Google lets users download search history

Google gives logged in users the option to download their search history. This requires the Web History feature to be enabled. Google places the data in Google Drive on request; from there users can download them.

The feature was first noticed by the unofficial Google Operating System blog. It already reported in September last year that Google was testing the download of search history. Now all users with an account can use the option.

On the account history page, when logged in users click the gear icon and choose “Download,” an archive of search history is placed in Google Drive. It is a zip file containing json files with search history, in periods of three months. If the ‘Web History’ feature is not enabled, no data is available. Google warns that users should not download the archive on public computers, because it contains privacy-sensitive data.

Google has had the option to download account information for some time. In 2011, the search giant launched the Takeout service, which allows users to download data from multiple Google services at the same time. Over time, more and more Google products have been added that support Takeout, such as Drive, Hangouts, and Maps. Whether search history will soon be available for download via Takeout is still unknown.