I reset my Google Account privacy settings for 2026 — here’s what I switched off

Our Google accounts were never managed. Stuff went in, search pulled it out, and that was the whole system.

Every search was a deposit into Google’s memory bank. A price to pay for better GPS and faster answers.

But over the last 18 months, Google has rebuilt its relationship with us.

Gemini now runs through our pockets, Docs, and Maps. Google now collects context. It has an early biography of who you are, what you fear, what you want, and even how you speak.

That’s why I decided to audit and manage what Google knows about me. What follows is a toggle-by-toggle guide to how I set up my Google account for 2026. Let’s get to work.