Google is tracking you right now — change these 3 settings to stop it

Tom's Guide

2 days ago

If you've ever had the creeping sense that Google knows a little too much about you, you're not wrong. From your search habits to your exact location on any given day, Google keeps a detailed log of your digital life, all in the name of personalization.
But convenience comes at a cost. Whether you're concerned about data privacy, targeted ads, or just want more control over your information, the good news is you can push back.
It only takes a few setting changes to limit what Google collects, what it remembers, and how it uses your activity. Here's how I adjusted my Google account to take back a little privacy.
Every search, every voice command, every tap in a Google-owned app is logged under your Web & App Activity.
It's the digital equivalent of someone reading over your shoulder — all day, every day. To turn this off, go to your Google account settings, then Data & privacy, and Web & App Activity. From there, hit Turn off, and choose whether to delete what's already been saved.
You'll also see the option to auto-delete future activity every 3, 18, or 36 months. That's worth enabling, too. If you want to dig deeper, you can delete data from specific apps like Maps or News, or even remove activity one item at a time.
Google's Timeline is a hyper-detailed log of where you've been — trips, errands, even your commute. If that makes you uneasy, it should. To manage this, open the Google Maps app on your phone, tap your profile icon, then select Your Timeline.
Tap the cloud icon to stop syncing location history across devices, then head into Location & privacy settings via the three-dot menu. Here, you can shut off Timeline, turn off location backups, and delete old entries entirely.
You can even set auto-delete for your location data at 3, 18, or 36 months.
Even if you're okay with some data collection, that doesn't mean you want it used to target you with ads. Google's ad platform uses your activity, YouTube history, and location to build a profile for advertisers.
To shut this down, go to your Google account, then Data & privacy and Ad settings. Then click into My Ad Center and switch off Personalized ads. For extra privacy, you can scroll down and click Partner ad settings, and disable the toggle.
Now you've learned how to stop Google tracking you, why not take a look at our other useful guides? To protect your privacy even further, check out how to stop your personal data from appearing in Google searches and how to check for hidden cameras in your Airbnb and hotel.
And if you want to safeguard your phone when entering the U.S., don't miss these 5 security tips.
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