Google logs your search history in a dedicated page on your Google Account called My Google Activity. This page contains your search history, as well as activity across other apps and Google products.

Given the sensitive nature of this data, you might want to protect it, especially if you share devices in your household. In this article, we detail how to password protect your Google search history on shared devices.

What Is the My Google Activity Page?

My Google Activity page

The My Google Activity page provides you with an overview of your activity on Google's services and products. It also offers an easy way to manage your data.

The page details your search history and other activities, like the websites you've visited, your YouTube watch history, apps you've used on your Android device, among other things. My Google Activity also shows specific times when you typed in a particular query or opened an app on your Android device.

Other activities on devices that use Google services, like the Nest Hub, will be shown on My Google Activity as well. This includes audio recordings from your smart speaker. This data is sensitive, and thus, Google has provided a way for you to secure your data in My Google Activity.

Data in My Google Activity is tied to your Google Account and is only visible to you. However, if you leave your Google Account signed in, anyone who accesses your device can see your search history and other activities by going to My Google Activity. With that said, it's essential to protect this data, especially if you share devices.

Related: Easy Ways to Find Out Who's Searching for You Online

How to Secure Your Google Search History on Android, iPhone, and Web

If you share devices with other family members in your household, it's important to protect your search history. You can easily do this by adding a password to your My Google Activity page.

Here's how to do this:

  1. Open your browser of choice.
  2. Go to activity.google.com.
  3. Sign in to your Google Account if you haven't already.
  4. Select Manage My Activity verification.
  5. Next, a popup will appear that shows some background information about the feature.
  6. Turn on Require Extra Verification to password protect your Google Search history, and then hit Save.
  7. Google will then take you to a sign-in page for verification purposes. On mobile, you may be prompted to use other verification methods.
  8. Enter your Google Account password or use your screen lock to finish the process.

With that set, the next time you try to access your My Google Activity page, you will bump into a verification screen.

To see your Google search history and activity:

  1. Go to activity.google.com.
  2. Tap Verify.
  3. Next, you will be required to enter your Google Account password. On mobile, you may be prompted to use your device's screen lock functionality instead of your Google password.
  4. When finished, Google will display your search history and activity.

Will Google Protect Your Activity Everywhere?

Google has done a commendable job by offering an option to password protect the information in My Google Activity. But does this extra layer of verification apply in other areas?

The short answer is no. According to Google, the security feature only applies to My Google Activity. In other words, a person may still see your search history directly from your browser. For instance, your Google Search history in Chrome will still be readily available to anyone who uses your device.

Related: How to Change the Default Google Account With Multiple Accounts

Protect Your Google Search History

Every day, we make dozens of queries in search of new information. Your Google search history is likely not something you want others to know about, and thus it's imperative to add a layer of security to it.