Google‘s Android app is finally letting you delete the last 15 minutes of your search history, the tech giant has confirmed.
The feature, which came to iOS in July last year, will roll out to all Android users globally ‘in the next few weeks’, Google has said.
On the Google app, Android users can access the feature just by tapping on their profile picture followed by ‘Delete last 15 min’.
Google automatically stores search history, meaning anyone who gets hold of your phone can see which websites you’ve visited.
Android users on the Google app have already been able to manually delete their entire search history or a day’s search history.
But the new tool provides a quick and simple way for people to erase a much more concentrated period of site visits.
Its appearance on Android was first noticed by Mishaal Rahman, former editor-in-chief at XDA Developers, who posted screenshots to Twitter, and confirmed by Google to The Verge.
‘We’re currently rolling this feature out on the Google app for Android and expect it to be available to everyone using the app in the next few weeks,’ Google spokesperson Ned Adriance said.
‘We’re continuing to explore ways to bring this helpful feature to other surfaces.’
When Google announced the new feature in July 2021, it rolled out to iOS users that same month and was meant to roll out to Android by the end of the year.
However, the Android rollout was delayed for unknown reasons. MailOnline has contracted Google for more information.
Now it’s finally arrived, the feature will prove handy for users who want to only delete more specific searches without getting rid of a load of older searches at the same time.
Users can access the feature by tapping on their profile picture in the right-hand corner and selecting ‘Delete last 15 min’
If the option ‘Delete last 15 min’ doesn’t appear at first, it may not have rolled out to your device yet
Already, Android users on the Google app can clear different periods of search history, by clicking on their profile picture followed by ‘Search history’ and ‘Delete’.
A drop-down menu then gives users the option to ‘Delete today’, ‘Delete custom range’ or ‘Delete all-time’.
There’s also the option to have search activity automatically deleted after a certain time period on the app – either three months, 18 months or 36 months.
On desktops, the option to clear search history ranges from the last hour to the last four weeks, or all of time.
It’s unclear if the ability to delete the last 15 minutes of history will come to desktop.
