There are two answers. The history you can see in your Microsoft account stays until you delete it; there's no automatic expiry. Microsoft's own search logs are de-identified over time: the full IP address is removed after 6 months, and cookie IDs and other identifiers after 18 months.
1. Your visible search history
Searches saved to your Microsoft account remain in your history and the privacy dashboard until you clear them. Bing has no setting to delete them automatically after a set time, so if you want a rolling clean-up, you have to clear it yourself (or turn history off).
Signed-out history lasts as long as the Bing cookie in your browser. Clearing cookies removes it.
2. Microsoft's search logs
Separately from your history, Microsoft keeps logs of searches to run and improve Bing. The Microsoft Privacy Statement describes how it de-identifies them:
| After | What Microsoft removes from stored search queries |
|---|---|
| 6 months | The entire IP address |
| 18 months | Cookie IDs and other cross-session identifiers used to recognize an account or device |
This policy dates back to 2010, when Microsoft cut IP retention for Bing from 18 to 6 months. De-identified data can still be kept afterwards for analysis, but it's no longer linked to you.
How long each kind of Bing-related data is kept
| Data | How long it's kept | How to remove it |
|---|---|---|
| Search history in your Microsoft account | Until you delete it | Clear it in the privacy dashboard |
| Signed-out search history | As long as the Bing cookie in that browser | Clear all on the history page, or clear cookies |
| Identifiers in Microsoft's search logs | IP removed after 6 months; cookie and device IDs after 18 months | Handled by Microsoft automatically |
| Copilot (Bing Chat) conversations | 18 months by default, according to Microsoft's Copilot privacy FAQ | Delete chats one by one or all at once |
| Edge browsing history (synced) | Until you clear it | Edge settings or the privacy dashboard |
| Windows device search history | Until you clear it | Windows search settings |
Is Bing data used to train AI?
Microsoft's Copilot privacy FAQ says it uses data from Bing, MSN, Copilot and ad interactions to train its AI models, with exceptions for some users and regions. For Copilot conversations, you can opt out at any time in Copilot's privacy settings (the model training options). Deleting your history also removes it from what's linked to your account.
3. After you delete your history
Clearing your history removes it from your account and from the history page right away. Like most cloud services, copies may remain in backup systems for a limited time before being overwritten.
4. If you close your Microsoft account
Closing your account deletes the data associated with it, including search history, after a waiting period (Microsoft gives you time to change your mind). Microsoft may also close accounts that haven't been signed in to for two years, per its account activity policy.
Bing vs. Google retention at a glance
| Bing | ||
|---|---|---|
| Visible history kept | Until you delete it | Until you delete it, or auto-delete if you set it |
| Auto-delete option | No | Yes (3, 18 or 36 months) |
| Turn history off | Yes, on the history page | Yes (Web & App Activity) |
| Manage it at | bing.com/profile/history, privacy dashboard | myactivity.google.com |
Frequently asked questions
Does Bing delete history automatically?
No. Your account's search history stays until you clear it. What Microsoft removes after 6 and 18 months are identifiers in its internal logs, not the list you can see.
Is deleted Bing history really gone?
It's removed from your account and history page. Backup copies may persist briefly, and de-identified logs that are no longer linked to you are kept separately.
How far back does Bing history go?
As far back as you've been searching while signed in, minus anything you cleared. The privacy dashboard shows the full list.