Google already knows your search history, your location, your email, your calendar, and what you watch at 2am. These settings won’t undo that — but they’ll slow the machine down.
Google is the largest data collector on the planet. Your Google account is linked to Search, Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Chrome, Android, and dozens of other services — all feeding a single advertising profile that follows you everywhere.
DO / DON’T
DO:
- Enable 2-Step Verification — your Google account is a master key to your digital life
- Regularly review what apps have access to your Google account
- Use Google Alerts to monitor when your name or personal info appears online
DON’T:
- Use “Sign in with Google” for third-party apps unless absolutely necessary — each one is another door into your account
- Allow Google to store your location history
- Leave your ad personalization settings at their defaults
Manage Your Google Account
Path: myaccount.google.com OR Google app > profile picture > Manage your Google Account
Privacy & Personalization
Path: Manage Google Account > Data & Privacy tab
History Settings:
- Web & App Activity: Pause — Google stores every search and site visit
- Location History: Pause — disables continuous location tracking
- YouTube History: Pause (Watch History + Search History both)
- For each: select “Auto-delete” and set to 3 months minimum
Ad Settings:
- Go to Ad personalization → Turn OFF — prevents Google from building an interest profile for targeting you
- Review and delete listed ad topics and interests — see what they already have on you
Results About You:
- Use this tool to find and request removal of your personal information from Google Search results
- Check regularly for new results containing your name, address, or phone number
Security
Path: Manage Google Account > Security tab
- 2-Step Verification: Enable — use an authenticator app rather than SMS when possible
- Passkeys: Set up for passwordless sign-in (more secure than passwords)
- Review your devices: Remove any unrecognized devices
- Review 3rd-party access: Revoke apps that no longer need access
- Check for compromised passwords via the Password Manager’s checkup tool
People & Sharing
Path: Manage Google Account > People & Sharing tab
- Review About me — control what information is visible to others
- Phone number visibility: Set to “Only you”
- Birthday visibility: Set to “Only you”
- Disable Personal results in Search (prevents Google from mixing your account data into search results on shared devices)
Google Profile (Public)
Path: myaccount.google.com/profile
- Do NOT display your full name if avoidable
- Profile photo: use something other than your face
- Review what info is visible to “Anyone” vs “People you know”
Google Alerts
Path: google.com/alerts
Google Alerts sends email notifications when your search terms appear in new web content. Set these up and leave them running — they do the monitoring for you.
Setup:
- Go to google.com/alerts
- Enter your name in quotes:
"First Last" - Also create alerts for: your email address, phone number, home address, username
- Set Frequency: “As it happens” or “Once a day”
- Set Sources: All / News / Web
- Set How many: “All results”
- Enter your email → Create Alert
Modify/Delete:
- Return to google.com/alerts to edit or remove existing alerts
- Set up alerts for family members’ names as well
Pause Web & App Activity, Location History, and YouTube History. Then turn off Ad Personalization. Those four settings together cut the most significant data flows. Do it at myaccount.google.com right now.