When you are on Internet it is almost inevitable to have to use Google, either to access one of his services or to do research on a subject of your interest. Despite Google’s security, a concern must exist for everyone, which is privacy, since everything you do through it Google is stored on your servers.
Considering this perhaps frightening situation, you’ve probably already been curious about what data Google has stored on you. Here’s how to find out everything Google knows about you.
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How to see what Google knows about me on my computer
Google offers some ways to know what data you are currently storing. The most organized method is to see the items separated by topics, that is, you will have the location history, data saved by applications and other properly categorized information.
In this way, to help you, Tech Khiladi has separated the links that will show all the data that Google knows about you. To use them, however, is the warning that you need to be logged in with your Google account in the browser, such as the Gmail service. See what these items are and what they address:
Web and apps activity
You can check your search history on Google and also what you have done in the other applications of the company, which include Chrome and actions taken on Android, such as opening applications.
Location History
When you’re using a Google app primarily on mobile phones, it’s pretty common to be registered where you are right now. Checking this history, for example, can be useful to find a notebook or cell phone that has been lost or stolen.
Device Information
In this item, Google is monitoring your cell phone to know when some basic actions were taken, such as when it was turned on or off and when contact information was changed.
Voice and audio activities
Every time you ask Google Assistant to take action, the voice command given to it is saved by Google. In this list, you see all these items, including the possibility to play them.
YouTube Search History
In this item, as your name suggests, you’ll be able to see all searches that were done on YouTube, not Google.
YouTube Watch History
The last item on this list also pertains to Google’s streaming video service, but other than the above option, only the videos you’ve watched or played on YouTube will be displayed here.
How to disable this data collected by Google
Now that you know some of the key data Google stores about you, it’s probably a good idea to turn them off, at least whatever you find intrusive. To do this, you must access this link and uncheck the key of each unwanted item.
How to download data that Google knows about me
As stated above, there are two ways to find out the data that Google stores about you. The first one as you saw it is made completely online, the second being a download with all this data. Check out how it’s done:
- Access this link to access the control panel of your Google account;
- On the open page, click on “Data and personalization”;
- Scroll down to the “Download, delete, or create a plan for your data” section and use the “Download your data” option;
- Select all the items that will be part of the data compilation and click “Next” at the bottom of the page;
- Leave the selected file as a ZIP file, choose its maximum size and the download way for it to be sent to you.
Once you have performed the above procedures, you will receive directly through the selected medium the download of your data in a ZIP file. However, please note that this process is not instantaneous, ie it may take hours or days before Google prepares the file with your data for submission.
How to see what Google knows about me on my cell phone
To see what Google knows about you on the mobile the process is very simple, you will find the same items described above, with its interface adapted to the screen of the cell, of course. Learn how to access them:
- Enter the Android Settings screen and go to “Google”;
- Touch “Google Account” and enter “Data and personalization”;
- Under the “Activity controls” section, you can see all items that Google keeps on you by category. At the end of the screen, you can download your data in a single file, but just like on the computer, the process is not instantaneous.
In addition to seeing data that Google knows about you on your phone, you can also unselect the options that should not be saved by your device, just like you did on your computer.
Ready! Now, you already know everything that Google keeps from your information, including the possibility of taking the options that are important to you.