New Google Privacy Controls Split Saved Search Data

Seven Google Search services plus Google Play are getting new Google privacy controls that split saved activity history from personalization, including a media-saving option that can store images, files, audio, and video from Search interactions.

Google is rolling out the changes through users’ Google Account settings over the next few days, according to BleepingComputer, which reviewed an email from Google titled “New privacy settings for Search services.”

7 Search services and Google Play get split Google privacy controls

The new settings apply to Search, Maps, Shopping, Hotels, Flights, Translate, and News, which Google groups as Search services. Google Play is getting its own parallel controls.

Google told users it is “updating our settings to give you even more control over saved history and personalized recommendations across Google Search services and Google Play.”

Until now, Google managed much of this through Web & App Activity, the account-level control that tracks activity across Google sites and apps. The new setup breaks that broad switch into more specific settings.

“Previously, saving history and personalization were managed by Web & App Activity,” Google said in the email. “Going forward, you can better tailor your Search services experience using your new Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations settings.”

That separation matters because saved history and personalization are not the same thing. A user may want Google to remember past searches for convenience, but not use that activity to tune recommendations across Search services.

Google says users will see the change in their Google Account “in the next few days.” The source material does not specify whether timing differs by region, account type, or device.

Save Media is the setting users should inspect first

The most sensitive new control is Save Media, a subsetting tied to Search Services History. If Web & App Activity is currently turned on, Google says Search Services History will be turned on after the transition, and Save Media will also be turned on.

That means users who previously allowed Web & App Activity should not assume the new media setting starts off disabled.

Google says saved media can include images, files, audio, and video from interactions with Search services. That covers features such as Google Lens visual searches and voice-based interactions.

“Saved media includes your images, files, audio and video from your interactions with Search services to help improve your experience,” Google said.

Google framed the change as support for newer interactive Search experiences. In one example cited in the email, users could revisit past Lens searches or continue a Search Live conversation about a song.

The sharper privacy question is what else that data can support. Google said saved media, like Search Services History, may be used to improve Google services and technologies.

“Like your Search Services History, your saved media is also used to develop and improve Google services and technologies, including AI models and safety measures,” Google said.

Users can turn off Save Media at any time, according to Google. They can also delete individual pieces of media from their history.

For adjacent XOOMAR coverage on how AI features are moving deeper into consumer software and devices, see Fitbit Air Tames AI Health With a Coach That Says No and Quiet Android 17 Pixel 9 Pro Test Rewires Daily Work.

History and personalization now split across Search and Play

Google’s new structure creates separate controls for storing activity and using that activity to shape what users see. That is the useful part of this update.

Google said changes to one setting will not affect the others after the transition. That is a cleaner model than one broad Web & App Activity switch, but it also means users now have more places to check.

For Google Play, the company said users will get Play History and Personalization in Play settings “even if you’ve never used this service.”

Google also said the new Search services and Play settings will reflect users’ most recent choices for Web & App Activity and Search Personalization. Auto-delete choices should carry over too.

“Your prior choice from Web & App Activity for how long your history is saved will also apply to Search Services History and Play History,” Google said.

The practical test is whether users notice the toggles

The immediate action is simple: check Google Account activity controls, then look for Search Services History, Save Media, Personalized Recommendations, Play History, and Personalization in Play once the update appears.

Users should pay close attention to four things:

• Defaults: If Web & App Activity was on, Search Services History and Save Media will also be on after the transition.
• Deletion: Google says users can delete individual saved media items.
• Separation: Turning off one setting should not automatically change the others.
• Carryover: Existing auto-delete periods from Web & App Activity should apply to Search Services History and Play History.

XOOMAR analysis: for developers and app businesses, the Play side is the piece to watch. The source does not show any measured impact on app discovery or conversions, but if more users limit Personalization in Play, recommendation surfaces could become less tailored for those accounts.

The bigger near-term issue is visibility. Google is giving users more granular controls, but granularity only helps if people find the settings and understand what remains enabled. The next few days should show whether this lands as a clearer privacy dashboard or another account menu users have to audit manually.

Key Takeaways

• Users can now separate saved activity history from personalized recommendations.
• The new controls affect major Google services including Search, Maps, News, and Google Play.
• The media-saving option means users should review whether Google stores images, files, audio, or video from Search interactions.