Instagram is one of the most used social media services/platforms globally. The platform’s interface is fairly easy to navigate through. A lot can be found on Instagram with people sharing video and picture updates daily. One of the ways to check or stalk people on the app is typing-in their username or full name and searching for them, Instagram stores your search history and this could get creepy if someone else goes through your Instagram account. This article provides a step-by-step approach on how to clear Instagram search history.
How to Clear Instagram Search History
Instagram records and stores our search histories and it makes it apparent, under the guise of search suggestions. More often than not, we feel the need to remove, either completely or partially, our search history on Instagram and other social media platforms (for one reason or the other).
Below is are steps detailing how to clear Instagram search history:
Ensure you have a strong mobile internet connection or Wi-Fi.
Sign-in to the Instagram app or just open the app if you are already in.
You can also input your Facebook account details (if you have one), as an alternative login option.
Tap on the Profile icon (represented by a head and torso), at the bottom right corner of your screen. This action displays your profile.
On your displayed profile, click on Options, located in the upper right corner of the screen. It should be noted that the Options icon is represented on Android by 3-dashes (vertically aligned) and by a gear icon on iOS and Windows.
On tapping the Options icon, at the bottom right corner of your screen tap on the gear icon for Settings.
On clicking on the Clear Search History option, a notification will pop up, asking you to confirm this action. Select the “Yes, I am sure” This action will instantly clear your search history.
It is worthy to note that, the search history might fail to clear completely (or at all) on some devices. This could be as a result of a host of factors. However, you need not worry, as the steps or operations to try, so as to ensure your Instagram search history is completely cleared are outlined below.
Try restarting your device as soon as you finish clearing your Instagram search history, using the above outline. Restarting your phone could be the magic formula to ensuring your Instagram search history is completed deleted.
Another option to try is to log out of the Instagram app. Restart your phone after logging out, and logging back in (with your username and password) after you must have restarted your device.
Another option to attempt in ensuring you have a clean search history is by Clearing the Cache/Storage and data of the Instagram app. This is, technically, the most efficient method, not only for Instagram but also other installed applications (Facebook, Twitter, Messenger, WhatsApp and so on). This action can be performed directly from the Settings of your device. It should be noted that clearing the cache and data of the Instagram app will delete all the inherent files, including pictures and videos.
If none of the above-outlined options is successful in clearing your search history, you can then try uninstalling the Instagram app from your device’s Settings interface or directly from Google Play Store (for Android users). So it is strongly recommended you backup your Instagram files before performing this operation.
Some search suggestions might still pop up, despite exhausting all the above options. Such search suggestions could be removed or hidden.
In summary, this article provides you with the simple guidelines on how to clear Instagram search history. So if you are stalking someone on Instagram, you need not worry, as you have the steps to delete your search history at your fingertips.
