Tech brief

Google's New Privacy Policy: Gmail and Photos Can Shape Your Ads If You Connect Them to Search

By , Tech Cheat Codes Team

Published 11 min read

Illustration: an envelope and a photo print linked by a thin line to a search bar, with a small ad card and an on-off switch beside them.
On this page · 3 sections
  1. The details
  2. What to do now
  3. Sources

Ask Google Search where to eat on your next trip, and if you've connected Gmail, it can shape the answer around the hotel booking sitting in your inbox. That's the idea behind Personal Intelligence. Under Google's newest privacy policy, the same personal details may also help pick the ads you see.

Google changed its privacy policy last week. If you've let Google Search look at your Gmail or Google Photos, what it learns there can now help decide which ads you see. If you never connected them, Google's policy still says it doesn't show you personalized ads based on your content from Gmail or Photos.

What happened: Google's updated Privacy Policy took effect on October 16. The version before it, from October 1, said flatly that Google doesn't show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail or Photos. The new version adds a condition: unless you choose to make that data available to other Google services that support personalized ads. It also says "Search may process some of the data that you allow Search to access to personalize content, including ads," and it names a feature called Personal Intelligence.

What this means for you: Personal Intelligence lets AI Mode in Google Search, and Ask Maps in Google Maps, give you more personal answers. Connecting your Gmail (and, for AI Mode, Google Photos) is your choice. Google's help page says that if you connect them, Search may use summaries, excerpts and inferences from them, and "that same info may be used to show you ads."

The details

1. Exactly what changed in the policy

Google publishes a side-by-side comparison of the October 1 and October 16 versions. Three changes matter for you:

Part of the policy Before (Oct 1, 2026) Now (Oct 16, 2026)
Ads and your content "We don't show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos." Same promise, followed by "unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads."
Sharing between Google services No such sentence You "may choose to allow certain Google services, including services like Search or Gemini Apps, to access data" from Google Photos and Workspace apps like Gmail and Drive.
Personal Intelligence Not mentioned Named in a new note, with an example: asked about a recent hotel booking, Search may use booking details from an email to suggest things to do nearby.

The wording about what shapes your ads also changed from your "interests and activity across" Google services to your "interests, activity, or personalized content from" them.

Our read: The policy now has room for Gemini Apps too, not only Search. The ad details Google spells out on its help page are about Search services, so that's what we focus on here.

2. What Personal Intelligence is, and which apps connect

Google first brought Personal Intelligence to the Gemini app in January, added it to AI Mode for paying subscribers the same month, and in March expanded it to free users in the U.S. The pitch is simple: instead of typing out your whole situation, Google pulls the context from your own apps, such as past purchases, hotel confirmations or trip photos.

It comes in two layers:

  • Without connecting anything, Personal Intelligence in AI Mode already uses your past searches and activity saved in your Search Services History.
  • If you connect content apps, AI Mode and Ask Maps can also draw on your emails and, for AI Mode, your photos.
Feature What it can connect to
AI Mode in Google Search Gmail, Google Calendar (U.S., English only) and Google Photos (not in all regions)
Ask Maps in Google Maps Gmail only

Did you know? Connecting reaches beyond AI Mode. Google's help page says connecting means all Search services may access Gmail, Calendar and Photos. That covers Search (including AI Mode and Discover), Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate and News.

3. What Google says it does and doesn't do

Google's help page answers this directly. It says:

  • Ads "will not be based directly on your Gmail inbox or your Google Photos library."
  • But Search may use summaries, excerpts and "inferences" (educated guesses) drawn from them, and that same info may be used for ads.
  • Advertisers don't get access to your Gmail or Photos.
  • Google still doesn't personalize ads based on sensitive categories such as race, religion, sexual orientation or health.

Our read: The key word is "directly." Google says summaries, excerpts and inferences from connected emails and photos may be used for ads, so information from your inbox can still play a part.

Here's how it adds up, based on Google's help pages:

Your situation Can Gmail or Photos info shape your Google ads?
You never connected Gmail or Photos to Search Google's policy still says it doesn't show you personalized ads based on your content from Gmail or Photos, unless you make that data available to other Google services that support personalized ads.
You connected them, and personalized ads are on It may. Google says summaries, excerpts and inferences may be used, but ads won't be based directly on your inbox or library.
You connected them, but personalized ads are off in My Ad Center Google's My Ad Center help says your saved info won't be used to show you ads. Ads on Google are then based on context, like your current search.
Sensitive topics (race, religion, sexual orientation, health) No. Google says it doesn't personalize ads on these.
Advertisers seeing your emails or photos No. Google says advertisers don't get access.

4. It's not only about ads

The same help page says that if you connect Gmail or Photos, Google may use that data to improve its services, including training its AI models on summaries, excerpts and inferences from your emails and photos. Google says that when an email or file is short or especially relevant, "the summary may just be the email or file." It says it takes steps to reduce personal info first, and it asks people not to connect these apps if they hold personal or confidential info they wouldn't want used to train AI models.

It also says some of the data AI Mode and Ask Maps process from connected apps is reviewed by people, including trained service providers. Google says it first takes steps such as disconnecting those interactions from your Google Account and reducing personal info.

One more catch: Google notes that even if you don't connect anything, files and pictures you upload to AI Mode yourself may, depending on your settings, be used to improve its services with help from human reviewers.

5. Who's affected

Google says connecting your apps is for people 18 and older with a personal Google Account. Search can connect to Gmail and Google Photos (Photos isn't available in all regions), and to Google Calendar in the U.S. in English only. Ask Maps connects only to Gmail. Google says it's still rolling the feature out, so you may not see it yet.

By region and language, Google's help page lists:

Feature Where and in which languages
Connecting apps to AI Mode A long list of countries and territories under Google's headings for the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, the Middle East & Africa, in dozens of languages including English. The U.S., Canada, Australia, India and Japan are on it.
Ask Maps with Gmail English in the U.S., Canada, India and Australia; Hindi in India; Japanese in Japan; Indonesian in Indonesia; Spanish in Mexico; Portuguese in Brazil; French in Canada

Our read: The AI Mode list we checked today doesn't include the UK, Switzerland, Norway or European Union countries such as Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, Italy or Poland. Google also says it's adding more users, languages and regions over time.

Work and school accounts aren't part of this. Google's blog says these connected experiences are for personal accounts, not Workspace business, enterprise or education users.

What to do now

Work through these in order on a computer. You can stop at any point once you're happy with what you see.

Step 1: Check whether you've connected Gmail or Photos (Google's help page lists these steps, on a computer): Google notes these settings are being updated, so your screens may look a little different.

  1. Sign in to your Google Account and open Search Services Personalization.
  2. Look for Additional Personal Intelligence, then Connected Content Apps.
  3. If Google Workspace (Gmail and Calendar) or Google Photos says it's connected, you can disconnect it there.

Google's January blog post also described a shorter route in the Google app: open Search, tap your profile, tap Search personalization, then Connected Content Apps. That route may look different now while Google updates these settings.

Step 2: Check Gemini too, if you use it. Google's Gemini Apps Help gives the path. On a computer, go to gemini.google.com and click Settings & help, then Personal Intelligence, then Connected Apps. In the Gemini mobile app, tap Menu, then your profile picture or initial, then Personal Intelligence, then Connected Apps. To disconnect an app, turn it off.

Step 3: Decide on personalized ads.

  1. Go to My Ad Center while signed in.
  2. Choose On or Off next to Personalized ads.
  3. Confirm your choice.

Google's My Ad Center help says that with it off, the info saved to your account isn't used to show you ads. You'll still see ads, just more general ones. Turning it off also deletes the ad topics and brands you've customized in My Ad Center. The switch covers Google services on every device where you're signed in, and it also turns off Google's personalized ads on partner sites and apps.

Step 4: Review your history settings. Google is splitting search history away from Web & App Activity. Its help page says the new Search Services History and Personalized Recommendations settings start out matching your old choices.

  • Search Services History: open Search Services History settings, then turn it off and choose Turn off or Turn off and delete activity.
  • Personalized Recommendations: in your Google Account, go to Data & privacy, then Personalization settings. AI Mode needs this on before you can connect Gmail or Photos at all.
  • Web & App Activity: if you don't see the new settings yet, Google says Web & App Activity still controls your Search history for now. Open My Activity, turn Web & App Activity off, and choose Turn off or Turn off and delete activity.

Did you know? Disconnecting Gmail or Photos doesn't wipe what's already saved. Google says disconnecting an app doesn't delete your Search Services History, and that history can still be used to improve its services. You can review and delete it at activity.google.com.

Step 5: Take the Privacy Checkup. It's linked at the top of Google's Privacy Policy and walks you through your main privacy settings.

Checking a parent's account

If a parent or older relative uses AI Mode or Gemini a lot, it's worth a quick look together.

  • Sit with them on their own device, and let them sign in to their own account. There's no need for them to hand over a password.
  • Go through Steps 1 to 3 above together, and let them choose. Some people like the more personal answers, and that's fine.
  • Mention the "don't connect" advice. Google itself says not to connect these apps if they hold personal or confidential info you wouldn't want used for AI training or seen by a reviewer. Our read: medical, banking and legal emails are the obvious examples.
  • Kids' accounts are different. Connecting apps is for people 18 and up, and My Ad Center says personalized ads may already be off for accounts that show the user is under 18.

We'll update this if Google changes these settings or explains more.

Sources