By Emily Rella
Our constant usage of social media and connectivity to our phones and the internet can make it feel like nothing we do is private anymore, especially with the constant threat of security breaches and hacks.This becomes a major concern when we’re searching for information on Google via our smartphones.
Whether it’s something silly and self-perceived as embarrassing, like googling the multitude of diseases your headache might be symptomatic of (we’ve all been there), or something more classified and private, it’s safe to say that none of us want anyone snooping through what we’ve been searching.
Luckily for Android users, there will now be a simple quick fix to delete their search history from the past 15 minutes.
In order to use the new feature, Android users can open Google on their device, tap their profiles and toggle over to the “search history” area on the pop-up that appears. An option will appear that says “Delete last 15 minutes.”
“We’re currently rolling this feature out on the Google app for Android and expect it to be available to everyone using the app in the next few weeks,” a Google spokesperson told The Verge in a statement. “We’re continuing to explore ways to bring this helpful feature to other surfaces.”
iPhone users have already had access to this feature on the iOS software since July 2021. The Android roll out was originally anticipated to happen in late 2021.
Google already offers the option for users to have their search history automatically deleted in different incremental periods, namely three, 18, and 36 months.
Though it’s not clear when exactly all Android users will have access to the new feature, some have reported that it’s already available to them.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, was up over 32 percent year over year as of Monday afternoon.
