Google Keeps Gathering Data About You: How to Limit Your Web and App History

As we navigate our online lives, it's becoming increasingly clear that Google is collecting an impressive amount of data about us. The good news is that now you can take control of this data and limit how long Google keeps it. In this article, we'll show you how to stop Google from hanging onto your web and app history.

To start, you'll need to visit the website my.account.google.com. This may seem like a daunting task if you've never been there before, but don't worry – you can log in with your Gmail or G Suite account credentials. Once you're logged in, click on "Data and Personalization" from the list to the left. This will bring up a whole window full of activity controls and a privacy checker. It's worth taking some time to explore these settings, but for now, let's focus on finding the option that allows us to delete our data.

Find "Web and app activity" and click on the arrow to the far right of it. This will take you to the first of several pages that will try to persuade you to leave well alone Google. Google explains here that letting it keep information about you means you get a better experience online. However, we're not interested in leaving anything to chance – we want to control what data is kept and for how long.

Click on "Manage activity" just below the top of the screen where you'll see a line that says "Web and app activity is on." There will be a line that most likely says your activity is being kept until you delete it manually. If this is the case, then click on the button right below which will be called "Choose to delete automatically." You now have three options: let Google keep everything forever, delete data after 18 months, or have Google automatically delete any data held on you about web and app activity after three months.

From now on, Google will automatically delete any data held on you regarding web and app activity after three months. Click "Next" to proceed. When you click that button, two things happen: first, as of right now, Google won't keep any new information about you for longer than three months; second, right now it would delete anything it's already got that's older than this. After you click confirm, you can leave the my.account.google.com site because you're done.

So, what do you think? Does this help you take control of your data, or are you creeped out by the details Google shows of your activity? Let us know in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video and want to see more content like it, be sure to click on that like button so we can create more content that we know you guys want to see.

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"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enGoogle keeps on on gathering data about us but at least now we can limit how long it keeps it all this tip will show you how to stop Google hanging onto your web and app history hello I'm William Gallagher for Apple Insider he's had to make Google automatically delete data if it has about you and even if you've never cared what Google figures out follow these steps anyway because when you actually see what Google knows it can be quite creepy start by going to the website my account google.com even if you've never been there in your life before you can log straight into this because some are on the line you have signed up for a gmail or a G suite account something like that log in with those credentials and then click on data and personalization in the list to the left this brings up a whole window full of activity controls and a privacy checker it might be worth looking around all of these settings sometime but for now there's just one that Google has updated to allow us these new deletion options so find web and app activity and click on the arrow to the far right of it this takes you to the first of several pages that will try to persuade you to leave well alone Google explains here that letting it keep information about you means you get a better experience online click on manage activity just go towards the bottom of the screen where you'll see a line that says web and app activity is on there will be a line that most likely says your activity is being kept until you delete it manually if it says that then click on the button right below which will be called choose to delete automatically you can continue to let Google keep everything forever or rather until you think to come back here to delete it manually you can choose to have Google automatically delete the data it holds on you after 18 months or you can have Google automatically deletes your data its data about you after three months this is why we're here from now on Google will automatically delete any data at hold on you to do with web app activity after three months of expired click next this one has a confirm button when you click that button two things happen the first is that as of right now Google won't keep any new information about you for longer than three months and the second is that right now it would delete anything it's already got that's older than this and after you click confirm you can leave the my account google.com site because you're done that's it what do you think does this help you are you creeped out by the details Google shows of your activity let us know in the comments below hey everyone did you guys like that video be sure to click on that like button so we can create content that we know that you guys want to see and follow Apple Insider in all social media channels if you want the best prices on any Apple gear check out the Apple insider price guide that is updated daily and until next time we'll see you laterGoogle keeps on on gathering data about us but at least now we can limit how long it keeps it all this tip will show you how to stop Google hanging onto your web and app history hello I'm William Gallagher for Apple Insider he's had to make Google automatically delete data if it has about you and even if you've never cared what Google figures out follow these steps anyway because when you actually see what Google knows it can be quite creepy start by going to the website my account google.com even if you've never been there in your life before you can log straight into this because some are on the line you have signed up for a gmail or a G suite account something like that log in with those credentials and then click on data and personalization in the list to the left this brings up a whole window full of activity controls and a privacy checker it might be worth looking around all of these settings sometime but for now there's just one that Google has updated to allow us these new deletion options so find web and app activity and click on the arrow to the far right of it this takes you to the first of several pages that will try to persuade you to leave well alone Google explains here that letting it keep information about you means you get a better experience online click on manage activity just go towards the bottom of the screen where you'll see a line that says web and app activity is on there will be a line that most likely says your activity is being kept until you delete it manually if it says that then click on the button right below which will be called choose to delete automatically you can continue to let Google keep everything forever or rather until you think to come back here to delete it manually you can choose to have Google automatically delete the data it holds on you after 18 months or you can have Google automatically deletes your data its data about you after three months this is why we're here from now on Google will automatically delete any data at hold on you to do with web app activity after three months of expired click next this one has a confirm button when you click that button two things happen the first is that as of right now Google won't keep any new information about you for longer than three months and the second is that right now it would delete anything it's already got that's older than this and after you click confirm you can leave the my account google.com site because you're done that's it what do you think does this help you are you creeped out by the details Google shows of your activity let us know in the comments below hey everyone did you guys like that video be sure to click on that like button so we can create content that we know that you guys want to see and follow Apple Insider in all social media channels if you want the best prices on any Apple gear check out the Apple insider price guide that is updated daily and until next time we'll see you later\n"