Google My Activity: How you can use it to keep your data safe
Your Google account can store a lot of information about the websites you visited or searches you made. The My Activity tool allows you to manage and delete that data with a few taps. Using one of thebest Google Pixel phoneswith My Activity gives you more control over your Google account. Aside from deleting your saved searches, you can turn off other account-related features, such as voice and audio activity history. This guide covers everything you need to know about the My Activity feature for your Google account.
How to access My Activity from the Google app
The Google app is preinstalled on many Android-based phones by default, making it a great way to access the My Activity feature. you could open the app directly or use the search bar widget to reach the Google app’s home page.
To locate the My Activity feature using the Google app, do the following:
On Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy smartphones, go toSettings>Google>Manage your Google Accountto find the main settings page for your Google account. This location may differ based on the device manufacturer or Android version, so you may need to search for it.
How to access My Activity from a web browser
Instead of using the dedicated Google app on a smartphone, open the My Activity page in a web browser. This allows easy access to your account settings from anywhere, such as a desktop computer or a Chromebook device. The example below shows how to view the My Activity feature on your Android phone with a handy home screen shortcut using the Google Pixel Launcher.
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To access the My Activity feature from your Android phone’s home screen, check out these steps:
If you use Google Assistant, say or typemy activityto jump to the main My Activity page in your web browser. Then, use the above method to add the shortcut icon to your home screen for easy access.
How to use My Activity to manage your Google account history
Now that you can access the My Activity feature on your device, it’s time to manage your Google account history settings. The mainActivity controls pageconsists of three activity controls:Web & App Activity,Location History, andYouTube History. Go through each one and select the best preferences for your needs. We break down each Activity page control for you in the sections below.
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Web & App Activity
The Web & App Activity section shows the settings relating to your web and app search history. Google recommends leaving this setting activatedto enhance your user experience. It gives you faster search results and improves recommendations for many Google services. This can include relevant suggestions that pop up after you search for multiple related queries.
Saving your account history can be helpful in some situations. For example, when researching a topic, navigate your browsing history to find the websites and articles you visited.
Scrub your personal details off of Google’s search results
Many third-party apps rely on Google Play Services to function, giving them the potential to track you to some extent. This includes your web searches and actions within these apps. Typically, that is how they serve you with relevant ads or improve the app’s user experience.
This app data is only saved to your account history if you turn on the optional setting for tracking activity within apps, ensuring you have complete control over your data.
If Web & App Activity is activated, and you want to deactivate it, do the following:
You can manage the saved history data for each Google service or app by tapping its icon under theSee and delete activityheading. You can also do this manually, giving you more control over Google’s products. This can be helpful when you want to save data from specific apps to your account.
Location History
Using a location tracking feature on your mobile device might make you hesitate, but it can also enhance your experience. For example, itrecommends places to explorebased on your travel location history. This can be helpful if you enjoy finding new shops or restaurants. If you want to try these location features for your Google account, you must opt into the feature, as it’s off by default.
Turning on location history also gives you access toGoogle Maps Timeline, where you’ll see the routes you took during your travels. You can return to your timeline and check where you were on a given day, including a time estimate of when you visited a location. This feature won’t transform your travel experience, but you’ll visualize where you’ve been and when you were there.
Not all the places you visit should be remembered
To activate the location history feature for your Google account, do the following:
YouTube History
This privacy setting saves a record of the YouTube videos you viewed previously and keeps track of what you searched for.The feature improves your video recommendationsand allows you to resume videos where you left off. As with any feature that offers a personalized experience, it needs some of your user data to make it work. You can use YouTube with this setting turned off, but you won’t have access to these extra features.
Stop YouTube from tracking your watch and search history!
You might also lose direct access to YouTube Shorts, short-form videos that rely specifically on your watch history. However, you can manually search for them. With your watch history turned off, your YouTube home screen can become inaccessible for the same reason.
If you value your privacy over these additional YouTube features, deactivate them by doing the following:
Every activity control feature (web, location, or YouTube) has specific settings and auto-delete frequency options. You can keep everything off indefinitely or select when to delete your data on a schedule. For the auto-delete option, you can leave it at 18 months or choose 36 months.
My Activity puts you in control of your Google account search history
The My Activity feature is an easy way to limit the amount of data that can be tracked on your Google account. Double-check your settings since you can connect, link, and sign in to your Google account from other services. For example, third-party apps might have access to your data if you save your entire web search history. Even if you update your settings, reviewing them can be helpful. Managing ordeleting your Google search historyis also an excellent way to ensure your data stays safe.
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