What you need to know
- The Google app for Android has gained a useful new feature.
- Android users can now quickly delete the last 15 minutes of their search history.
- The feature has been available on iOS for almost a year now.
At its I/O event last year, Google announced a new option that would enable users to instantly delete the last 15 minutes of their Search history on mobile. While the option was rolled out to the Google app on iOS soon after its introduction, it finally started making its way to Android this past weekend.
Google confirmed to The Verge that the option is now rolling out on Android, and it is expected to become available to everyone using the app in the next few weeks. However, it looks like only a small number of users have received the feature so far. There’s also no word on whether the option will also be available on the web in the future.
You can check if you have the feature by opening the Google app on your Android phone, tapping on your profile picture, and looking for a new “Delete last 15 minutes” option.
Google originally planned to bring the feature to the best Android phones before the end of 2021, but it looks like it was delayed due to some reason. On desktop, Google lets users auto-delete their search history every three, 18, or 36 months. By default, all new Google accounts are set to auto-delete activity every 18 months.
You can also delete your Search history from a specific date or a custom range by clicking on Search history in My Activity and choosing a specific day or time period. On Android devices, this can be done by tapping on Search history under your display picture in the Google app and selecting a custom range.
