Android phone users just got a great Google upgrade

Google has been big on the updates this month: after releasing a collection of cool free upgrades for all Android phone users, it's turned its attention to the Google app for Android. It now enables you to delete the last 15 minutes of your search history with a single tap.

I'll be honest, I didn't know Android users didn't have that feature: it's been in the iOS app for months. But better late than never, eh?

How to wipe your recent Google history in the Android app

As with other server-side updates, the new feature isn't coming to everybody at once – but Google says it'll be rolled out completely within the next few weeks. To see if you've got it, open the Google app on your phone and tap on your profile picture at the top right hand corner. If you've got the feature, you'll see "Delete Last 15 minutes" and a big blue NEW indicator immediately below the Search History and above Recent.

For now this is a mobile-only feature but given it's on iOS and now Android, it's likely to make its way to the main Google desktop experience too. 

If you're wondering why being able to delete 15 minutes is a good thing, it's because it enables you to quickly rewind time without having to wipe your entire search history. The classic example is when you're shopping for your significant other on a shared device, but as someone who often searches for details of products I'm writing about it's handy for me too: by erasing the last bit of my search history I might not be followed around the internet by ads for vacuum cleaners or sheds.