Google LLC today introduced new privacy features for Google Maps, YouTube and Assistant that will give consumers more control over how the search giant uses their data. 

First up is a new Incognito mode for Maps that works just like the existing tool of the same name in Chrome. When accessing the service on a mobile device, users can enable the setting via the profile menu to block Google from storing data about that browsing session. The company will save neither searches nor location data and the app won’t display notifications.

The feature will launch on Android first later this month. Google plans to bring it to the iOS version of Maps in the future, but didn’t provide a time frame. 

YouTube, which had recently received its own version of Incognito mode, was updated today with a feature that lets users have their browsing history automatically deleted after a set time period. Data can be purged either every three months or every 18 months. Google is also adding the option to clear account history earlier, but that requires manual action on the user’s part. 

The update delivers on a promise the company made this year to extend the automated data deletion feature in its Web & App Activity and Location History dashboards to additional products. It’s plausible Google will bring the setting to yet more services in the future, such as the Google Search app. For that matter, it might expand the availability of Incognito mode too given the recent YouTube support. 

Google Assistant has been another major focus of the company’s recent privacy efforts. The voice assistant wasn’t left out from today’s update, either.

In the coming weeks, Google will introduce the ability to clear Assistant conversation logs with voice commands such as “delete everything I said to you last week” and “delete the last thing I told you.” The service will also enable users to request general information on how Google handles their data. The company is equipping Assistant with the ability to read out guides about its data privacy and cybersecurity practices. 

Image: Google