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  4. How to Delete Items in the Search Drop Down

How to Delete Items in the Search Drop Down

By: Xander James
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The search box on Google and other search engines displays suggestions from your previous searches and other relevant queries. You may want to delete search items to removed unwanted queries from your computer. When you delete items in a search engine drop down, you are deleting items stored by your browser history, not by that search engine. Deleting past search items in the search down box is simple; however, it varies slightly between Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome and Firefox.

Businesswoman using laptop computer
credit: Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images

Internet Explorer 8

Step

Click the "Safety" menu on the far-right side of your browser's tab bar.

Step

Select "Delete Browsing History" from the drop-down menu.

Step

The {Delete Browsing History" window pops up. Place a check mark next to "History" and any other files that you want to delete. Click the "Delete" button.

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Safari 4

Step

Click the "History" tab at the top of the screen.

Step

Click on the very last option, "Clear History."

Step

Alternately, you can clear the Google drop-down menu from your browser by clicking the arrow next to the magnifying glass and selecting "Clear Recent Searches."

Chrome

Step

Mac users, select "Chrome" and then "Clear Browsing Data" on the menu bar. Place a check mark next to the types of information you wish to remove.

Step

Use the "Clear data from this period" menu to select the amount of data you want to delete. Click "Clear Browsing Data."

Step

Windows users, click the "Tools" menu and select "Options." Click the "Personal Stuff" tab.

Step

Click "Clear browsing data." Place a check mark next to the types of information you wish to remove.

Step

Use the "Clear data from this period" menu to select the amount of data you want to delete. Click "Clear Browsing Data."

Firefox 3.5

Step

Select the "Tools" menu. Then click "Clear Recent History."

Step

Select a time range to clear. You can clear your searches from the last hour, or you can clear all of your search history.

Step

Click the down arrow and select the types of information you want to remove. Click "Clear Now."

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