Google is rolling out two new settings—Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations—so users can manage search history and tailored results separately. A new “Save Media” option will determine whether media like uploaded Google Lens images and audi
For people who already wrestle with Google’s settings every time they want more privacy, this update lands like a small but meaningful shift: Google is splitting search history storage and personalization into separate controls.
Google says a new pair of settings will soon replace some of the older “bundled” behavior. The new options are called “Search Services History” and “Personalized Recommendations. ” and they are designed to let users manage those two things independently rather than treating them as one linked decision.
“Search Services History” is built to cover data from Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, and other key Google services. It does not include data from services that already have their own history settings—Chrome, Gemini Apps, and YouTube are explicitly named as examples.
Google is also tying this history setting to a media-saving toggle. A new “Save Media” option can save media from interactions, including uploaded images from Google Lens and audio recordings from Search Live, plus “and more.” But that media saving only happens if “Save Media” is enabled.
On the other side is “Personalized Recommendations,” which controls whether Google shows content tailored to you. This can include results that match your interests, curated feeds, and more.
Google says the new settings will respect your existing setup in “Web & App Activity” and “Search Personalization.” The company gives a clear example: if you have enabled Web & App Activity but disabled Search Personalization, then the new settings will only enable Search Services History.
You’ll still be able to choose how long your data is saved, and you’ll be able to delete it.
Even with the change, Google is not turning off Web & App Activity everywhere. The company says “Web & App Activity continues to control activity collection and personalization for some other Google services.”
The new settings are rolling out over the coming weeks. If you don’t see them yet, Google says your data is still being controlled using the Web & App Activity options in Search.
Google Search search history personalized recommendations Web & App Activity Search Services History Save Media Google Lens Search Live privacy settings data controls