Google adds Search Services History to save media used in Search

In short: Google is moving photos, audio, and other media you use in certain Search features into a new “Search Services History” setting, and it may use that data to improve its AI.

What happened

Google told users by email that it will start saving more of what you share with Search, including images, files, audio, and video. This will be controlled under a new setting called “Search Services History.”

Google says this includes images you search with Google Lens (the tool that lets you search using a photo), recordings from Search Live (a real-time voice search feature), voice searches, and phrases you speak into Google Translate. Think of it like Google keeping a “receipts folder” for the media you used while searching, not just the text you typed.

Google says you can turn off Search Services History. You can also disable a separate option called “Save Media” if you do not want Google to keep copies of that media.

Google says it will use this history to provide and improve its services, including its AI models (software trained on lots of examples, like a student learning from practice problems). If you turn on a separate setting called “Personalized Recommendations,” Google may also use this information to tailor suggestions and ads.

Google is also separating these controls from its older “Web & App Activity” setting, which previously covered many search-related saves. Google says that if you already blocked Web & App Activity, it will keep Search Services History off during the changeover, and it will carry over your personalization choices as the rollout happens over the next few months.

Why it matters

If you use Lens, voice search, Search Live, or Translate, this change affects what Google stores about those interactions. For many people, that media can be more personal than a typed search, like a photo of a document or a voice recording, so it is worth checking the new settings when they appear.

Source: The Verge AI