You tap Google’s search bar and there is a phrase sitting there that you would never type. You
open your account activity page and spot a search that took place on Tuesday afternoon that you
can’t place at all. It’s similar but it’s actually two situations and knowing which you’re in will help
guide what to do next.
The first question isn’t actually who searched this but where are you seeing it?
1. Three areas it can show up
in the dropdown while you type
In your saved activity
or
further down the results page
Sections like related searches or people also ask are actually about the topic of your search not
you. People are often mixing these up and that’s where many of the worries come from
2. When it’s just a prediction
Google explains predictions as suggestions based on real search activity including what’s
popular and rising lately, your language and location can also help shape these suggestions. If
you’re signed in and your settings allow for it, your own previous searches can have some input
too.
An example would be you typing in ‘cheap fl’ and the box suggesting ‘cheap flights to Orlando’
you’ve never looked for Orlando. It’s likely that plenty of other people have or the phrase is a
popular way to finish the letters. Google doesn’t share how it weighs individual phrases so
nobody outside the company can say for certain why one phrase ranked higher than another.
One detail confuses people. On some devices, tapping the empty box shows a list of previous
searches before you type anything in many cases, with a small clock icon. These aren’t
predictions but come from searches associated with your account or device and should be taken
seriously.
3. When it’s in your saved activity
If the search is definitely listed as part of your account activity, the next more useful question is
which device or person performed it. Common reasons are usually pretty straight forward;
Another device
Your phone, tablet and work laptop, if you’re signed in on all of these, they can all contribute to
your searches.
Someone else on your device
Partners, children, housemates and guests borrowing your device can leave searches behind
especially if your account remains signed in.
A device you’ve forgotten about
An old phone at the back of a drawer or a laptop you handed back at work can remain signed in.
Another Google app
Your account activity can include searches from other Google products not just the search page,
it depends on your settings.
A voice search
If you’ve made a search using your voice and that’s turned on, assistants can sometimes be
triggered accidentally.
Forgetting
A quick search from a few weeks ago can be forgotten about
Browser extensions and apps can occasionally contribute to unknown activity, although it’s less
common than the reasons above.
4. How to check what’s going on
Menu names change, sometimes between phones, browsers and apps, so think of this as a
general direction rather than specific taps.
Sign in to your Google Account and open up the page called My Activity
Find the search in question and look at the date, time and any device or product listed along with
it.
In your account’s security settings look at the list of devices signed in to your account, sign out of
anything you don’t recognise
Check which apps and services have access to your account, remove any you don’t need
anymore.
If you can’t explain the activity and feel like something is wrong, change your password and
enable 2-Step Verification.
If the search is only ever seen in the dropdown and there is nothing matching it in My Activity, it
was almost certainly a prediction.
5. What people tend to get wrong
An odd suggestion doesn’t show that you searched for it, a search being in your activity doesn’t
prove you typed it as another device could be responsible. Clearing your history won’t remove
popular predictions as they come from a wider pool of search activity.
As for the idea that Google is listening to your conversations to produce suggestions, there is no
reliable public information that proves this to be the case, the common reasons above should
cover most situations. If you’re still concerned, you can look over what apps on your phone have
permission to use your microphone.
Google Search changes regularly, as do its settings pages so the labels you see may not exactly
match what is listed here.
FAQs
1. Why do I see searches in Google that I never made?
If they appear while you’re typing, they’re predictions based mostly on what others search. If
they’re in your activity page, a device or person signed in to your account made them.
2. Is an unknown search in my history a sign my account was hacked?
Not by itself, shared devices, sign-ins you’ve forgotten or old phones are more common reasons.
If you find unfamiliar devices or sign-ins as well, change your password and check your security
settings.
3. Does turning off personalization remove suggestions?
It can reduce suggestions based on your own history, predictions coming from popular or
trending searches may still appear
4. Why do my suggestions change when I travel?
Location and language can affect predictions so different places can produce different
suggestions for the same letters
5. Can I delete a search I don’t recognise?
Yes, individual entries in My Activity can usually be deleted, many accounts also offer options for
automatic deletion. The exact wording depends on your account and device.
Conclusion
Before trying to explain a strange search, make sure you’re looking at a guess, a record or a
related result. Most of the time it’s a guess, it speaks more on what other people type than you. If
it’s a real record, the date and device details usually tell you the rest, if they don’t your signed in
devices are the next place to look