YouTube knows more about you than you might think. Every video you watch, search you make, and even how long you linger on a clip is recorded—feeding into a profile used for ads, recommendations, and data analytics. If you care about privacy, it’s time to take back control.

How YouTube Tracks You

YouTube (owned by Google) collects:

• Watch history – Every video you’ve ever viewed.
• Search history – What you’ve looked for, even in incognito if you’re signed in.
• Interaction data – Likes, comments, and subscriptions.
• Device & location info – Helps tailor ads based on where and how you watch.

This data builds a detailed profile, influencing everything from recommended videos to the ads you see across the web.

How to Wipe Your YouTube History

On Desktop or Mobile:

1. Clear watch history – Go to YouTube Settings → History & privacy → Clear all watch history.
2. Delete search history – Under History & privacy, select Manage all activity to erase past searches.
3. Turn off tracking – Toggle Pause watch history and Pause search history to stop future logging.

Auto-Delete Your Data (Recommended)

• Visit Google’s My Activity → Auto-delete → Set to delete every 3 months.

Beyond Clearing History: Stronger Privacy Tips

1. Use Private Browsing – Watch YouTube in incognito mode (but note: if logged in, Google still tracks you).
2. Block Tracking – Browser extensions like uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger limit data collection.
3. Try Alternatives – Platforms like Invidious or Piped let you watch YouTube videos without tracking.
4. Opt Out of Ads – Consider YouTube Premium (no ads) or use an ad blocker (though YouTube is cracking down on these).

Why This Matters

Your viewing habits can reveal sensitive interests—health concerns, political views, or personal hobbies. Clearing your history isn’t just about stopping annoying recommendations; it’s about keeping your data out of corporate hands.

Take action now: Spend 5 minutes deleting your history, and make privacy a habit.