Unless you change these settings, Google will continue to follow you

Do you use any of Google’s apps? If applicable, you are probably followed. Even though you’ve turned off location history on your Google account, you’re still not entirely clear. Although disabling this setting sounds like a one-stop-shop, some Google apps are always storing your location data. Just open the Google Maps app or use Google search on any platform to save your approximate location with a time stamp.

However, following a 2018 investigation by The Associated Press, Google made it easier to control location and other data saved and deleted with features like Your data in maps and search, which give you quick access to your locate commands. You just have to know where to look.

Turning off location history only removes where you’ve been from the Google Maps Timeline feature, which records your location along with certain data at a specific time. Google’s support page on this subject states that even when disabled, “some location data may still be saved in other settings,” such as your web and app activity. Google has told us that it uses this data to make features more personalized and useful, and that this information is never shared with third parties or advertisers. But if you’re still not comfortable with it, with a few extra steps you can usually prevent Google from knowing where you are 24/7.

Just note that disabling this default setting has some drawbacks. While Google’s settings may seem intrusive to some, they also help cultivate a super-personalized online experience, like helping people find businesses nearby instead of those in another city, or seeing personalized ads. . They help give users more relevant information instead of random information, according to Google.

here’s how really turn off Google tracking and what would be the results.

Turn off Google’s location tracking

To completely turn off Google’s ability to save your location, here’s what to do:

1. Open Google.com on your desktop or mobile browser and sign in to your Google account using the button in the top right corner.

2. Click on your user icon in the upper right corner and select Manage your Google Account.

3. Click on Confidentiality and personalization.

4. Click on The things you’ve done and the places you’ve been.

5. Click on Position history inside of History settings box. This opens Activity checks.

6. Under Site Story, click on the button to the right that reads To extinguish. This opens a pop-up window.

seven. Scroll down to the bottom of this window and click Pause.

What is this preventing Google from storing?

Suspending this setting prevents Google from storing location markers associated with specific actions and stops storing information collected during searches or other activities. If you turn it off, your approximate location remains private and other places you go, such as your home address.

Note that in order to effectively use some features, like the Maps app, Google will still need to access your location. However, performing the above steps prevents it from storing any future activity. When Google time stamps your activity in a general area, it spans over 1 square mile with typically over 1,000 users to protect privacy. Google’s help page on this topic says it helps them spot unusual activity, such as logging in from another city, while keeping personal information private.

However, you can allow Google to use your precise location – your exact location, such as a specific address – to get the best search results specific to where you are.

Advantages and disadvantages of disabling Google tracking

Turning off tracking means you’ll see less relevant ads, less useful search recommendations, and overall a less personalized experience using the search engine and its apps and services. For those who like personalized ads, turning off tracking will prevent Google from predicting what might be of interest to you. However, for those who prioritize privacy over everything, disabling this setting may mean the loss of specificity.

The bottom line: You can keep your privacy and lose the personalized internet experience, or continue to see relevant ads and search suggestions instead of more random, unfiltered information.

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Delete old position history

Disabling tracking will prevent Google from storing new location information, but it will not delete any previous data collected. Here’s how to remove this information:

1. Open Google.com on your desktop or mobile browser and sign in to your Google account using the button in the top right corner.

2. After logging in, click on your user icon in the upper right corner and select Manage your Google Account.

3. Click on Confidentiality and personalization.

4. Click on The things you’ve done and the places you’ve been.

5. Click on Position history inside of History settings box. This opens Activity checks.

6. Click on Manage history near the bottom of the page. This opens a map with a timeline in the upper left corner. The map shows where you’ve been and the timeline shows where you were at what time.

seven. To remove your location for a certain date, click the date in the timeline. This date will then be displayed below the timeline. Click it waste icon to the right of the date. In the pop-up window, click Delete the day.

8. To delete all of your location history at once, click the button waste icon near the bottom right corner of the map. In the pop-up window, click the box that reads I understand and want to delete all position history. Click on Delete location history.

Prevent Google from collecting your web and app activity

When you create a new Google Account, Google minimizes the amount of data it collects by only keeping 18 months of default web and app activity – anything older is automatically deleted. Here’s how to prevent Google from collecting your future web and app activity:

1. Open Google.com on your desktop or mobile browser and sign in to your Google account using the button in the top right corner.

2. After logging in, click on your user icon in the upper right corner and select Manage your Google Account.

3. Click on Confidentiality and personalization.

4. Click on The things you’ve done and the places you’ve been.

5. Click on Web and app activity inside of History settings box. This opens Activity checks.

6. Click on To extinguish under Web activity and applications.

seven. In the pop-up window, click Pause.

8. Click on Understood.

Delete all your web and Google apps activity

If you’ve blocked Google from collecting your web and app activity, Google still has your data from before. Here’s how to delete your previous web and app activity:

1. Open Google.com on your desktop or mobile browser and sign in to your Google account using the button in the top right corner.

2. After logging in, click on your user icon in the upper right corner and select Manage your Google Account.

3. Click on Confidentiality and personalization.

4. Click on The things you’ve done and the places you’ve been.

5. Click on Web and app activity inside of History settings box. This opens Activity checks.

6. Click Manage All Web and app activity near the bottom of the screen.

seven. Below Find your activity, Click on To delete on the right.

8. The new window will display the options to delete your Web and app activity from Last hour, Last day, All the time or one Custom range. To select All the time.

9. A new window will open and ask you to choose the services from which you want to delete the activity. Select all is automatically selected, but you can browse and choose the apps or services whose information you want to remove. Click on Following when you are satisfied with your selection.

ten. A pop-up window opens that reads Confirm that you want to delete the following activity near the top. Click on
the To delete near the bottom.

11. Click on Understood.

To find out more, find out how to see if google follows you, how much data Google collects, and how hide where you are going Cards. You can also automatically delete your Google history.