My Activity is a Google process that allows you to review and manage your activity across various Google services. This includes things like searches you’ve made, websites you’ve visited, and videos you’ve watched,
You can use it to:
- View your activity: See a detailed history of your interactions with Google services.
- Delete activity: Remove specific items or entire categories of activity.
- Control activity settings: Adjust what types of activity Google saves and how long it keeps them.
- Also – If you’ve forgotten where you saw a particular thing on the internet, you can go back through your search history to get back to it.
This can be a useful tool for maintaining privacy and managing your digital footprint. Keep in mind that Google is storing private information about your personal website habits and that might not be something you want to have happen.
If that’s the case, here are some steps to mitigate the information Google collects.
How to Delete and Manage Google Activity History
Why Delete Your Google Activity?
– Privacy: Reduce your digital footprint and protect personal info.
– Fresh Start: Clear out old or sensitive searches.
– Control: Decide what Google keeps about you.
Delete All Activity (Manual Method)
1. Go to myactivity.google.com.
2. Click “Delete” above your activity list.
3. Choose “All time”.
4. Click “Next”, then “Delete” to confirm.
Delete Specific Items
1. Visit myactivity.google.com.
2. Scroll or search for specific entries.
3. Click the trash icon next to delete the items you want to remove.
Set Up Auto-Delete
1. Go to your Google Account > Data & privacy.
2. Under “History settings”, choose the activity type.
3. Click “Auto-delete” and select a time frame (3, 18, or 36 months).
4. Confirm your choice.
Pause Activity Tracking
1. Go to Google Account > Data & privacy.
2. Under “History settings”, select the activity type.
3. Click “Turn off” (optionally delete past activity too)
For more than 20 years, David Snell’s Tech Talk has been a regular spot on The South Shore’s Morning News on 95.9 WATD fm. At 8:11, David chats with show hosts Rob Hakala and Beth Foster about what’s happening in IT today. The subjects range from computer viruses, scams and cybercriminals to what Amazon, Apple or Microsoft are planning next.
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