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You can now download your Google Search history

Get ready for some embarrassing moments.

 

Selena Larson

Tech

Posted on Apr 20, 2015   Updated on May 29, 2021, 1:03 am CDT

If you’ve ever wanted to save and view your Google Search history filled with embarrassing searches or your favorite websites, now you can. The company has made everyone’s Search history available for download.

The feature began as a test last year, the unofficial Google operating system blog notes, but it’s rolling out more broadly and is now available to everyone. You’ve been able to view your search history before now, but now you can archive it in Google Drive and download it directly to your computer.

You’ll need to have enabled the search history function in order to view and save your data. Simply head over to the Google activity page and in the settings, and select “create archive.” If you haven’t been logged in while searching, you can turn on the archive function on the activity page, too.

Similar to your Facebook account history, Google’s archive lets you take a trip down memory lane—and if you haven’t cleaned up your search history in a while, it can produce some gems. It also offers an interesting insight into how Google and other websites are targeting you with advertisements. Compare your search history to ads you see on different sites, and you might start to notice a somewhat creepy pattern.

H/T The Next Web | Illustration by Max Fleishman

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*First Published: Apr 20, 2015, 11:15 am CDT