MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 15 (San Francisco News Online) — Google is rolling out a new Search-related privacy control called Search Services History, and it changes what can be saved when people use Google Search tools while signed in to a Google Account.
The setting matters because Google says it can cover more than typed searches. According to Google’s own settings and notices, Search Services History may include Google Lens images, voice search recordings, Search Live recordings and transcripts, Translate speaking-practice audio, uploaded files and other activity information tied to Search services.
What the new setting does
Search Services History is a record-keeping setting for activity inside Google’s Search services. Google says it controls whether that activity is saved to an account when a person is signed in.
Google also provides a separate control called Save Media. When that option is turned on, Google can save media from Search-related interactions. Google’s documentation says some saved media may be used to develop and improve Google services and technologies, including AI models and safety measures.
In other words, the setting is not just about search queries. It can also cover images, audio and files that people send into Search tools.
How this is different from Web & App Activity
Google says Search Services History is now separated from other account activity controls, including Web & App Activity and Personalized Recommendations.
That matters because older Google privacy settings often bundled several kinds of history together. Under the new setup, Google is treating Search Services History as its own control.
Google’s guidance also says the rollout is gradual. That means some users may not see the new option yet. In accounts where the change has not arrived, Web & App Activity may still control some Search-related history until the rollout reaches that user.
What kinds of data can be included
Based on Google’s documentation, the setting can include:
- Google Lens images
- Voice searches
- Search Live recordings and transcripts
- Translate speaking-practice audio
- Uploaded files
- Some other Search activity information
One report on Google’s documentation says the change applies across several Google products, including Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, News, AI Mode and Ask Maps threads with file uploads.
The documentation also says Google Photos is not part of this specific setting. The change appears to focus on media actively sent through Search and AI tools, not photos sitting in a personal photo library.
Can saved media be used for AI training?
Google says saved media may be used to improve its AI models and related technology. Google’s documentation, as reported, also says media already selected for AI training is no longer connected to the account and may be kept for up to four years.
That does not mean every upload is automatically used to train AI. It means the company says some saved media can be used for that purpose under the setting.
How to turn it off
Google says users can manage the setting from the My Activity page. The reported steps are:
- Open Google My Activity.
- Find Search Services History.
- Turn it off, or uncheck Save Media if that option appears.
Google says the setting can be turned on or off at any time.
What happens if you turn it off
Turning off Save Media does not automatically erase media that was already saved, according to Google’s documentation. Previously saved media may remain in the account unless it is deleted separately.
That distinction is important: disabling future saving is not the same as deleting past records.
Google spokesperson Davis Thompson said the new settings are meant to help users get more relevant results and revisit their searches, and that they can be turned on or off at any time.
For people who use Lens, voice search or file uploads often, the main change is simple: Google is making those Search interactions more visible in account settings, while also giving users a separate switch to limit how much of that media is stored and potentially used to improve AI systems.
