How to Pause Your Search and Watch History on the YouTube App

How to pause YouTube history. Let’s be real for a second—YouTube knows a lot about us. From the weird 3AM videos we watch when we can’t sleep to the five-minute “how to boil an egg” tutorials we swear we don’t need... YouTube keeps a record of everything. While this is super helpful for recommendations, sometimes you just want a little privacy.

Maybe you’re searching for a gift and don’t want it showing up every time you open the app. Or maybe you're just trying to keep your guilty pleasure videos from cluttering your feed (no judgment). Whatever the reason, it’s totally possible to pause search and watch history on YouTube—and it’s actually super easy.

In this Mangidik guide, I’ll walk you through how to pause search and watch history on YouTube, step by step, right from your phone. Whether you want to know how to pause search history on YouTube, or you're curious about how to pause watch history on YouTube mobile, I’ve got you covered.

Ready to take control of your YouTube history? Let’s get into it.

How to Pause Search and Watch History on the YouTube App

Alright, grab your phone, open the app, and follow these simple steps. Trust me, understanding how to pause history on YouTube app is much easier than you might think.

Step 1: Tap on Your Profile

Open the YouTube mobile and tap on your profile menu at the bottom right. This will take you into your account settings.

Step 2: Go to Your Google Account

Tap on “Google Account” right at the top. You’ll now be in your broader Google settings menu.

Step 3: Open the Data and Privacy Tab

Scroll down and tap the “Data and privacy” tab. This is where all your activity settings are stored.

Step 4: Choose “YouTube History”

Under “History settings”, select “YouTube History.” You’ll now see options related to what YouTube saves from your account.

Step 5: Tap “Turn Off”

Here’s the magic button. Tap “Turn Off” to stop YouTube from tracking your searches and watched videos.

Step 6: Confirm by Tapping “Pause”

A popup will ask you to confirm. Go ahead and tap “Pause.” Done! That’s how to freeze YouTube search history and watch history instantly.

Step 7: You’re All Set!

From now on, your YouTube searches and views won’t be saved. This is a great way to stop YouTube remembering history if you want a little more privacy or just don’t want weird recommendations.

Step 8: Want It Back?

Changing your mind? No worries. You can always come back to this setting and hit “Turn On” again. It’s just as easy to figure out how to turn off pause history on YouTube if you decide you miss those personalized suggestions.

Prefer a Visual Guide?

Some people prefer to watch rather than read—if that’s you, check out this super short and helpful video:

It’s under a minute and shows every step in action so you won’t miss a thing.

What Happens When You Pause YouTube History?

Wondering what happens when you pause YouTube history? Good question!

When you pause your history:

• YouTube won’t track the videos you watch or the things you search for likely on YouTube incognito mode.
• Your recommendations might get a little less accurate since they’re not based on recent activity.
• The "History" section won’t show any new entries.
• You can still manually delete your old history if you want a full reset.

This is perfect for temporary browsing, private searches, or sharing a device without mixing up everyone’s suggestions.

Wrapping It Up

So, that’s the full breakdown on how to pause search history on YouTube, plus how to pause watch history on YouTube mobile—all from your phone. Whether you're cleaning up your feed or just want a bit of online privacy, this setting is seriously underrated.

Learning how to pause history on YouTube app gives you more control over your content and what’s remembered. Plus, if you’re ever curious about how to turn off pause history on YouTube, just head back into your settings and flip the switch.

It’s easy, it’s quick, and it’s something I think everyone should know—especially if you ever find yourself searching for something... questionable (we’ve all been there).

So go ahead, give your YouTube experience a little more privacy and freedom. You’ve got the tools now. Happy browsing!