Concerned about what Google knows about you? Your Google Account has a powerful, centralized hub called the Privacy Dashboard that gives you visibility and control over your data.
What is the Google Privacy Dashboard?
The Privacy Dashboard is a single, unified interface within your Google Account settings. It provides a clear overview of the vast amount of personal data associated with your account and offers straightforward tools to review, manage, and delete it.
1. Review Your Core Privacy Settings
The dashboard serves as a launchpad for your most important privacy controls. From here, you can quickly access and configure settings for personalized ads, YouTube history, and whether your saved activity can be used to improve Google’s services.
2. Manage Your Web & App Activity
This section is a log of your interactions with Google services. It can include your searches, voice commands, and browsing history from Chrome. You can review this timeline, pause the collection of new data, or choose to automatically delete it after a set period (like every 3 or 18 months).
3. Control Your Location History
If enabled, Location History creates a detailed timeline of where you go with your devices. In the dashboard, you can view this map, see which devices are contributing data, turn the feature off entirely, or set up automatic deletion for old location records.
4. Check Your YouTube History
Your YouTube watch and search histories are meticulously logged here. The dashboard allows you to see everything you’ve watched, pause history saving, and clear all or specific portions of your history to stop it from influencing your recommendations.
5. Download Your Data or Delete Your Account
For broader actions, the Privacy Dashboard provides links to Google’s comprehensive tools. You can use Google Takeout to download a copy of all your data for your own records. For the ultimate privacy step, you can also find the option to delete your entire Google Account and all associated information.
Take Back Control of Your Information
Google’s Privacy Dashboard demystifies your data footprint. By regularly checking this hub and configuring its settings, you can make informed decisions about your privacy, limiting how much information is stored and how it is used.