Google has expanded the way it handles search-related data, and the change could matter to anyone who uses its services with photos, audio, or video. New privacy settings now allow more activity and media tied to Google Search to be stored and used to improve AI systems.
The update is not limited to text searches. Images, files, recordings, and video used across Google Search can now be retained as part of the company’s broader effort to develop and refine its artificial intelligence products.
What Google Is Changing
According to TechCrunch, Google has introduced two new settings: Search History and Personalized Recommendations. These controls give users more say over how search activity is used for personalization and how long the data is kept.
At the same time, the company has widened the kinds of information that can be stored. That means search interactions that once felt temporary may now be retained in forms that support AI development and related services.
| Service | Data That May Be Stored | Primary Use |
|---|---|---|
| Google Search | Search history, images, files, audio, video | AI development and personalization |
| Google Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, News | Activity and media used during search | AI development and related services |
Practical examples make the change clearer. If a user searches with Google Lens, the photo used for that query can be stored as training data for AI.
The same applies to search live in the Google app, where voice recordings used for search may also be saved. Google said audio from speaking practice in Google Translate can follow a similar pattern as well.
How Users Can Limit Storage
Google says users can still adjust privacy controls if they do not want their media or search activity kept. The process starts from the Search History and Search Personalization pages, where the available options can be changed.
There is a checkbox to stop media storage, which helps prevent images, audio, video, and files from being kept. Users can also turn off Search History if they do not want their activity recorded.
The company also offers automatic deletion options for stored data after 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months. Other privacy controls remain available too, including Web & App Activity, Timeline, YouTube History, and additional privacy settings.
Before this change, search history management was handled through Web & App Activity. Google has now split that control into two categories, and the new search data setting is turned on by default.
That means turning off Web & App Activity no longer automatically stops Google Search activity from being stored. Users need to check the separate search data settings if they want to limit how their data is used.
Google has also said some data is kept only temporarily so products can work properly. Even so, the company says stored media can also be retained specifically to help train AI models.
The shift reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are using not only web data but also content users create or upload while using their services. Meta is another example, with a similar approach that uses user images, other media, and content from its AI glasses to help improve its models.