When you search for something on a web browser or send messages using your phone keyboard, all the new words that you type are automatically stored on your device. Smartphone keyboards store this data to allow for a better user experience through personalized word suggestions, autocorrect, predictive text, language assimilation, and more. You can always delete these saved words from the keyboard cache for security and privacy. This time, we’ll discuss how to delete or clear keyboard history on Android phones or tablets.
In case someone else gets a hold of your phone and cracks it, it’s not only your web/browser history you have to worry about. You may want some privacy with your keyboard’s word suggestions as well. It’s also possible that you need to secure sensitive and important information that predictive texts could show, whether for your job or personal life. Knowing how to delete keyboard history on your phone can prevent that. There are two ways to do this. We’re listing down these methods. Follow these steps if you want to protect your keyboard privacy.
Method 1: Erase the Default Keyboard History
If you use the default keyboard app that comes pre-installed with Android such as GBoard, then follow these steps to erase your keyboard history.
1) Tap the Settings icon on your Android device. Look for the Keyboard and Input options. Depending on your Android version, it may be under Additional Settings.
2) Then select your default keyboard. For example, GBoard. Then select the Advanced option.
3) Then scroll down and select Delete learned words and data. Confirm the action by entering the code that will be displayed on the screen. After doing so, the saved words or history will be permanently deleted.
That is one method on how do you delete keyboard history on Android. Most Android phones come with Gboard pre-installed and set up. Most users won’t bother changing while others prefer to go all out on customization and download other keyboards, such as Apple Keyboard for those migrating from iOS. If you’re using a Samsung keyboard or Microsoft Swiftkey, there should be a similar option for them.
If you don’t find the keyboard option in the Settings app, tap and hold the comma key on your keyboard, and then tap the Settings icon which will take you to the keyboard settings.
Method 2: Clear all Keyboard App Data
If you want to delete all of your keyboard data, including learned and saved words, predictive text, autofill words, dictionary, and other data, take the following steps.
1) Open the Settings app and go to the App Management Screen. All the apps installed in your phone should be listed here. Tap on Show System Apps. The app list will then include all system apps and processes. Depending on your phone or Android version, getting to the App Management screen might be different as well as being able to access system apps.
2) Look for your keyboard app. We’ll stick with our Gboard example. After tapping Gboard, tap on Storage Usage. You’ll see how much storage the app takes as well as its data and cache data. Tap Clear Data. It will delete all the keyboard’s data as well as its cache.
Conclusion
And that is how you can clear keyboard history on your Android phone. Remember, when giving your phones away or selling them, perform a factory reset, or at least clear your keyboard and browser history first. We hope that these steps help you clear the keyboard history on your device.
