{"id":1557,"date":"2023-10-17T07:03:53","date_gmt":"2023-10-17T14:03:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/?p=1557"},"modified":"2025-09-04T01:37:35","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T08:37:35","slug":"google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Google Listening to You? Yes, and Here\u2019s How to Stop It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have you ever seen ads pop up on websites and social media feeds about something you\u2019ve just talked about? I have, countless times, and it creeps me out every time. If you\u2019ve never experienced this, you\u2019re in for some shocking news.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google may or may not be listening to you if you\u2019ve got an iPhone, but if you use an Android, it\u2019s <strong>almost definitely listening to you<\/strong>. This is because Google Assistant responds to your voice commands. This is incredibly convenient, but means your phone is listening to you so it knows when to respond.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In other words, you can kind of take for granted that Google is listening to you. The bigger questions are <strong>how much it listens to you, and what it does with this information<\/strong>. Keep reading to find out and learn how you can stop the tech giant from eavesdropping on your personal conversations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #cfe2f3; padding: 10px; border-radius: 25px;\">\n  <p>PIA VPN might not be able to stop your phone from listening to you, but it protects your privacy in lots of other ways. It anonymizes your IP address and encrypts your data, disguising your real location and ensuring that no-one can snoop on your activity. <\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/buy-vpn-online?conversionpoint=google_listening_me\"><button class=\"bg-btn-1\"> Get PIA VPN<\/button><\/a>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #d5dde3; padding: 15px; border-radius: 10px; width: 500px;\">\n<h4>Table of Contents<\/h4>\n<a href=\"#why\">Why Is Your Phone Listening to You?<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"#risks\">The Risks of Being Overheard<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"#legal\">Is It Legal for Google to Listen to You? <\/a><br>\n <a href=\"#google\">Is Google Always Listening?<\/a><br>\n  <a href=\"#where\">Where to Find Your Google Recordings<\/a><br>\n<section style=\"text-indent: 15px;\"><a href=\"#browser\">How to Find Your Google Recordings On a Browser<\/a><\/section>\n<section style=\"text-indent: 15px;\"><a href=\"#phone\">How to Find Your Google Recordings on Your Phone App<\/a><\/section>\n<a href=\"#stop\">How to Stop Google from Listening to You \u2014 A Step-by-Step Guide<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"#stopandroid\">How to Stop Google from Listening to You on Android<\/a><br>\n<section style=\"text-indent: 15px;\"><a href=\"#assistant\">Turn Off Google Assistant<\/a><\/section>\n  <section style=\"text-indent: 15px;\"><a href=\"#remove\">Remove Microphone Permissions from Apps<\/a><\/section>\n  <section style=\"text-indent: 15px;\"><a href=\"#iphone\">How to Stop Your iPhone From Listening to You<\/a><\/section>\n  <section style=\"text-indent: 15px;\"><a href=\"#siri\">Disable Siri<\/a><\/section>\n  <section style=\"text-indent: 15px;\"><a href=\"#disableapps\">Disable Recordings for Google and Other Apps<\/a><\/section>\n<a href=\"#checkphone\">Check If Your Phone Is Listening to You<\/a><br>\n<a href=\"#privacy\">Privacy Tips to Protect Your Data on Smartphones<\/a><br>\n  <a href=\"#privacy\">Bottom Line<\/a><br>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"why\">Why Is Your Phone Listening to You?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to phone manufacturers, your phone primarily listens to you so voice assistants like Google Assistant can carry out verbal commands. For this to work, your phone has to be listening, or it won\u2019t respond when you say \u201cHey Google.\u201d This isn\u2019t the only reason, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sadly, there\u2019s also a profit angle here. Our phones listen to us because Android, which is owned by Google, uses this information to <strong>build customer marketing profiles<\/strong> and <strong>show us relevant ads<\/strong>. Just like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/google-now-tracking-private-personally-identifiable-information-sources-possible-ie-gmail-chrome-doubleclick-default\/\">Google tracks your search history<\/a>, it collects your voice data to personalize ads to your interests. This helps advertisers make more money, but it\u2019s a major privacy concern for many people, and with good reason.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"risks\">The Risks of Being Overheard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can\u2019t trust anyone with your privacy. Although companies might promise to not misuse your data, someone could steal it from them. Cybercriminals can use your sensitive data to stalk, blackmail, or scam you and unleash all sorts of mayhem.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2025\/03\/03\/big-tech-shares-millions-of-user-accounts-with-us-authorities-report-finds\" target=\"blank_\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">governments can compel companies to hand your data over to them<\/a>, giving them even more power and visibility into people\u2019s lives. In some countries, this could lead to people being persecuted for saying things they don\u2019t agree with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"legal\">Is It Legal for Google to Listen to You? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google has faced multiple lawsuits <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnet.com\/tech\/services-and-software\/judge-gives-go-ahead-to-google-assistant-privacy-suit\/\" target=\"blank_\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">accusing it of illegally listening to users.<\/a> In 2024, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law360.com\/cases\/65cd9f9a9c43e0cb2cfeeb2c\" target=\"blank_\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">proposed class action lawsuit in a California federal court<\/a> claimed that Google and Home Depot deployed artificial intelligence technology to \u201ceavesdrop\u201d on calls between customers and Home Depot representatives without permission, in violation of state privacy laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google has also faced scrutiny over its partnerships. A marketing company that worked with Google claimed it could <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/article\/2024\/sep\/04\/yes-it-sounds-like-a-conspiracy-theory-but-maybe-our-phones-really-are-listening-to-us\" target=\"blank_\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">secretly listen to people through phones<\/a> and other devices and then target them with ads. After the report surfaced, Google cut ties with the company and removed it from its partner program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these cases, Google usually manages to sidestep any kickback from scandals like this because of its fine print. It\u2019s illegal for apps to listen to you without your consent, but you technically consent to it when you accept Google\u2019s terms and conditions. This makes it legal for the company to listen to you through your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That said, any app can listen to you illegally if it has access to your microphone. This usually happens when you download fake apps (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/what-is-spyware\/\">spyware<\/a>) or an outdated app is infected with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/what-is-malware-5-tips-for-malware-protection\/\">malware<\/a>. To minimize the risk of apps spying on you, it\u2019s best to <strong>review permissions for all your apps<\/strong> and remove microphone access for apps that don\u2019t need it. You can also change your permission settings to allow microphone access only when you\u2019re using an app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"google\">Is Google Always Listening?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If it\u2019s legal for Google to listen to you, then is it doing it all the time? <strong>To put it shortly, yes.<\/strong> Your phone is technically always listening. Google Assistant is always active so it can pick up the \u2018wake words\u2019 it\u2019s programmed to recognize and start carrying out voice commands.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This doesn\u2019t mean Google ignores everything else you say. It may also be <strong>on the lookout for other \u201ckeywords\u201d it can use<\/strong> to improve your marketing profile. This is why you see ads about things you talk about even though you haven\u2019t searched for them on your phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google\u2019s eavesdropping is less of a problem if you\u2019re an iPhone user because it doesn\u2019t have a monopoly over data on Apple devices. That said, Apple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/apple-could-have-years-of-your-internet-browsing-history-wont-necessarily-give-it-to-you\/\">isn\u2019t a saint either<\/a>. It has also faced lawsuits for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cr4rvr495rgo\" target=\"blank_\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">illegally recording people<\/a> with Siri.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Big tech companies will argue it\u2019s just improving your online shopping experience, but it\u2019s <strong>still a huge privacy concern<\/strong>. You can\u2019t trust strangers with everything you say every day, never mind a company that\u2019s able to make money off it. As if that wasn\u2019t worrying enough, it gets worse: This also means a <strong>cybercriminal could listen to your phone\u2019s recordings<\/strong> if they hack into your Google account or steal them from Google\u2019s servers in a data breach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"where\">Where to Find Your Google Recordings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google lets you hear and delete the conversations you\u2019ve had with Google Assistant \u2014 even the ones you might not have realized you had. You can access these voice recordings through your account. You can find them in the Google app on your phone or the <em>My Activity<\/em> page on your Google Account in a web browser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #cfe2f3; padding: 10px; border-radius: 25px;\">\n  <strong>Note: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/websearch\/answer\/6030020?hl=en&amp;co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google says<\/a> this only deletes recordings from Google Assistant stored on your account and not other recordings as outlined in the \u201cOther places audio recordings may be saved.\u201d These can include recordings from apps like Google Voice, YouTube, and Google Maps.<\/div><br>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"browser\">How to Find Your Google Recordings On a Browser<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to the <a href=\"https:\/\/myactivity.google.com\/myactivity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google My Activity<\/a> page and click on <em>Web &amp; App Activity.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/nX1iuw_HB1g-6VMtrj5ALrlgE6bylvb-yCVPfLYoTbi2nuzER7ANiFBpRdJs8B-yvpsHTL9RCg9YZxFFVZm5b8bAdrDnT0EoxQ02vsdYXiGlUtRCMap5sNgHjg2SwnNCd7P3FNU1ynKH4QaFf3TWBps\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On the <em>Web &amp; App Activity<\/em><strong> <\/strong>page, click on <em>Manage all Web &amp; App Activity.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/Fpm0K5ByMndyWqRl_wMnazuh8hw4131SQwtfai2yWo5XO05vlZwscz67ADuw9qDb5xXbx5pstjIPSYlkvDFPy2DSeHDFMTdSc6gG6t4f_t8jOPB2005zJyoKOrmmPJFqlQ1VjE8fHD0ojOM4zaXDfG8\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click on <em>Filter by date &amp; product.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/QUInRV1AGPPCRjp3bEDiUSt3hsH5yDHwwU7_tRyn_ijELX__iLrsSHWECM4cMpKMKYF3OLzaMOKQiGkWGkgo7L8t4_IWvQSssWi6gMhxPx9b6KtPK9uUBMzDTFLzfN75DvAuHj9lBFwe3Qa111Vp2qM\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select <em>Assistant<\/em>, <em>Maps<\/em>, <em>Search<\/em>, and <em>Song Search<\/em>, and click <em>Apply. <\/em>This filter will bring up all your voice activity with Google. All entries with a voice recording will have a microphone icon next to them. You can click on <em>Details<\/em> to see when it was recorded, or use <em>View<\/em> <em>recording <\/em>to listen to it. Clicking on the X button to the right of the recording will delete it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"977\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-7-717x1024-1.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32089\" style=\"width:350px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-7-717x1024-1.webp 684w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-7-717x1024-1-210x300.webp 210w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"977\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-8-768x977-1.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32093\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-8-768x977-1.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-8-768x977-1-236x300.webp 236w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To turn off recordings or to check whether recordings are being saved, click <em>Saving activity<\/em> from the <em>Web &amp; App Activity <\/em>page, scroll down to <em>Subsettings<\/em>, and toggle <em>Include voice and audio activity<\/em> on or off. Select <em>Close<\/em> to save. When this setting is off, voice inputs from interactions with Google apps won\u2019t be saved to your Google Account, even if you\u2019re signed in.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1001\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-9-1024x1001.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32059\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-9-1024x1001.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-9-300x293.png 300w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-9-768x751.png 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-9-1200x1173.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-9.png 1358w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"980\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-10-980x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32060\" style=\"object-fit:cover;width:367px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-10-980x1024.png 980w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-10-287x300.png 287w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-10-768x803.png 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-10-1200x1254.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-10.png 1278w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"phone\">How to Find Your Google Recordings on Your Phone App<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open a Google app you\u2019re signed in to (such as Google, Maps, or Gmail), then click your profile icon at the top, and select <em>Manage Your Google Account<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/LiB11yOqDP2zRX6yty3czpdVvaGKA2-o7XK6qOhW3OSCUZHkIb7pBxG7x5NFD2ylX4NCHz2EYFDzEgU3IiudvCxCN67EQS3UeMUGNR8_1hJw__Sm7kRtyZsBtkdW-2pHLRhRvyLU4gEM8crFpI1b_90\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to <em>Data &amp; Privacy<\/em><strong> <\/strong>and then select <em>Web &amp; App Activity. <\/em>Depending on your phone model and service provider, this may appear in a top menu bar or be listed vertically. The screenshot provided shows the iPhone layout<em>.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/MY-B_YYTdK9lwJzIj5hmrkxVQJForZDhRIgpZ_C-ZQUqPFr3VVAxZsd88jtcDW7Hn6889jC-6ELDrcFOtz79hF0lHtcC-_N-J7nmtb7Ck0-yLWgsX8z13zZp4Jych9yRsjMx1om5oUjbMkUf9F2nw2w\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On the <em>Web &amp; App Activity<\/em><strong> <\/strong>page, tap <em>Manage all Web &amp; App Activity.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/MOeNasmCKPinYqKzNmgOlwC7wNKdBe9eni0RT_ojzB2QMZDjOHj6oxKRwU9TNUojWIVa9mG1LnS3WxnXrsgoNG4Dw2NVmsEUD_pDROm9INaunK21aIhL-h7B9H0zqTus1n7LLT0FVdF2pIZ6B6FZAWI\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scroll down, select <em>Filter by date &amp; product<\/em>, then select <em>Assistant, Maps, Search, <\/em>and<em> Song Search, <\/em>and tap<em> Apply. <\/em>You\u2019ll see a list of all your voice activity with Google. All entries with a voice recording will have a microphone icon next to them. Tap <em>Details<\/em> to see when an entry was recorded, and you can use <em>View recording<\/em> to listen to it. Tapping the <em>X<\/em> button to the right of the recording will delete it<em>.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/1Vj148isbQy8UdHO57QWxkk6EinbzJRPFakhiVCmFtqHhzRzYRdg5-8eT_mhKLwJPZirfpzsdtAlcrSQh-h8HPjZA1ajwKp8fi_XakiiTXyM_zbyRSz-YKP65l1qcEDN6FTcnM69hRDW1KZ9jotj9mw\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To turn off recordings or to check whether recordings are being saved, go back to the main <em>Web &amp; App Activity<\/em> page. Under <em>Subsettings<\/em>, toggle <em>Include voice and audio activity<\/em> on or off. When this setting is off, voice inputs from interactions with Google apps won\u2019t be saved to your Google Account, even if you\u2019re signed in. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"666\" height=\"1024\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-11-666x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32061\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-11-666x1024.png 666w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-11-195x300.png 195w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-11-768x1182.png 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-11-998x1536.png 998w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-11.png 1040w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stop\">How to Stop Google from Listening to You \u2014 A Step-by-Step Guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can take several steps to stop Google from listening in on your conversations. To start with, you can tell Google not to record any voice and audio activity. Go to the <em>Web &amp; App Activity<\/em> page and uncheck the box next to <em>Include voice and audio activity<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you turn off this setting, your phone won\u2019t save audio inputs from Google Assistant, Search, and Maps. Does this stop other apps from listening to you, though? No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can\u2019t trust anyone with your privacy and may want to take even more steps to ensure no one listens to you without your permission. A safer approach is to <strong>remove microphone access for all applications that don\u2019t need<\/strong> <strong>it<\/strong> and to deactivate virtual assistants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"stopandroid\">How to Stop Google from Listening to You on Android<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"assistant\">Turn Off Google Assistant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first step is to disable Google Assistant across Google Search, Maps, and Android Auto apps. Turning it off is a simple process, but this may differ slightly from one phone brand to another.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Head to the Google Assistant settings in your Android device\u2019s settings app \u2014 you can also search for \u201cassistant settings\u201d and it should pop up.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Search for the <em>General <\/em>option in the settings app and select it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/vIwwSiRsJ3lmMfKM_KWGpk86zO0oxQ3pucKGGWbStGgr0sT-Weww7KrduYx5fIi_Bs1ZeUWKPhEmHYoii2cJsPi9cl-2AButot5KJbYQbTS7UlyXbOWltSjAVrsZm95X3rYs4AxlEzoSorxxVhULmf0\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Toggle the switch to turn off Google Assistant.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/dS8_W0ziKQWyiNvtUXv4zPn5PJpvIEORyRGP_KpSBPAm4WvvNH3bu0oiMStfpvhHTO4JaGg_btd-41cdOmL2x2BOSAPAcWJh-afX5ivP2nHK6rQTrtDGPQByyWstH91rJOeRypPwBF0sKkgvs1jPiG8\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Follow the same steps but with Android Auto settings to make sure Google Assistant doesn\u2019t activate itself when you\u2019re using Maps or Android Auto. Under <em>General<\/em> settings, click on <em>\u2018Hey Google\u2019 detection<\/em> and make sure both <em>Hey Google<\/em> and <em>While driving<\/em> is toggled off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"remove\">Remove Microphone Permissions from Apps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can disable microphone access for any apps that don\u2019t need it. For instance, I only let apps like Phone, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Shazam access the microphone. I don\u2019t need Facebook, Instagram, and Google to have microphone access. You can also change the settings to only let these apps access the mic when you\u2019re using them if you don\u2019t want to turn it off entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Follow these steps to remove microphone permissions from specific apps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open your phone\u2019s settings app and select <em>Apps<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From the apps list, find Google (or any app you want) and select it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tap <em>Permissions<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/bW_HjuLZRAoQhb9YpGAjkTNV31EVagMOVi5ehrWPz0YeGPfRx9kcdojMBKndUUJI4ZX9MLNj003LGdrGccp59XSXAJyje5W_3wu3zhAiK2vpVnXooAlJHjg0El5HoJCiHE1pU_EajJK4UFLeTVaQozg\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select the microphone option.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/Oll-jKnzEuTBCYL0NLH7GttUmbTBAj_N1TwskI1cGuRjlWlPBHTfPbeesLWU-s3eUhYNz5wLySvjNlJRTEXOLvtZW9tUWsQ6avt7zRq9h9OrpMfrPr1qZiSW8ziCfbI46AgrxcHJzgbGilyIor1nDbg\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose between <em>Allow all the time<\/em>, <em>Allow only while using the app<\/em>, <em>Ask every time<\/em>, or <em>Don\u2019t Allow<\/em>. If you pick <em>Don\u2019t Allow<\/em>, you\u2019ll see a prompt that the app may not function properly with this setting which you\u2019ll have to accept.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/C9xNr1oj8QeDD8srUsVDyoG2hPAzvAYfS4y5RRM0hvLBDic9ISmpGRzvr1se3nDDjrI1Ze-ZXPA8xad15SPQMcO91RhKukz88Wgvg8pwZoFuRHrwMQgP_OqZhdOfJ4tdQsvt5I-cAJHk-aA2-k92xw4\" alt=\"\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have the time, I\u2019d suggest you go through all the apps on your phone and repeat these steps. This will close potential loopholes Google and other tech companies can use to listen to you.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"iphone\">How to Stop Your iPhone From Listening to You<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Google doesn\u2019t have the same kind of control over your data on iOS devices and, depending on which Google apps you use, it may not be listening to everything you\u2019re saying. That said, iOS devices still have Siri and it\u2019s similarly listening to you all the time. Here\u2019s how to stop Siri and Google from recording you on Apple devices:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"siri\">Disable Siri<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to <em>Settings<\/em><strong> <\/strong>and select <em>Siri.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"1024\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-12-720x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32062\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-12-720x1024.png 720w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-12-211x300.png 211w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-12-768x1092.png 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-12-1080x1536.png 1080w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-12.png 1125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tap the toggles to turn off <em>Listen for \u2018Hey Siri\u2019<\/em>, <em>Press Side button for Siri<\/em>, and <em>Allow Siri When Locked<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"1024\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-14-640x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32064\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-14-640x1024.png 640w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-14-188x300.png 188w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-14-768x1229.png 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-14-960x1536.png 960w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-14.png 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Select Off. A pop-up will appear asking if you want to turn Siri off. Tap <em>Turn Off Siri to confirm.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"506\" height=\"1024\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-16-506x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32066\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-16-506x1024.png 506w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-16-148x300.png 148w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-16-768x1555.png 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-16-758x1536.png 758w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-16.png 790w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 506px) 85vw, 506px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"disableapps\">Disable Recordings for Google and Other Apps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll also need to deny microphone access for the Google app and any other app that doesn\u2019t need it. Here\u2019s how to do it:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Open <em>Settings<\/em> on your iPhone<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <em>Privacy &amp; Security<\/em><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"793\" height=\"1024\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-18-793x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-18-793x1024.png 793w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-18-232x300.png 232w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-18-768x991.png 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-18.png 1125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scroll down and select <em>Microphone<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"719\" height=\"1024\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-20-719x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32070\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-20-719x1024.png 719w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-20-211x300.png 211w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-20-768x1093.png 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-20-1079x1536.png 1079w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-20.png 1124w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Turn off the microphone permissions for any Google apps, including Gmail, Google Maps, Google, Google Assistant, and any others you don\u2019t use with voice.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"955\" height=\"1024\" style=\"margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: -3px; border: 1px solid #aaa;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-21-955x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-32071\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-21-955x1024.png 955w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-21-280x300.png 280w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-21-768x823.png 768w, https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/image-21.png 1125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taking these measures should help to stop Google and other apps from listening to you on your phone whether it\u2019s an Android or iPhone. Let\u2019s confirm this with a little test.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"checkphone\">Check If Your Phone Is Listening to You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s how to check whether your phone is listening to your conversations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Pick a product:<\/strong> Think of something you don\u2019t really want to buy and haven\u2019t searched for online so it shouldn\u2019t be on your marketing profile. You could try to confirm whether the brand runs ads using a different device not linked to your account or on your Wi-Fi. It would take time and testing, though, which might be more effort than you\u2019re willing to put in.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Talk about the brand and its products near your phone: <\/strong>Without opening Google, start mentioning the brand name and its products within earshot of your phone.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Observe the ads you see:<\/strong> After you\u2019ve been talking about the brand for a few days, observe the ads you\u2019re shown on websites and social media. If you start seeing related ads for the product, your phone is listening to you. Alternatively, you can also visit <a href=\"http:\/\/adssettings.google.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">adssettings.google.com<\/a> to see what Google thinks you\u2019re interested in.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"privacy\">Privacy Tips to Protect Your Data on Smartphones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can take additional steps to protect your privacy on smartphones and other devices. Use a proactive approach to privacy to keep data-hungry companies and bad actors at bay. Consider adopting these privacy protection tips to help keep your data safe from big tech companies and third parties, including cybercriminals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Download verified apps only<\/strong>: Only download apps from official app stores like the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. They have verification measures to ensure all apps meet security and privacy standards.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keep your phone updated<\/strong>: Software updates often include security patches that can help protect your phone from malware.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delete apps you don\u2019t use<\/strong>: Unused apps still collect your data and can provide a gateway for malware if they contain any security vulnerabilities. Remove the apps you don\u2019t use to reduce the chances of third parties secretly listening to you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check app permissions<\/strong>: When you install an app, you\u2019ll be asked to grant it certain permissions. These permissions allow it to access features like your phone\u2019s contacts, location, and microphone. Only grant permissions to apps you trust.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delete your voice request history<\/strong>: Google keeps a record of your voice requests, such as when you use voice search. This data can be used to track your activities. Delete your voice request history regularly. Follow the guide above to find out how.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delete your search history regularly: <\/strong>Your search history tells Google a lot about you. It\u2019s best to delete it every week or month to keep it from being exploited.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use a VPN<\/strong>: A VPN encrypts your traffic so third parties can\u2019t tell what you\u2019re doing online. This protects your privacy and keeps your devices safe from snoopers. PIA VPN comes with an added <a href=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/ad-blocking-vpn\">\u201cMACE\u201d feature<\/a> that blocks ads and prevents trackers and websites from accessing your data unless you log in.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/buy-vpn-online?conversionpoint=google_listening_me\"><button class=\"bg-btn-1\"> Get PIA VPN<\/button><\/a>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bottom\">Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"bottom\">If you\u2019re an Android user, Google is likely listening to you constantly. It might not be listening all the time if you\u2019re on a different operating system, but chances are good someone\u2019s still trying to eavesdrop on you.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<br><br>Luckily, you can <strong>disable voice assistants that record your audio<\/strong> in your phone settings. You can also <strong>remove microphone access from apps<\/strong> to reduce the chances of a third party listening to your conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1697415949701\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">Is Google listening to me?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">If you\u2019ve granted it access to your microphone and Google Assistant is active, Google is probably listening to you all the time. This is because it needs to know when to respond to a voice command whenever you say a wake word like \u201cHey Google.\u201d The downside is it also uses your audio data to learn what products you\u2019re interested in to show you relevant ads.<br><br><\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1697415961175\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">How can I test if Google is listening to me?<\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Try talking about a brand or product you wouldn\u2019t otherwise buy near your phone. Google will likely pick up what you\u2019re talking about. If it starts showing you ads related to that product, it means Google is listening to you.<br><br><\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1697415968691\"><h3 class=\"schema-faq-question\">How can I stop Google from listening to me? <\/h3> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Use our guide to deactivate Google Assistant and remove microphone permissions from all Google apps on your phone. This will stop Google from listening to you directly. It may still listen to you through other apps, so I recommend removing microphone permissions from all other apps that you don\u2019t use your mic on.<br><\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever seen ads pop up on websites and social media feeds about something you\u2019ve just talked about? I have, countless times, and it creeps me out every time. If you\u2019ve never experienced this, you\u2019re in for some shocking news.\u00a0 Google may or may not be listening to you if you\u2019ve got an iPhone, &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Is Google Listening to You? Yes, and Here\u2019s How to Stop It&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":25383,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_stopmodifiedupdate":false,"_modified_date":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.9 (Yoast SEO v26.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is Google Listening to You? Yes, and Here\u2019s How to Stop It<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Have you ever seen ads pop up on websites and social media feeds about something you\u2019ve just talked about? 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Ahad is a cybersecurity, blockchain, and business writer who often takes on art, politics, and economics too. He\u2019s written for various tech publications and has reviewed quite a lot of software over his career. 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This is because it needs to know when to respond to a voice command whenever you say a wake word like \u201cHey Google.\u201d The downside is it also uses your audio data to learn what products you\u2019re interested in to show you relevant ads.<br\/><br\/>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth\/#faq-question-1697415961175","position":2,"url":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth\/#faq-question-1697415961175","name":"How can I test if Google is listening to me?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Try talking about a brand or product you wouldn\u2019t otherwise buy near your phone. Google will likely pick up what you\u2019re talking about. If it starts showing you ads related to that product, it means Google is listening to you.<br\/><br\/>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth\/#faq-question-1697415968691","position":3,"url":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth\/#faq-question-1697415968691","name":"How can I stop Google from listening to me?","answerCount":1,"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Use our guide to deactivate Google Assistant and remove microphone permissions from all Google apps on your phone. This will stop Google from listening to you directly. It may still listen to you through other apps, so I recommend removing microphone permissions from all other apps that you don\u2019t use your mic on.<br\/>","inLanguage":"en-US"},"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1557"}],"version-history":[{"count":46,"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32174,"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1557\/revisions\/32174"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}