Google has introduced a new account setting that allows it to save images, files, audio, and video submitted through its Search related services and use that content to improve its artificial intelligence models. The change applies to media submitted through a wide range of Google products, including Search, Lens, Maps, Translate, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, and News, marking one of the company’s most significant expansions yet of what user activity can feed into its AI systems.
The new setting, called Search Services History, can store images uploaded to Google Lens, files submitted through Search, voice search recordings, and audio captured during Translate speaking practice sessions. It can also save recordings from Search Live, a feature that allows users to communicate with Search through voice and their phone’s camera simultaneously. According to Google’s own support documentation, saved media may be used to develop and improve its AI models and the services powered by them, including AI Mode, Lens, Translate, Search Live, and voice search. The policy does not extend to personal media stored in Google Photos, and applies specifically to interactions carried out through Google’s Search services, while media managed by separate products such as Gemini, NotebookLM, Google Voice, and YouTube continues to be controlled through their own distinct settings.
Google is moving Search related data away from its broader Web and App Activity controls and placing it under two separate options called Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations. The new settings inherit each user’s previous choices, meaning accounts that already had Web and App Activity enabled will generally have Search Services History enabled as well, while accounts that had the earlier activity setting disabled should find the new option turned off by default. This means the feature will not be automatically active for every account, though it will apply to a large share of users whose previous history settings were already switched on, as Google continues rolling out the new controls gradually across regions. Before any media is used for AI training, Google says it disconnects the information from the user’s account and applies automated filters intended to remove identifying details and sensitive personal information, while media selected for model training can still be retained for up to four years after being separated from the account.
Users who prefer not to have their uploaded Search media saved can visit Google’s My Activity page and select Search Services History, then uncheck the Save Media option without disabling their entire search history altogether. Turning off Save Media prevents Google from saving media from future Search interactions and stops that future media from being used to train generative AI models, unless a user separately submits content as feedback. Previously saved images, files, and recordings are not automatically deleted when the option is disabled, meaning users must manually open their Search Services History and remove existing media if they want it erased entirely. Changing this setting does not disable AI Overviews within Google Search, since that feature is controlled separately, and Google’s supported method for avoiding AI generated summaries in results remains selecting the Web filter, which displays traditional text based links only.
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