by The Computing Australia Group | What Data Google Has
on You & How to Delete It
Why Google has your data (and what that means)
Google’s products feel “smart” because they’re trained on signals from your activity:
- What you search, watch, and read
- Where you go (if Location History is on)
- Which apps you use and interact with
- Which sites you visit in Chrome when you’re signed in and syncing
- Your device and network information (device model, IP approximating location, etc.)
These signals power conveniences (autocompletes, commute times, restaurant suggestions) but also ad personalisation and model training. The good news: Google provides centralised controls to see, limit, delete, and export your data.
The control centre: My Google Account
Open a browser and go to myaccount.google.com (signed in). On mobile:
- Android: Settings → Google → Manage your Google Account
- iOS: Google app → your profile photo → Manage your Google Account
The key tabs you’ll use throughout this guide:
2. Data & privacy – Activity controls, Ad personalisation, Download or delete your data, and Timeline.
3. Security – passwords, 2-Step Verification, devices, and third-party app access.
4. People & sharing – contacts, location sharing, family group.
5. Payments & subscriptions – stored cards, purchases, and subscriptions tied to Google.
What does Google know about you? (A walk-through)
1) Personal Info
Personal info → review:
- Basic info: Name, birthday, gender (optional), profile photo.
- Contact info: Recovery email/phone.
- Accounts: Connected emails/aliases.
- Sensitive visibility: Decide whether certain info is visible across Google services or publicly on your profile.
Quick privacy win: If you don’t want your profile photo or personal details visible, set them to Only you.
2) Activity Controls (the big three + extras)
Head to Data & privacy → History settings. You’ll see the primary switches that drive most data collection:
A) Web & App Activity
Logs your searches, activity in Google apps (Search, Maps, Play, etc.), interactions with Google services on sites and apps, and-if you allow it-audio recordings from Assistant. It can also save Chrome history if you’re signed in and have sync turned on.
- Pause / resume: Toggle Web & App Activity off to stop further logging.
- Auto-delete: Set to auto-delete 3, 18, or 36 months of history on a rolling basis.
- Delete now: Click Manage activity → Delete (last hour, last day, custom range, or all time).
- Audio: Within Web & App Activity, you can usually toggle Include audio recordings (disable if you prefer not to save).
- Chrome sync: If you use Chrome, review chrome://settings/syncSetup/advanced to choose what syncs (history, passwords, addresses, etc.) and consider encrypting synced data with your own passphrase.
B) Location History (Timeline)
When on, Google logs where your signed-in devices have been-feeding Maps Timeline, commute estimates, and place recommendations.
- Pause / resume: Toggle Location History.
- Auto-delete: Choose 3/18/36-month rolling deletion.
- Timeline view: Data & privacy → Timeline or open Google Maps → profile photo → Your Timeline.
- Delete individual stops: Timeline → pick a day → tap ⋮ next to a place → Remove stop from day.
- Delete a day/month: Select the date → trash icon.
- Delete all time: In Timeline → ⋮ → Settings and privacy → Delete all Location History (confirm).
- Device level: Disable device location when not needed (Android: Quick Settings → Location; iOS: Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → toggle per app).
C) YouTube History
Tracks videos you watch and YouTube search queries. This shapes recommendations and watch-next.
- Pause / resume: Toggle YouTube History.
- Auto-delete: 3/18/36 months.
- Delete now: Manage history → Delete (hour/day/custom/all time).
- Granular controls: You can delete Watch history and Search history separately.
- Per-session privacy: Watch in Incognito mode (YouTube mobile app) to avoid logging a sensitive session.
D) Extra signals you should review
- Ad personalisation / My Ad Center: Data & privacy → Ad personalisation. Turn off personalisation entirely or edit interests, categories, sensitive topics, and advertiser blocks.
- Search customisation: Influences predictions even with personalisation reduced; you can turn it off.
- Voice & audio: If present, ensure Include audio recordings is off if you don’t want voice clips saved.
- Google Assistant: Review Assistant settings for routines, Home devices, and voice match.
3) See-and edit-your data in one place (My Activity)
Go to myactivity.google.com. Filter by product (Search, Ads, Maps, Assistant, YouTube, etc.) and date.
- Delete single items via the ⋮ next to an entry → Delete.
- Bulk delete by date range or product.
- Use the Last hour and Last day quick actions if you need to erase a recent session.
Pro tip (privacy sprint):
1. Pause the data types you don’t want saved.
2. Auto-delete the rest every 3–18 months (shorter = more private).
3. Bulk delete older history you don’t need.
4) Third-party apps and account access
Navigate to Security → Third-party access (sometimes “Third-party apps with account access”). You’ll see apps and services you’ve signed into with Google or granted permissions (e.g., read email, view contacts, basic profile).
- Click an app → Remove access for anything you don’t recognise or no longer use.
- Check Signing in with Google and remove stale OAuth connections.
- Review Devices and Your devices; sign out of old phones/laptops you don’t use.
Security best practice:
- Turn on 2-Step Verification (Security → 2-Step Verification) and prefer passkeys or an authenticator app over SMS if available.
- Run Security Checkup-Google will flag weak points (leaked passwords, inactive devices, risky permissions).
5) Photos, Drive, and other product specifics
- Google Photos: By default, Photos backs up your images and metadata (including location if available). Review Photos → Settings → Backup and Sharing settings (remove shared albums you don’t intend to keep sharing).
- Google Drive: Files you store are private unless you share; regularly open the Shared with me tab and revoke links you no longer need live.
- Maps: Besides Timeline, check Maps → Settings → Personal content (mobile) and disable place saving/history if preferred.
- Chrome: Review chrome://history and chrome://settings/clearBrowserData. Consider separate profiles for work/personal and use Guest or Incognito for sensitive sessions.
Deletion options: pause, prune, auto-delete, export, and account deletion
Option 1: Pause future collection
Option 2: Auto-delete on a schedule
Option 3: Manual pruning (surgical)
Option 4: Export your data (Google Takeout)
If you want a personal archive or plan to close your account:
1. Go to Data & privacy → Download or delete your data → Download your data (Google Takeout).
2. Select products (Gmail, Drive, Photos, Calendar, YouTube, etc.).
3. Choose export type (one-time), format, and delivery (download link or send to cloud storage).
4. Start export and save the archive securely.
Option 5: Delete services or your entire Google Account
- Delete a service (e.g., YouTube, Gmail) while keeping the rest: Data & privacy → Download or delete your data → Delete a Google service.
- Delete your entire account: Same area → Delete your Google Account. This removes access to Gmail, Drive, Photos, purchases, and subscriptions. Download data first and transfer accounts that use your Gmail login.
Step-by-step: Delete specific Location History items
1. Open Google Maps (web or app) → profile → Your Timeline.
2. On the left, choose a date.
3. Click/tap ⋮ next to a place → Remove stop from day.
4. To delete one day, use the trash icon.
5. To delete all time, Timeline → ⋮ → Settings & privacy → Delete all Location History → tick the confirmation box → Delete.
Step-by-step: Clear YouTube Watch/Search History
1. Go to myactivity.google.com → YouTube History → Manage history.
2. Use Filter by date or Delete with preset ranges.
3. Toggle Pause Watch history or Pause Search history if you don’t want future logs.
4. In the YouTube app, you can also enable Incognito for private sessions.
Step-by-step: Reduce ad tracking with My Ad Center
1. Go to Data & privacy → Ad personalisation → Go to Ad settings / My Ad Center.
3. Or leave it On and remove interests, limit sensitive categories, and block specific advertisers.
4. Consider opting out of ad personalisation on partner sites (where available).
Business & family considerations
- Work or school accounts: Your organisation manages many settings and may retain logs according to policy. For privacy-sensitive actions, use a personal account or Guest/Incognito.
- Family Link (children): Parents can manage children’s activity settings; explain clearly what’s saved and why.
- Shared devices: Use Separate profiles or Guest mode to avoid cross-pollinating histories.
Practical privacy presets (choose your comfort level)
Privacy-maximised:
- Pause Web & App Activity, Location History, YouTube History.
- Incognito or Guest for sensitive browsing; separate profiles for work/personal.
- Auto-delete 3 months for anything you leave on.
- Ad personalisation Off.
- Tighten third-party access; 2-Step Verification On.
Balanced:
- Web & App Activity On with 18-month auto-delete.
- YouTube History On with 3–18 month auto-delete (better recommendations).
- Location History Off (or On with auto-delete 3 months if Maps Timeline is valuable).
- Tailor Ad personalisation; block sensitive categories.
Convenience-first:
- Keep all On with 36-month auto-delete at minimum.
- Regularly prune My Activity for sensitive items.
- Ensure robust security: passkeys/2SV, password manager, device encryption.
Troubleshooting & tips
- Can’t find a setting? Use the search bar at the top of My Account (e.g., type “audio recordings”, “ad personalisation”).
- Old device still appears? Security → Your devices → Sign out.
- Chrome shows old activity: Clear browsing data (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Del) and check you’re signed into the expected profile.
- Maps says Location History is off but shows places: Places can still be inferred from other signals (e.g., IP, Search). Only Location History populates Timeline.
- Deleted but still seeing similar suggestions? Some recommendations also draw on short-term device caches or account-level signals; give the changes time and consider tightening Ad personalisation and Search customisation.
Summary: A 15-minute privacy reset
1. myaccount.google.com → Data & privacy → History settings:
- Pause anything you don’t want saved.
- Set Auto-delete (3-18 months).
2. My Activity: Delete by product or date (start with “All time” for old clutter).
3. Maps Timeline: Delete sensitive days/places; consider pausing Location History.
4. Ad personalisation: Turn off or prune interests and block advertisers.
5. Security: Remove unknown third-party access, enable 2-Step Verification.
6. Takeout: Export a copy before major deletions or account closure.
While seeing how much data Google has on you can be unsettling, there are many ways to restrict Google’s data slurping. You can sign out of Google in your Chrome browser, turn off location tracking on your Android device. You can also use the incognito mode while surfing. But when it comes to learning what data Google has on you and deleting them, your Google account page is the place to go. If you need more information on internet security or cybersecurity issues, contact us or email us at cybersecurity@computingaustralia.group.
Computing Australia Group of Companies have adopted the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). To know more, read our Privacy Policy.
Jargon Buster
Android: – Android is a mobile operating system by Google based on a modified version of Linux kernel. Google Assistant: – It is an android feature that offers voice commands, voice searching, and voice-activated device control.
