YouTube watch history records the videos you watch while signed in to your account and is used to personalize content recommendations. Turning off the setting does not delete older records; it only stops videos watched from then on from being added to the history. On a computer, this is done on the YouTube History page in the Google Account by removing the “Include the YouTube videos you watch” option in the Controls section and confirming the change. Since watch history and search history are separate options, it is possible to turn off only video records. The overall history control, however, affects all YouTube activity. On Android, iPhone and iPad, the setting can be accessed in the YouTube app through the profile picture, Settings, “Manage all history” and Controls. The change is linked to the Google Account rather than the device; other devices using the same account may also be affected. Videos watched while the setting is off may not be retrievable from the history later. The recording feature can be turned on again from the same menu.
Why it matters
This setting leaves users to choose between personalizing their YouTube experience and keeping watched videos in the account. Since turning it off does not mean deletion, those who want to remove their existing records must also review the history-clearing options; otherwise, older data may remain in the account. The ability to manage watch history and search history separately shows that different options are available for those who want to limit only video records and those who want to stop all YouTube activity. Because the setting is linked to the Google Account, it is particularly relevant to people who use shared or multiple devices, as a change on one device may also affect other devices using the same account. On the other hand, the possibility that content watched while the feature is off may not be retrievable from the history later means that users should assess which purpose is the priority before making the change.
Background
YouTube is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 6 news articles mentioning this name in the last 90 days; the latest is dated September 16, 2026.