Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. Guides

Google records every voice search you make, here’s how to view and delete them

By

mophie galaxy s7 edge juice pack news looking at phone shutterstock 281153945
Shutterstock / Antonio Guillem
You might already know that Google saves all your searches in order to target ads and to provide a better Google Now experience. That is, assuming you have signed in to your Gmail account. What you might not know is that Google also saves the full audio recordings of every one of your voice searches and commands.

This means that every time you search for the nearest Dunkin Donuts, ask how old a particular celebrity is, or even set a reminder to buy milk, Google records you and archives it. Google does this in order to improve speech recognition, so you don’t have to say the same thing over and over.

Recommended Videos

This data is anonymous and not shared publicly. However, privacy is always a concern, so we put together this guide that explains how to view your voice search data. From there, you can delete your history and opt out from future recordings.

Related

View your voice search and commands history

Google Now Voice History
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Voice and Audio Activity page shows every voice search or command you ever made, whether it be from a desktop, smartphone, or Android TV device. You will be able to listen to each recording, and a transcript is provided in most cases.

You can simply click here on your desktop or smartphone to go directly to your Voice and Audio Activity page (sign in to Gmail account required).

Alternatively, you can open the Web & App Activity page by clicking here on your desktop or smartphone (sign in to Gmail account required). This page will show your complete history of web searches, the sites you visited, and what apps you have been using on your smartphone. It even shows your search commands for those apps that are compatible with Google Now. To open your Voice and Audio Activity page, just click on the hamburger (three horizontal lines) menu at the top left, and select Voice and Audio Activity.

Deleting your voice search history

You can delete your entire search history or individual searches.

Delete entire history

  1. Click on the three dot menu at the top right.
  2. Select Delete options.
  3. Click on Advanced.
  4. Select All Time.
  5. Click on Delete.
1 of 4
opt out delete google voice search history now 03a
Image used with permission by copyright holder
opt out delete google voice search history now 04a
Image used with permission by copyright holder
opt out delete google voice search history now 05b
Image used with permission by copyright holder
opt out delete google voice search history now 06a
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Delete one or many search entries

  1. Click on the check boxes next to each individual search you want to delete. Note: checking a date header will automatically select all the searches from that particular date.
  2. Click on Delete at the top right.
Google_Now_Voice_Search_History_02A
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to stop Google from saving future voice searches

  1. Visit the Audio Controls page by clicking here.
  2. Slide the switch to the Off position.
1 of 3
opt out delete google voice search history now 07a
Image used with permission by copyright holder
opt out delete google voice search history now 08a
Image used with permission by copyright holder
opt out delete google voice search history now 09a
Image used with permission by copyright holder

You can also click on Show More Controls for a variety of other settings. You will be amazed at how many things Google is actively archiving.

We hope this guide helped you. Please let us know in the comments if we missed anything, or if you have any other tips.

Editors’ Recommendations

Topics
Robert Nazarian
Robert Nazarian
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…
Leaving LastPass? Here’s how to take all your passwords with you
LastPass

If you, like many of us, have been happily using LastPass's excellent free tier for the last few years, you're probably dismayed that LastPass is moving to change the way its free access works. From March 16, you'll only be able to sync your LastPass database between mobile devices or computers -- but not both. So if you want to keep accessing the same passwords on your phone and laptop, you'll have to pay up and join LastPass's premium subscription for $3 a month.

Of course, not everyone is wild to pay a subscription fee -- or has the free cash to do so. If that's you, you're probably looking for a password manager to replace LastPass. But you won't want to leave all your collected passwords and logins behind. Thankfully, you can quickly and easily export your LastPass passwords and login information and import them into your new password manager of choice. So go check out our list of the best password managers, then dive into our guide on how to leave LastPass and take your passwords with you.
Export your LastPass database
Now that you know you're moving from LastPass, the first step is to make sure you take everything with you. Thankfully, exporting your database from LastPass is simple. Unfortunately, there's no way to export your passwords from the mobile app, so you'll have to use a PC or Mac to complete this action.

Read more
How to block channels on YouTube
A person pointing a remote towards a TV with YouTube running.

Whether you post public YouTube videos for fun or profit, interactions with everyday netizens -- especially trolls -- are an inevitable part of the process. Unfortunately, some commenters seem to have nothing better to do with their time than post offensive and derogatory comments, so consider blocking their channel rather than continuing to feed the trolls.

By blocking someone's channel, you effectively remove their ability to comment on videos that you have posted publicly, which will limit their ability to be a jerk. Truly dedicated malefactors can always create another account, but at least you won't have to hear any smack talk for a while. Read on to learn how to block channels on YouTube on your PC and mobile devices with a few simple steps.
How to block channels on YouTube: PC
In order to block a YouTube channel, you will need to be logged in to your YouTube account. You'll need the username of the account you want to block. You can get that by clicking on the name of the offending user, entering keywords into YouTube's search bar and filters.

Read more
How to change your profile picture on YouTube
YouTube

When it comes to being a successful YouTuber, branding is very important -- the first thing that a potential subscriber should see when considering whether to watch your video is a unique, stylish image to capture their attention and get them hooked. In many ways, having a profile picture or channel icon that stands out from the crowd and gets people interested is almost as important as the content being produced. It's said that you never get a second chance at a first impression, and when it comes to an industry that operates on appearances, your profile picture needs to be on point.

Your channel's content may be top of the line, but people only get to see it if your profile picture was sufficiently compelling to get that all-important click. Popular YouTube channels often feature headshots of the principal star or stars, but you often see logos and icons as well. Note that all images for profile pictures must be no larger than 800 x 800 pixels, must be formatted as GIF, JPG, PNG, or BMP, and cannot be animated. Read on to learn more about how to change your profile picture on YouTube on your PC or mobile device.
How to change your profile picture on YouTube: PC
Step 1: Log in to YouTube Studio, then select Customization > Branding.

Read more