Think your Google history has been completely deleted? Think again…
Here’s how to see every Google search you have ever made including those ones you deleted
We all secretly suspect that when we delete something from the internet, it’s not really gone.
Well unfortunately, for those who have skeletons in their search engine history closet, Google keeps a full record of every search you have ever made- removed searches and all.
But the good news for secretive searchers is that only you can access your record and it is fairly simple to stop Google from collecting the data.
The system works by tracking everything you search for when logged in to your Gmail or Google account, it then keeps a record of all of it, whether you remove it from your search history or not.
If this is your worst fears being realised then don’t worry, you can take a look at your own awkward/embarrassing history, right down to the first search, using this link:
You can even analyse the information using their handy “search my searches” tool.
But the cringe factor doesn’t stop there; you can also review all your image searches and check which videos you’ve been watching on YouTube over the years.
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The nifty report will also let you relive your previous Google Maps searches so you can review the same areas as in days gone by.
If the mood takes you, you can even download your entire history to peruse at your leisure later.
Fortunately there is a way of shutting this service down preventing Google from tracking your searches and it is very simple.
At the top left of the screen there is a drop down menu which includes the option “Activity Controls.”
Select this and on the screen which pop-ups up you can switch off the slider which is marked “Web & App Activity.”
This information is only available to you or anyone using a computer logged into your Gmail account, so it is a good reminder never to forget to log-out on a public computer, you never know what someone could find.
