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If you use an Android mobile device without VPN or log into your Google account on a separate computer, you’ll still expose your search history. More importantly, Google is so integrated in our daily lives that VPNs just aren’t enough to hide your search history. Google can still associate search queries with your Google account and easily link back searches to you. (image credit: The Drum) Whether you're on a VPN or not, cookies can still track your online activityĪlso, it won’t matter much if you’re performing a search on Google when logged into a Google account, while on a VPN. These cookies get stored in your browser whenever you visit certain websites. In addition to collecting search queries, Google also tracks your online activity using cookies. Using a VPN does little to hide your search history from Google because of two reasons: cookies and being signed in to a Google account. Using a VPN only hides your browsing and search histories at certain points of this chain: Why doesn’t a VPN hide my search history from Google? Once it reaches your ISP, it gets redirected to your intended destination.Īnd then there’re also two kinds of histories: your browsing history, or what sites you visit, and your search history, or what search queries you enter in a search engine like Google. The information you provide travels from your browser to a local router, and gets re-transmitted to your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Let’s say you want to search for something online. To put this into perspective, you’ll need to understand how the internet works. The short answer is this: a VPN does hide your search history, but not all the time.
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Does a VPN hide your search history? Yes, but not all the time The internet is a complex place, and it can be difficult understanding which connections and histories a VPN can keep you safe on. Truth is, it’s really not so straightforward. Many VPNs assure you of secure and anonymous online experiences anytime you surf the internet, and most claim they’ll keep you safe on any connection. If you’re concerned about internet privacy, you’ve probably wondered: does a VPN hide your search history?
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