Google One: changes to terms, privacy policy, and pricing

October 17, 2026 · Google Privacy Policy · high impact · Historical, imported

If you choose to allow certain services to process data from other services, including for features such as Personal Intelligence, the same data may be used to personalize your experience.

Google's privacy document now says services like Search and Gemini Apps may access data from your other Google services, such as Photos, Gmail, and Drive, to personalize your experience, if you allow it. It also adds a Personal Intelligence feature, where, for example, Search could use booking details from an email to suggest things to do near your hotel. If you turn on these data-sharing options, Google services can use content from Gmail, Drive, and Photos to tailor results and suggestions, which goes beyond the activity-based personalization described before. The document says Gmail, Drive, and Photos content still won't be used for personalized ads unless you choose to share it with services that support them, but the settings you choose control how much of your data is shared. Before your next Google One renewal date, review your Google account's data-sharing and personalization settings, including any Personal Intelligence options, and decide which ones you want turned on. You can also read the linked Personal Intelligence page to understand what each setting does.

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October 7, 2026 · Google Privacy Policy · medium impact · Historical, imported

In some cases, depending on your personalization settings like Personalized Recommendations in Search services, areas that you have searched from in the past may be used to estimate a relevant location for your search.

The policy adds more detail on how search and activity data is saved to your Google Account through Search Services History and Web & App Activity, and how personalization settings like Personalized Recommendations in Search services affect results, feeds, and AI responses. It also removes the dedicated European requirements section, including the rights and data controller details for EU and UK users, and renames the controls section to Personalization and Activity Controls. If personalization is on, places you've searched from in the past may be used to estimate a relevant location for your searches, and more of your search and app activity may be saved to your account and used to personalize results. If you're in the EU or UK, you may no longer find the rights information you relied on in this policy, so check where it now appears. Before your next Google One renewal date, open My Activity and Personalization Settings in your Google Account and review whether Search Services History, Web & App Activity, and Personalized Recommendations in Search services are turned on, then adjust them to match your preferences.

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October 1, 2026 · Terms of Service · low impact · Historical, imported

- For consumers in Asia, Pacific: Google Digital Inc.

The terms previously named Google Ireland Limited as the provider for consumers in India and Google Digital Inc. for the rest of Asia-Pacific. Now a single line names Google Digital Inc. for all of Asia-Pacific, so India is no longer listed separately under Google Ireland Limited. If you're an India-based Google One customer, the company named as your provider in these terms appears to have changed from Google Ireland Limited to Google Digital Inc. The service itself and the impact are rated low, but the named entity is different. Before your next renewal, check your Google One account and the current terms to confirm which entity is listed for your country, and contact Google support if you have questions about the change.

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May 26, 2026 · Google Privacy Policy · medium impact · Historical, imported

- Media (like images, files, audio and video) from your interactions

The list of data types now says 'Media (like images, files, audio and video) from your interactions' where it previously said 'Voice and audio information,' so it covers more kinds of content. The policy also splits the old Web & App Activity setting into Search Services History and Web & App Activity, and it adds language about automated systems that analyze your content. Google may now save a wider range of content you upload or capture through microphone or camera, not just audio, and your search and app activity may be stored in one of two separate history categories. Whether that data is saved to your account depends on the controls you have turned on. Before your next Google One renewal, open My Activity and the Personalization and Activity Controls page to check which history settings, including the media-related ones, are on and change any you don't want.

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April 2, 2026 · Google Privacy Policy · high impact · Historical, imported

Using our systems, data generated through Google Analytics can be linked by the Google Analytics customer and by Google to cookies and other technologies that are related to visits to other websites and apps.

The privacy text now describes Google's ad and analytics services in general rather than only Google Analytics, and says these services may link your activity across sites and apps. It also now covers linking to cookies and other technologies, not just third-party cookies, and it states more directly that Incognito mode does not stop sites and apps from sharing information with Google. Activity you have on other websites and apps that use Google's ad or analytics tools may be connected to your activity elsewhere, and this still applies in private browsing modes. Your Web & App Activity controls are the main place to limit what is saved and used. Before your next Google One renewal date, review the Web & App Activity settings in your Google Account and decide whether to turn off the subsetting for activity on other sites and apps. Check the current privacy terms for anything else that matters to you.

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November 12, 2025 · Terms of Service · high impact · Historical, imported

Where the price increases and consent is required, your subscription will be canceled unless you agree to the new price.

The clause now says that if a price increase needs your consent and you don't agree, your subscription will be canceled. The earlier wording said it 'may be cancelled,' so cancellation is now stated as certain. The update also adds AI credits that can expire or be forfeited, and moves refund questions to the seller you bought from. If Google raises your Google One price and you don't accept it, your plan will end rather than possibly continuing. Under the new terms, you need to cancel before the current billing period ends to avoid being charged the new price, and refunds now depend on the seller's policy. Before your next renewal date, check who the seller is for your plan (Google, Google Play, or a third party) and watch for any price-change notice so you can cancel before the next charge if you don't want the new price.

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September 23, 2025 · Google Privacy Policy · medium impact · Historical, imported

If you set your home or work addresses, they can be used to help you do things more easily, such as getting directions or finding results closer to your home or work, and for ads.

The feature called Location History is now called Timeline, and the phrase 'for more useful ads' about home and work addresses was shortened to 'for ads.' The document also added a line saying data can be used to measure the performance of advertising campaigns and a link to learn more about advertising technologies. The wording about location and ads is now more explicit that your data can be used for advertising, including measuring how ads perform, though the document doesn't state new data collection in these lines. Since the change is mainly in wording and the rename, your settings may still work the same way, but it's worth checking what Timeline and your saved addresses are used for. Before your next Google One renewal date, open your Google account's Location and Timeline settings and your saved home and work addresses to review what is turned on, and read the linked advertising technologies page if you want more detail.

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May 20, 2025 · Terms of Service · high impact · Historical, imported

Any unused AI credits will be forfeited upon termination or cancellation of your Google One plan, subject to any applicable refund policies.

Google added a new section on AI credits to the Google One terms. Credits are prepaid for certain AI features, expire on a set schedule, can't be sold or transferred, have no cash value, and are forfeited if your plan ends, subject to any applicable refund policies. Unused AI credits may be lost if you cancel or your plan ends, and Google can change how many credits an action costs. Family group members can also see how many credits you've used. Before your next renewal or any cancellation, check your remaining AI credits and their expiry dates in your Google One account, use them if you can, and review the refund policy to see whether you could recover anything.

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