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Stop Google from tracking your voice
1:41
When you ask Google a question, these recordings are automatically saved to your Google account. While the recordings are only accessible by you, they may include some private information you don’t feel comfortable having in the cloud. There’s no reason to panic. It’s easy to access and delete recordings, and prevent Google from saving them in the first place. Here’s what you need to know:
Voice activity management
- Head to the Voice & Audio Activity page. You may be prompted to sign-in again.
Enlarge ImageNicole Cozma/CNET
- You can listen to recordings using the Play button under each one.
This is useful if you recall using voice search to look up something like a movie or book title recently, can’t remember the exact words, and want to learn more about it now.
Enlarge ImageNicole Cozma/CNET
- To delete: click the check boxes next to recordings and then click the Delete menu option in the top right-hand corner.
Want to delete more at once? Before checking any boxes, click the overflow menu (the three-dot icon) in the top right-hand corner and select Delete options. You can then choose to delete recordings from today, yesterday, the past week, the past four weeks or even all time (every recording).
Turn off recording history
To be clear: Google uses these recordings to help recognize your voice and improve speech recognition. The data can also only be accessed by you. If you simply aren’t comfortable having your voice stored on Google’s servers, though, there is an easy way to disable the recording feature.
Enlarge ImageNicole Cozma/CNET
- On the Voice & Audio Activity page, click the overflow menu (the three dot icon) and choose Settings.
- Toggle the blue switch to the off position. You’ll be prompted to confirm you want to pause recording history; click Pause.
Editors’ note: This How To post was originally published on July 9, 2015, and has been updated to include new information.
