How macOS actually works
Less than people assume, and in more places than they expect.
Spotlight does not keep a browsable search history. It does maintain usage data to rank results — which apps and documents you open from search — stored in its own metadata.
Reset it by rebuilding the index:
sudo mdutil -E /That clears learned ranking along with everything else.
Finder remembers recent searches in the search field's dropdown, and keeps a Recents smart folder. Clear the dropdown with Clear Recents at the bottom of the search field menu.
System Settings → General → Recent Items controls how many recent documents and apps macOS remembers. Setting it to None reduces what is retained system-wide.
Individual apps keep their own Open Recent lists, cleared from within each app.
Previewing generates thumbnail caches under ~/Library/Caches. These persist after the file is deleted, which occasionally surprises people.
qlmanage -r cacheWorth asking of any search app: does it store what you typed, and where? A tool that keeps a local history for its own convenience is reasonable; one that transmits it is not. Everywhere stores recent searches locally so the panel can offer them back, and sends nothing — the index and its history are files on your Mac.
Not a browsable history. It keeps usage data for ranking, cleared by rebuilding the index.
Open the search field dropdown and choose Clear Recents.
Everywhere keeps track of every file on your Mac — including the folders Spotlight hides and drives you have unplugged. Free for a day, then $19 once.
Download for Mac