Posted on / by GEO HITS

How to see (and erase) your Facebook search history or else

facebook-search

Here’s something you may not know. Facebook tracks every single thing you type into its search box. And if you know where to look, your list could be huge. After all, it tracks everything since you signed on to the service. I am sure most of us would be horrified if someone stumbled upon our search list and then asked us why we typed in what we did.

I’ve told you before that Google keeps a record of every search you’ve ever made. If someone were to get into your account, he or she can see what you’ve been up to.

However, it seems few people realize that Facebook does the same thing. Not that it’s a big surprise; Facebook’s entire business model is built on collecting and selling your personal information in one form or another.

So if you’ve ever searched for an ex’s profile, it will be in your search history. So will any groups, photos, posts and anything else you’ve ever tried to find. Maybe it was something you looked for years ago, but it might embarrass you today.

Even if it isn’t embarrassing, don’t forget that Facebook is using your information to make money. You might not want Facebook using your search history to serve you ads, or even use your search history IN ads.

Fortunately, you can wipe away your Facebook search history with one click. We’ll cover that next.

To clear past searches, log in to Facebook and go to the upside down triangle in the top-right corner. Click on Activity Log. The Activity Log is where Facebook tracks your actions within the site.

Facebook Activity Log

In the left column of the Activity Log, under “Photos, Likes and Comments,” click on the “More” link. Then scroll down and click on the “Search” link.

You’ll see a list of every Facebook search you’ve ever made, organized by date. You can clear searches individually by clicking the crossed-circle icon on the right.

fbsearch1

Then click “Remove” in the box that appears.

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To clear every search, click on the “Clear Searches” link located at the top-right of the list.

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A pop-up box will ask you to confirm the request. Click the Clear Searches button.

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Your search history should now be cleared. Simple!

Note, however, that Facebook doesn’t let you turn off its search history feature. That means you’ll have to remember to manually clear your searches every now and then.

But is there really a downside to clearing your Facebook search history?

Like Google, Facebook says it uses your past searches to deliver more relevant results. Personally, I haven’t found that it makes any real difference.

Source: http://www.komando.com/tips/12436/how-to-see-and-erase-your-facebook-search-history-or-else/all

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