Have you ever opened Safari in front of someone and had a heart attack when you saw your recent searches on the screen? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. With the new iOS update, Apple has included a default feature that shows your recent search history every time you open a new tab. It sounds useful, but it also exposes your privacy without you even realizing it. In this post, I’ll explain how to disable this feature in seconds and, along the way, give you some extra tips to help you browse more comfortably on your iPhone or iPad.
If you use Safari on your iPhone or iPad, this detail is of interest (and a lot). You may be unknowingly showing more than you should every time you open a new tab. But don’t worry: in this post, I’ll tell you what’s going on, how to avoid it, and, along the way, I’ll show you several tricks for browsing more privately. Everything is explained clearly, usefully, and without technical jargon. I promise you’ll end this time knowing much more and feeling more secure.
Safari now shows your recent searches
Since iOS 18.4, Safari displays a list of your recent searches right below the address bar. It doesn’t matter if you’ve closed tabs or deleted your search history: they’re still there, visible to anyone who picks up your phone. And yes, you might think it’s a quick way to get back to what you were looking for… but it can also be a shortcut to someone seeing what you don’t want to show.
The good news is that Apple has reacted quickly and added an option to disable this feature. The problem is that it’s somewhat hidden, and if you don’t know where to look, it’s easy to overlook.
How to turn off the recent searches list in Safari
Let’s get down to business. If you want Safari to stop showing your recent searches, do this:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Swipe down and tap Safari.
- Look for the section that says Search.
- Turn off the Show recent searches option.
And that’s it. From now on, when you open a new tab, Safari won’t show any previous searches. Your privacy is safe.
More settings you can change to protect your privacy in Safari
While you’re in Safari settings, take the opportunity to review other options that can help keep your data more secure:
- Activate “Prevent cross-site tracking .” This will prevent websites and advertisers from stalking you across the web with personalized ads.
- Turn off Safari and search engine suggestions. This prevents your device from sending information to Apple or Google while you type in the search bar.
- Use private browsing mode. Perfect for sensitive searches. Doesn’t save history or cookies.
- Switch to a more private search engine, like DuckDuckGo. It doesn’t track or save your activity.
You can find all of these settings in the Safari menu within the Settings app. They’re small changes, but together they make a big difference.
In that case, I recommend two things: clear your history frequently and create an empty bookmarks folder. That way, when you open a new tab, neither your searches nor your favorite pages will be displayed. You can still access your bookmarks from the book icon in Safari, but they’ll be hidden from view for anyone who shouldn’t see them.
In short, by simply disabling one option in Safari, you can save yourself more than a few awkward moments. And if you also apply the rest of the tips I’ve provided here, you’ll be browsing with much more peace of mind. Because protecting your privacy shouldn’t be complicated, and with these quick steps, you can keep it under control.
