Is your Android phone always listening to you? Does Google keep a log of everything you say? And if so, what can you do about it?
In an age where every device has a microphone and they’re made by companies who love to track what you’re doing, these are valid questions. Let’s take a look at the facts behind Google recordings and how you can stop them.
How Is Google Listening?
Before we continue, we should explain what exactly Google records from your Android device.
If you have a certain setting enabled on your phone, saying OK Google will cause it to listen for a command. Before you say this wake phrase, your phone is listening for the OK Google hotword, but it is not recording everything you say and uploading it to Google. Just like with concerns over the Amazon Echo, constantly recording everything a device hears would result in enormous amounts of useless data.
Even if you don’t have the OK Google hotword enabled, you can still use voice commands (that Google records too). Tapping the microphone icon on the search bar or holding the Home button to open Google Assistant will both immediately prompt you for a voice command.
What Google does record are the voice commands you say to your phone. If you say OK Google, how old is Jack Black?, Google holds onto the question and a few seconds of prior audio.
How Do I Listen to My Google Recordings?
Google provides a portal for you to view all your interactions with its services. This includes voice recordings of your interactions with Google Assistant. To review them:
Head to the Google My Activity page. You’ll see everything from YouTube videos you just watched to apps you’ve opened on your phone.
Apply a filter to only show voice recordings. Click Filter by date & product at the top under the search bar.
Next, uncheck All products under Filter by Google product and check only Voice & Audio.
Click the Search button again
You’ll then see a timeline of all the recordings Google has of your voice starting with the most recent. It bundles close events together — click a bundle to expand it and then hit Play to listen to the recording.
How Do You Turn Off Google Recording?
You can disable Google’s voice recording in two different ways.
Turn Off OK Google on Your Phone
The first is to turn off the OK Google detection on your phone, which you can do by performing the following:
Open Settings on your phone and enter the Google category.
Select Search under Services.
Next, tap Voice.
You’ll see a Voice Match entry; this may also be listed as “OK Google” detection. Tap that.
Disable the Say “Ok Google” any time slider. You may also want to disable While driving to prevent it in Google Maps and Android Auto, though it is convenient in those scenarios.
Once you do this, Google Assistant will only respond to OK Google when you have the Google app open (or when on the home screen of a Pixel or Nexus device). Your phone thus will no longer always be listening for the hotword.
Continue reading http://www.abilityworlds.com/2018/02/your-android-is-secretly-always.html?m=0

Nice tips