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Google records every voice search you make, here’s how to view and delete them

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You might already know that Google saves all your searches in order to target ads and to provide a better Google Now experience. That is, assuming you have signed in to your Gmail account. What you might not know is that Google also saves the full audio recordings of every one of your voice searches and commands.

This means that every time you search for the nearest Dunkin Donuts, ask how old a particular celebrity is, or even set a reminder to buy milk, Google records you and archives it. Google does this in order to improve speech recognition, so you don’t have to say the same thing over and over.

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This data is anonymous and not shared publicly. However, privacy is always a concern, so we put together this guide that explains how to view your voice search data. From there, you can delete your history and opt out from future recordings.

View your voice search and commands history

Google Now Voice History
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Voice and Audio Activity page shows every voice search or command you ever made, whether it be from a desktop, smartphone, or Android TV device. You will be able to listen to each recording, and a transcript is provided in most cases.

You can simply click here on your desktop or smartphone to go directly to your Voice and Audio Activity page (sign in to Gmail account required).

Alternatively, you can open the Web & App Activity page by clicking here on your desktop or smartphone (sign in to Gmail account required). This page will show your complete history of web searches, the sites you visited, and what apps you have been using on your smartphone. It even shows your search commands for those apps that are compatible with Google Now. To open your Voice and Audio Activity page, just click on the hamburger (three horizontal lines) menu at the top left, and select Voice and Audio Activity.

Deleting your voice search history

You can delete your entire search history or individual searches.

Delete entire history

  1. Click on the three dot menu at the top right.
  2. Select Delete options.
  3. Click on Advanced.
  4. Select All Time.
  5. Click on Delete.
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Delete one or many search entries

  1. Click on the check boxes next to each individual search you want to delete. Note: checking a date header will automatically select all the searches from that particular date.
  2. Click on Delete at the top right.
Google_Now_Voice_Search_History_02A
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to stop Google from saving future voice searches

  1. Visit the Audio Controls page by clicking here.
  2. Slide the switch to the Off position.
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You can also click on Show More Controls for a variety of other settings. You will be amazed at how many things Google is actively archiving.

We hope this guide helped you. Please let us know in the comments if we missed anything, or if you have any other tips.

Robert Nazarian
Robert Nazarian
Former Contributor
Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…
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