Google on Wednesday announced it is integrating data and privacy controls right into Search, making these tools much more accessible for its users.
According to a new blog post from the search engine giant, it is building data privacy controls — and clear explanations of what it does with user data — into Search itself, on both desktop and mobile. Additionally, it notes that it’ll give the same treatment to Maps next year, along with “many other Google products.”
“Today, we’re making it easier for you to make decisions about your data directly within the Google products you use every day, starting with Search,” begins the post. “Without ever leaving Search, you can now review and delete your recent Search activity, get quick access to the most relevant privacy controls in your Google Account, and learn more about how Search works with your data.”
Starting today, when you open up a Google Search page on your phone or desktop, you’ll be able to easily get into your search history, see the links you’ve interacted with, the terms you searched for, etc. Google is adding a “Your data in Search” option from the Search page, taking all sorts of steps out of how you take a look at your history.
To access this feature, hit the menu button and navigate to “Your data in Search,” where you will find recently searched keywords and websites. From here, you can delete any of your history, adjust Google ad settings, check out the voice data Google has on you, and learn more about the information that Google is tracking.
On the web, the same page is accessed by clicking on “Settings” in the lower right corner of the page and then choosing “Your data in Search.”
Google is also making it quicker to get to the Google Account area from Search, where users can access privacy controls, which include advertising settings and the ability to decide what information Google saves to people’s accounts.
The improvements will be available on Google Search for desktop and mobile immediately, before rolling out to the Google app on iOS and Android in the coming weeks.
