Your Google account quietly records more about you than you might expect, from every search you run to the routes you drive. A privacy checkup takes about fifteen minutes and shows exactly what Google has collected and how to stop future collection. Here is what to review, in the order that matters most.
1. Review Web & App Activity
Go to myaccount.google.com → Data & privacy → Web & App Activity.
This records your searches, the sites you visit through Google services, and your activity in apps. It is on by default. Open the page and you can:
- Pause it to stop new collection.
- Review what has been collected and delete items or the entire history.
- Set auto-delete to remove activity older than 3, 18, or 36 months — a good middle ground if you want some history but not a permanent record.
2. Review Location History
Data & privacy → Location History. This builds a timeline of everywhere you go (separate from the location permissions you grant individual apps). It is off by default in some regions but on in others — check it. Pause it to stop new entries, and delete existing history from the timeline page.
3. Turn off ad personalization
Data & privacy → Ad settings → Ad personalization → Off.
Turning this off stops Google from building an advertising profile from your activity. You will still see ads — just generic ones. Google's own checkup flags this as the single setting most people change during a privacy review.
4. Set YouTube history to auto-delete
Data & privacy → YouTube History. Your watch and search history on YouTube is stored separately. Set both to auto-delete (3, 18, or 36 months) or pause them entirely if you do not need recommendations based on history.
5. Review third-party apps with account access
Security → Your connections → Third-party apps with account access. Every app you have ever signed into with Google sits here, and each one can potentially read your profile data and email. Review the list and remove anything you no longer use. This is the most commonly ignored setting, and cleaning it shrinks your exposure quickly.
6. Check connected devices and recent security events
Security → Your devices and Security → Recent security events. Review which devices are signed into your account and sign out anything you do not recognize. The security events page shows logins, password changes, and recovery attempts — a good early-warning check.
7. Review your recovery options
Security → Ways we can verify it's you. Your recovery phone and email are the keys to getting back into your account if you are locked out. Make sure they are current and belong to you. An attacker who adds their own recovery method can take over the account permanently.
8. Use Google's Privacy Checkup tool
Finally, run Google's Privacy Checkup (myaccount.google.com/privacycheckup) — a guided walkthrough of the settings above. It takes a few minutes and points out anything you have missed.
The honest note
These settings reduce what Google collects, but they do not stop everything. Google still needs some data to keep your account working and secure, and it shares data with its advertising partners in ways covered by its privacy policy. The goal is not perfection — it is deciding what you are comfortable storing. Pair this checkup with a Chrome privacy settings review for the full picture.
Quick answers
Does turning off ad personalization stop Google from collecting data? No. It stops Google from using your data to personalise ads, but your activity is still collected unless you pause Web & App Activity and Location History.
How do I delete everything Google has collected? Go to Data & privacy → Web & App Activity → Delete → All time, and repeat for Location History and YouTube History.
What is the most important setting to change? Reviewing third-party apps with account access (step 5) is the most commonly ignored and has the fastest impact, since it immediately cuts the number of companies that can read your data.
Does auto-delete work retroactively? No — auto-delete applies going forward. Existing history stays until you delete it manually.
Sources and further reading
Written by Hassan Arshad, founder of UsefulOrbit. Last updated August 31, 2026.