MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 15 (San Francisco News Online) — Google is rolling out a new Search setting called Search Services History that can save more than typed search queries. Google’s documentation says the setting controls whether the company stores activity from Search services while a user is signed in to a Google Account.
That activity can include Google Lens images, voice searches, Search Live recordings and transcripts, Translate speaking-practice audio, uploaded files and other search-related activity. Google also offers a Save Media sub-setting. When that option is on, media shared through Search services can be saved.
Why it matters
Google says saved media may be used “to develop and improve Google services and technologies, including AI models and safety measures.” In plain terms, the setting is both a privacy control and a data-sharing control for Google’s AI systems.
What this setting changes
Google’s documentation says Search Services History is separate from Web & App Activity, the older account control many users already know. Google says the new setting can also cover activity across Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate, News, AI Mode and Ask Maps threads that include file uploads.
Google’s docs also say Google Photos is not included in this change. The setting applies to media actively sent into search and AI tools, not photos sitting in a personal photo library.
How to check your account
Google says the rollout is gradual, so some users may not see the new control yet. If the setting has not reached an account, Google says Web & App Activity may still govern some Search-related history until the new controls appear.
To check the setting, Google directs users to the My Activity page. From there, users can turn off Search Services History or uncheck Save Media.
What happens to data already saved
Turning off Save Media does not automatically erase media that was already saved, according to Google’s documentation. Google also says media that has already been selected for AI training is no longer connected to the account and may be kept for up to four years.
That means the switch controls what gets saved going forward, but it does not necessarily wipe out older items already stored.
A few practical limits
The rollout details are still a little messy. Google says the controls are being added gradually, and the relationship between Search Services History and Web & App Activity is described differently in some reports. Google’s own guidance, though, is that users can manage the setting in My Activity and turn it on or off at any time.
Google spokesperson Davis Thompson said the new settings are meant to help users get more relevant results and revisit searches, and that they can be turned on or off at any time.
For most users, the takeaway is simple: if Lens, voice search, uploaded files or other Search tools are part of your account, Google may now have a separate switch for saving that activity. Checking the setting is the safest way to see what is on in your account.
