How to Use Google's "Results About You" Tool to Protect Your Privacy Overview

Overview

Your personal information—like your home address, phone number, and email—can sometimes end up in public search results without your consent. To help you stay in control, Google offers a free tool called "Results about you." This tool scans Google Search for your contact information and allows you to request its removal directly from a central dashboard.

Symptoms & User Needs

You should use this guide if:

• You find your private contact details appearing in Google Search results.

• You want to be automatically notified if your personal info appears online in the future.

• You are concerned about your physical safety, identity theft, or "doxing."

Resolution Steps

Step 1: Access the Privacy Dashboard

• On Mobile: Open the Google App, tap your Profile Icon (top-right), and select "Results about you."

• On Desktop: Visit myactivity.google.com/results-about-you.

Step 2: Set Up Automatic Monitoring

1. Click "Get started" or "Settings."

2. Enter the personal details you want Google to monitor (e.g., your full name, home address, and personal phone numbers).

3. Choose Notification Method: Select to receive an email or push notification as soon as Google finds a matching result.

Step 3: Review and Request Removal

1. In the dashboard, navigate to the "To review" tab.

2. Identify any search result that exposes your private info.

3. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the result and select "Request to remove."

4. Submit the request. Google will review it against their privacy policies (most requests are processed within a few days).

Step 4: Track Your Request

• Go to the "Removal requests" tab to see if your request is "In progress," "Approved," or "Denied."

Official Video Resources

For a quick visual guide, refer to these official videos from Google:

• 🎥 Official Video: How to Remove Your Personal Info from Google Search (Short Walkthrough)

• 🎥 Google Search Help: Finding and Removing Results About You (Full Feature Overview)

Important Notes for Users

[!IMPORTANT] Search Removal vs. Website Deletion: This tool removes the link from Google Search results, making it very difficult for people to find you. However, it does not delete the information from the original website. To completely erase the data at the source, you must contact the website owner directly.

California Residents: You have additional rights! Use the California DROP Program at privacy.ca.gov to legally force data brokers to delete your information from their entire databases.