Google's Gemini Can Now See Your Search History
Google wants you to use Gemini more — and it's not being subtle about it. In a move that blends convenience with controversy, the company announced that Gemini can now tap into your Google Search history to offer more “personalized insights.” You can opt in through the Gemini app in your browser, but the premise is clear: the AI will get smarter by knowing you better.
Google says this will help Gemini give you results that actually resonate. For instance, if you ask where to go on vacation or what hobby to try next, Gemini might suggest answers based on your past searches. Sounds helpful, right?
But let’s be real — it also sounds a bit dystopian.
The idea of a virtual assistant combing through your entire search history to help you brainstorm YouTube content or plan a trip feels like the digital equivalent of a nanny bot. One that knows you’ve been Googling perimenopause and Tamagotchis at 2 a.m. and now thinks you should start a parenting-and-retro-tech channel.
Yet, is this really new? Gmail has been scanning your inbox to serve you ads for over two decades. This just takes the same data and uses it for something arguably more useful: not ads, but actual suggestions tailored to your interests.
Still, it’s a tradeoff. If you decide to enable this feature, you’re giving Google’s AI a deeper window into your life. Google insists that your search history will only be used “when its advanced reasoning models determine that it’s actually helpful.” And if you’re creeped out, you can disconnect your search history from Gemini at any time.
The feature is only available to Gemini and Gemini Advanced subscribers for now, and can be turned on via the browser app. And if you're worried about Gemini bringing up embarrassing or overly personal topics, the advice is simple: don’t search for those things on Google. Use a privacy-focused engine like DuckDuckGo when you want to go off the radar.
Meanwhile, Gemini is expanding in other ways too. “Gems,” which are like mini-custom AI tools you can create, are now available to everyone — even free users. The powerful “DeepResearch” tool is also being unlocked for public use, and the upgraded Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model has been added to the mix. That means better performance and more seamless handling of cross-app tasks between Gmail, Calendar, and Photos.
Bottom line: Gemini is getting smarter, more helpful, and more integrated into your Google life — but only if you let it. Whether that’s a brilliant convenience or a red flag depends on how comfortable you are with Google knowing… well, everything.
