Google Launches Password Protection for Web and App Activity GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO News > Internet & Security

Google Launches Password Protection for Web and App Activity

Protect your online activity with new verification systems

By Joshua Hawkins Joshua Hawkins Freelance Technology Reporter Full Sail University Josh Hawkins is a freelance writer for Lifewire who loves writing about the latest tech and gadgets that help make people’s lives easier. As an avid gamer and VR enthusiast, he also enjoys diving deep into the technology that helps bring those kinds of experiences to life. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on May 25, 2021 04:04PM EDT Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Internet & Security Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming You can now add password verification to your Google web and activity page, which tracks your usage of various Google services like YouTube and Google Search. Google finally has added a way to protect the data stored on your My Activity page. The new verification tool became available on Tuesday, and The Verge reports that it will block anyone who doesn’t have your password from accessing your activity data. Pexels / Mockup Photos Your web and activity page is basically a list of all the things you’ve done across various Google services. This page includes info like location data, search data, and results for video searches on YouTube. It also can collect the types of searches you make for images and other media content in Google. Of course, there are some customization options available, which will let you control how much data is stored on the My Activity page, but that won’t stop others from accessing the information if they gain access to your computer. Without verification, anyone with access to your computer can simply head to the activity page and browse your online usage history to find out everything they can about you. It is a huge privacy concern and privacy experts like Chris Hauk with Pixel Privacy warn that users should always be aware of how their searches are being tracked whenever browsing the web. Google "My Activity lists the web pages you've visited in Chrome, videos you've watched on YouTube, locations you've checked in Maps, voice commands you've issued to Google Assistant, and much more. This makes any extra protection a welcome sight," Hauk told Lifewire in an email. "By enabling the extra layer of security, this prevents anyone from picking up a device that is already logged into your Google account, such as your Android phone, and browsing through your usage history." You can enable verification at any point when you access the Manage My Activity option on the activity page while signed in to your Google account. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Manage Android App Permissions How to Run a Google Security Checkup How to Find Out Who (or What) Is Accessing Your Gmail How to Stop Google From Tracking Your Searches How to Use Google Lens on iPhone How to Stop Someone From Accessing Your Phone Remotely How to Set up and Use the Google Duo Chat App The Top 10 Personalized Start Pages for Your Web Browser How to Sync Chrome Bookmarks How to Password Protect a Folder How to Browse the Web Anonymously What Does Google Know About Me? Remotely Reset Android Lock Screen Password and PIN What Is the Google Chrome Browser? The Top 10 Internet Browsers for 2022 How to Remove a Video From YouTube Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies