Google users discover “OK Google” requests are stored

Every time you used your smartphone to ask a question or dictate a text message, chances are Google stored the recording of your voice.

Google users discovered the “OK Google” recordings this week with the release of Google’s new “My Account” feature, aimed to give users better control of their privacy. Many users didn’t know Google kept the actual voice recording in its database.

Google says it keeps the recordings to better recognize your voice and to more accurately accomplish tasks. The stored recordings go back months, but appear to only be visible to the user. It’s unclear how long Google keeps the recording.

To delete recordings or to change the settings on your account:

Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in.
Under the “Personal Info & Privacy” section, click on “Account History.”
Scroll down to “Your Voice Searches & Commands” and click on “Manage Activity.”

From there you can see if Google has stored any of your audio recordings. If it has, you can choose to delete them and also choose to turn off Google’s save feature.