Google app gains ‘Personal results’ setting for Search on Android

Abner Li | Sep 20 2021 - 4:33 pm PT

Google is continuing to add more settings to the Search app on Android with a new preference to control “Personal results.”

“Personal results,” complete with a sparkle icon, follows “Hide explicit results” at the start of this month. It opens an inline webpage where you can “Choose whether Search can show you personal results based on info in your Google Account.” This toggle covers:

Autocomplete predictions from your Search history, so you can pick up where you left off
Personal answers based on info in your Google Account, like “my flights” from Gmail or “directions home” from Maps
Recommendations for you based on activity in your Google Account, like Discover stories, “what to watch,” or “where to eat”

A Google spokesperson further explains how:

“These settings have long been available on the web and are now more accessible in the Google app. People can use the settings to control what were previously referred to as private results – making it easy to see things like your booked flights – or personalized recommendations in features that help you find things like TV shows, movies and local results.”

When these results appear in Search — usually at the very top before web listings – Google makes it clear that they are private and only appear for you. On the web, it’s found under Search Settings. The company is now making it easier to enable/disable on mobile. That said, the main Google app preferences menu is getting ever longer with each addition.