Google is giving users more control over their data with new, flexible settings for search history and personalized recommendations. The company says it wants people to have a greater say in which data is saved and how it's used to personalize content.
Two new settings are rolling out soon: "Search services history" and "Personalized recommendations." They separate the previously combined controls that managed activity storage and search personalization.
The "Search services history" setting will include data from Google Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, and other services. Individual products like YouTube, Chrome, and the Gemini apps will keep their own independent history settings.
A separate "Save media files" feature is also being introduced. It allows users to save images uploaded through Google Lens, audio recordings from Search Live, and other media related to their activities. This option requires manual activation.
The second setting, "Personalized recommendations," determines whether Google shows content tailored to a user's interests, including search results, collections, and other personal suggestions.
Google notes that the new parameters will respect existing "Web & App Activity" and "Search personalization" settings. For example, if only some features are enabled, the new system will automatically reflect that in the updated configuration.
However, Google is not completely abandoning the old mechanisms. "Web & App Activity" remains the basic data collection tool for a number of services.
The updates will be rolled out gradually over the next few weeks. Users can find the new settings in the management sections for search services history and personalized recommendations. In the meantime, data continues to be controlled through the usual Google account settings.