{"id":53224,"date":"2025-04-03T19:03:06","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T17:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/?p=53224"},"modified":"2025-04-03T19:03:35","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T17:03:35","slug":"ios-18-4-safari-search-history-deactivate-heres-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.apfelpatient.de\/en\/tipps-tricks\/ios-18-4-safari-suchverlauf-deaktivieren-so-gehts","title":{"rendered":"iOS 18.4: How to disable Safari search history"},"content":{"rendered":"

With iOS 18.4, Apple introduced a small change to Safari that could have a major impact on privacy. When you open a new tab and type in the search field, your entire search history will now be displayed. What was previously hidden is now immediately visible. This can be convenient\u2014or quite inconvenient. Here's what exactly has changed, why it's a problem for many, and how you can disable the behavior.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safari has previously been rather reserved when it comes to displaying personal data. Anyone who opened a new tab would see the familiar home page\u2014including bookmarks, frequently visited websites, and the familiar search bar. History remained in the background. With iOS 18.4, Apple is changing that. Now, a quick tap in the search field is all it takes, and Safari immediately shows you what you last searched for. This can quickly become a problem in certain situations\u2014especially if you share your iPhone with others or someone is reading along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What exactly has changed with iOS 18.4?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Before the iOS 18.4 update, your search history remained invisible when you opened a new Safari tab. The keyboard would appear, but your previous searches weren't immediately visible. With the new update, Safari automatically displays a list of your recent searches as soon as you type in the search field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image: Apfelpatient<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What this means in concrete terms is that if someone else picks up your iPhone or briefly looks at it, they can immediately see what you were last searching for. Without any additional steps or confirmation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why this is a data protection problem<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Apple typically places great importance on data protection. This change is all the more surprising for many users. Automatically displaying your search history can be embarrassing or uncomfortable\u2014depending on what you last searched for. Especially if you regularly share your iPhone with family, friends, or colleagues, you should know that your online searches are now much easier to view. A single tap is all it takes to reveal your history. This isn't exactly in the best interests of privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to deactivate the new feature<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

However, Apple has built in a way to reset Safari's behavior. The feature isn't entirely obvious, but can be quickly accessed in a few steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n