In this guide, we will be exploring the process of turning off Google Web & App activity on your iPhone and Mac. As the saying goes, if a service is free, then you are the product. This is particularly true for Google’s Web & App activity feature, which tracks your browsing habits, location, and search history to present you with personalized ads.
This may be concerning for individuals who value their privacy. If you’re one of them and wish to disable Google web and app activity on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, then continue reading as we have provided step-by-step instructions in this post.
What is Web & App Activity in Google?
As previously mentioned, Google’s Web & App Activity feature records your online behavior while using their services. The data collected is then used to create personalized ads for profit.
While customized ads can be useful in helping you find products or services that fit your needs, the data collection can also be a privacy violation, despite Google’s explanations for why it is necessary.
By using any Google service, you are automatically consenting to the collection of your data, so it’s your responsibility to turn off Google Web & App Activity if you wish to protect your privacy.
How to check your Google activity on iPhone or Mac
You can access the Google activity page in two ways. Visit myactivity.google.com in a browser to access it, or use the Gmail app. I have listed the Gmail method below.
- Open the Gmail app on your iPhone.
- Tap the hamburger menu → hit Settings.
- Tap your name/email.
- Select Your info, privacy, and security.
- Choose Data and privacy → select My Activity under History settings.
Here you can see all of the activities you have done while using Google services.
You might be surprised to learn just how much data Google has gathered about you, but don’t worry. There is a solution: turn off Google Web & App Activity on your iPhone and delete any data that Google has already stored.
In addition to the link provided earlier and Gmail, you can also manage your Google account through various Google apps such as Chrome, Google Maps, and more. Simply open the app and sign in to your account, then select “manage your Google account” to get started.
How to turn off web and app activity in Google on iPhone or Mac
- Visit myactivity.google.com on your browser.
- Choose Web & App Activity.
- Tap Turn off.
- Choose Pause and hit Got it.
That’s not all; you can also turn off Location History and Youtube History from the My Google Activity page.
Simply select the respective options and tap Turn off, and the rest of the steps will be the same.
How to delete Google web and app activity on iPhone or Mac
- Visit myactivity.google.com on your browser.
- Tap Delete next to Filter by date & product.
- Based on your preference, choose from the following options:
- Last hour → Delete
- Last day → Delete
- All time → Select apps whose data you want to delete → Next → Delete
- Custom range →. Set range → Next → Delete
Apart from that, you can also check our guide on how to delete YouTube history if you are interested.
Apart from manually deleting the data, you can also enable auto-delete to remove your web and app data from Google. Here’s how:
Auto-delete Google Web and App Activity
- Visit the My Activity page.
- Select Web & App Activity.
- Select Choose an auto-delete option.
- Choose the drop-down menu below Auto-delete activity older than → Select the time frame and hit Next.
- Hit Confirm.
Conclsuion
If safeguarding your online privacy and protecting yourself from data tracking is of utmost importance to you, then disabling and deleting the record of your app and web activity may provide you with some peace of mind. Nonetheless, this choice does come with a cost, which is the inability to access your past activity or receive personalized search recommendations.
Thank you for reading.
