Google has officially announced major changes to its account privacy controls, replacing the older Web and App Activity setting with two separate new options called Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations.
Google sent official emails to account holders on June 10, 2026, informing them about upcoming changes to how their data is managed. The update affects all users of Google Search, Maps, Shopping, Hotels, Flights, Translate, and News. The new settings give users more direct control over what data gets saved and how it is used for personalization. Users can expect to see these new options appear in their Google Account within the next few days.
What Are the Two New Google Settings
Google is splitting the older Web and App Activity control into two dedicated settings.
The first is Search Services History. This setting saves your past searches, media uploads, and interactions across Google Search services. It includes images, audio, video, and files used during searches, especially when using tools like Google Lens or Search Live.
The second is Personalized Recommendations in Search Services. This setting controls whether Google uses your saved activity to show customized results and suggestions across Search, Maps, Shopping, Hotels, Flights, Translate, and News.
Both settings can be turned on or off at any time from your Google Account.
- Before: Web and App Activity managed both history saving and personalization in one combined setting.
- After: Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations are now two separate, independent settings.
- Before: Changes to Web and App Activity also affected Search personalization settings automatically.
- After: Changes to one setting will no longer affect the other. Both settings work independently.
- Before: Media from Lens or voice searches was not separately tracked.
- After: Saved media including images, audio, and video is now stored under Search Services History when the setting is on.
Google Will Now Save Your Images and Media from Searches
One of the biggest changes in this update is media saving. When Search Services History is turned on, Google will save images, audio files, videos, and documents that you use during search interactions.
For example, if you upload a photo in Google Lens to identify an object, that image may now be saved in your account history. Similarly, if you use Search Live to identify a song, that audio interaction can be stored.
Google says this allows users to revisit past visual searches and continue previous conversations. The company also confirmed that saved media will be used to improve Google services, develop AI models, and support safety measures.
Users can turn off the Save Media subsetting independently at any time. Individual saved media items can also be deleted manually from the account history page.
Google confirmed on June 10, 2026, that if your Web and App Activity was already turned on, the new Save Media subsetting will also be turned on automatically during the transition. You must manually go to your Google Account settings and turn it off if you do not want media to be saved.
Data Privacy Concerns Users Should Know About
The update raises important privacy questions for users who want to limit how much data Google collects.
Saved media such as personal photos, voice recordings, and uploaded documents are now part of your Google account history by default if history was previously enabled. This data can be used by Google for AI training and product improvement.
Google does confirm that content from Gmail, Drive, and Photos is never used for advertising. However, activity from Search, Maps, Lens, and other Search services can still be used to personalize recommendations and ads if personalization settings remain on.
Users concerned about privacy should review all settings immediately after the transition completes and turn off any settings they are not comfortable with.
How to Update Your Google Privacy Settings Right Now
You can manage all these settings directly from your Google Account on Android or any browser. Follow the steps below to take full control of your data.
- Open Google Account — Go to myaccount.google.com or open Settings on Android, tap Google, then tap Manage Your Google Account.
- Go to Data and Privacy tab — Scroll down to find the History Settings section where all new controls are listed.
- Turn Off Web and App Activity — Tap Web and App Activity, then tap Turn Off. Also uncheck Include Chrome history and Include voice and audio activity from the subsettings.
- Turn Off Search Services History — Find the new Search Services History setting and tap Turn Off. This stops Google from saving your searches, Lens uploads, and voice interactions.
- Disable Save Media subsetting — Inside Search Services History, find the Save Media option and turn it off separately to prevent images and audio from being stored.
- Turn Off Personalized Recommendations — Find Personalized Recommendations in Search Services and tap Turn Off. This was Off since June 10, 2026, for accounts that had Search Personalization disabled.
- Turn Off YouTube History — Scroll to YouTube History setting. Tap Turn Off and uncheck both Include YouTube videos you watch and Include your searches on YouTube.
- Turn Off Play Personalization — Find Play Personalization and tap Turn Off to stop Google Play from using your account data for personalized app recommendations.
- Turn Off Ad Personalization — Go to My Ad Center, tap Ad Personalization, and turn it Off to reduce targeted advertising.
- Set Auto-Delete to 3 Months — In Web and App Activity settings, enable Auto-delete and select 3 months so old activity is removed automatically.
- Delete All Past Activity — Open myactivity.google.com, tap Delete, and select Delete all time to remove all previously saved data.
- Check Security Settings — Visit the Security Checkup page to remove unknown devices and confirm 2-Step Verification is active.
- Google Account Settings: https://myaccount.google.com
- My Activity — Delete History: https://myactivity.google.com
- Search Services History: https://myaccount.google.com/searchservices
- Personalized Recommendations: https://myaccount.google.com/search-personalization
- Google Security Checkup: https://myaccount.google.com/security-checkup
- My Ad Center — Ad Personalization: https://myadcenter.google.com
Benefits of the New Privacy Controls
The new settings offer real benefits for users who want better control over their Google data.
Separating history and personalization into two settings means you can now save your search history for personal convenience without allowing Google to use it for recommendations. Earlier, disabling one often affected the other.
Users who rely on Google Lens can now revisit past image searches without granting broad access across all Google services. Auto-delete controls ensure data is not stored indefinitely.
For users in India and regions with growing data privacy awareness, these controls allow meaningful management of personal data without fully switching away from Google services.
- Google replaced Web and App Activity with two new settings: Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations
- Media including images, audio, and video from Lens and voice searches will now be saved by default if history is on
- Existing settings transfer automatically — users must manually review and update their preferences
- Save Media subsetting can be turned off independently at any time from Google Account
- YouTube History, Play Personalization, and Ad Personalization remain separate controls and can all be disabled
- Gmail, Drive, and Photos content is confirmed to never be used for advertising purposes
FAQs
Search Services History is a new Google Account setting that saves your searches, media uploads, and interactions across services like Google Search, Maps, Lens, Shopping, Hotels, Flights, Translate, and News. It replaces part of the older Web and App Activity setting.
Yes, if your Search Services History is turned on, Google may now save images, audio, video, and files from your search interactions. This includes photos uploaded via Lens and voice interactions in Search Live. You can turn off the Save Media subsetting at any time to stop this.
Go to your Google Account, open Data and Privacy, find Personalized Recommendations in Search Services, and turn it off. This stops Google from using your saved activity to customize search results and suggestions across Google services.
Google says your existing choices will transfer to the new settings automatically. If Web and App Activity was on, the new Search Services History may also be on. If it was off, the new settings should remain off. However, it is recommended to review your settings manually after the transition.
No. Google has confirmed that content from Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos is never used for advertising purposes. However, activity data from Search, Maps, Lens, and other Search services can still
