return to the left menu and select ‘Things you’ve installed’.
9. Tap the three dots menu and select ‘Delete activity by’.
10. Choose ‘All time’ and confirm deletion.

With your Google account Play activity wiped, any record of your installs, searches, and browsing tied to your account will be reset.

This information is stored remotely by Google rather than locally on your device.

The result is your Play Store history has been deleted at the account level, app level, and system cache/data level for complete removal.

Using Third-Party Apps to Delete History

In addition to the above methods, there are also several third-party apps you can use to delete your Play Store history:

• SD Maid – Popular cleaning app with features to clear Play Store data along with other system caches.
• Files by Google – Google’s file manager makes deleting Play Store cache and data easy.
• CCleaner – Long-time favorite for Android cleaning and optimization. Provides deep deletion of app history.
• Privacy Eraser – Clears cache/data for Play Store and other apps. Also deletes usage history and log files.
• TapClean – Quickly wipe Play Store data along with text messages, call logs, and other private info.

The benefit of these apps is convenience – some provide one tap to clear Play Store history.

The downside is you have to trust the app with permission to erase your data.

Using the above official methods is safer, but third-party apps can be handy if you delete history frequently.

Test any new cleaning app on non-critical data first before allowing full access.

Frequently Asked Questions About Deleting Play Store History

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about deleting your Play Store history on Android:

Does deleting Play Store history remove downloaded apps?

No, apps you’ve downloaded and installed are not deleted when erasing your Play Store history. Only your search/browsing history, cached data, and usage details are removed. Your apps remain installed.

Can you delete a specific search instead of the full history?

Unfortunately, there is no way to selectively delete just one or a few Play Store searches. The only options are to clear your entire search history or leave it intact.

Is there a way to auto-delete Play Store history periodically?

Some Android cleaning apps like SD Maid can schedule periodic deletions of cache/data. However, there is no official way to automatically erase search history after a set time – it has to be manually cleared.

How often should I clear my Play Store history?

Most experts recommend deleting your Play Store history every 1-2 months for optimal performance and privacy. Clearing cache can be done weekly, but search history and account data only need periodic clearing every couple of months.

Does clearing Play Store data erase app settings?

It will reset any settings changed inside the Play Store app itself. However, settings for apps you’ve downloaded and installed are stored separately and will not be affected.

Can I back up Play Store data before deleting history?

Unfortunately, there is no official method to back up your Play Store history or data. Make sure to uninstall any important apps before deleting history. Reinstall them afterward to restore any associated data not linked to your Google account.

Conclusion

I hope this guide has provided a comprehensive overview of how to fully delete your Play Store history on Android.

Here’s a quick summary of the key points:

• Clear search/browsing history within the Play Store app via the settings menu.
• Delete Play Store cache and data via your device’s App settings.
• Reset Play Store activity for your Google account through account management.
• Optionally use a third-party cleaning app for convenience.
• Clearing history helps optimize your device while protecting privacy.
• Downloaded apps are not affected when deleting Play Store history.

With over my years of Android experience under our belt, we’ve got you covered on all things Play Store-related.

Let us know if you have any other questions!