Cameron Summerson
Last year, Google pushed a new feature that allows users to automatically delete search, location, voice, and YouTube history after 3 or 18 months. Today, that feature is being enabled by default for new users (or users who enable history tracking for the first time).
Location History, which saves where you go for better recommendations in Maps (and more), is disabled by default. But now, if you choose to enable it, then it will automatically delete your location history after 18 months. You also still have the option of changing this to 3 months if you’d like.
For Web & App activity, tracking is enabled by default for all accounts, and auto-delete options were disabled. But starting now, the default for this option will also be set to auto-delete after 18 months. Again, the option for 3 months is still available, or you can disable tracking altogether.
For YouTube, auto-delete settings will default to 36 months for users who open new accounts or enable the tracking feature for the first time. The current 3 and 18 month options are also available here if you’d prefer one of those.
Further, Google is making it easier to control your account directly from search—just look up a quick term like “privacy checkup” and a box will show up in-line. It’s only visible to you and will make tweaking your Google account easier. The company is also making incognito mode for apps like YouTube more accessible by long-pressing your profile picture.
As usual, all of the delete options and deeper account controls can be found in your Google Account Settings. It’s also worth noting that if you previously enabled Location or YouTube History tracking, your auto-delete settings will not be automatically changed to the now-default 18 months. You’ll need to jump in and do that yourself.
Source: Google
