Google Splits Activity History: New Privacy Controls for Search Services

Google is rolling out new privacy controls across its Search services and Google Play, giving users more granular control over saved history and personalized recommendations. In an email titled "New privacy settings for Search services," Google informed users that it is separating activity management from its existing "Web & App Activity" feature into two distinct settings: "Search Services History" and "Personalized Recommendations." Users will see the updated controls in their Google Account within the next few days.

The new Search Services History setting covers activity from Search, Maps, Shopping, Hotels, Flights, Translate, and News. It now also includes media from user interactions—such as images, files, audio, and video—particularly those captured through features like Google Lens. Google notes this expansion makes it easier to revisit previous searches and supports newer interactive Search experiences. Importantly, if "Web & App Activity" is already enabled, the new media-saving option for Search services will be turned on by default after the transition, which may catch some users off guard.

The change raises notable data-retention concerns. Google confirmed that saved media—including images, files, audio, and video from interactions with Search services—may be stored in user accounts to "improve your experience." Because this data is tied directly to the user's Google Account, account security becomes more critical than ever. Users concerned about data exposure should consider running a privacy checkup to review their account settings, and use an email breach checker to confirm their associated credentials haven't appeared in known leaks. Enabling strong, unique credentials validated by a password checker adds another essential layer of protection against unauthorized access to this newly expanded data set.