Download your Google data: Follow these simple steps

Have you ever wondered how much Google knows about you? (Spoiler alert: A lot). From your emails and photos to your search history and even location, Google stores a massive amount of personal information. What exactly does it store, and why? Thankfully, Google Takeout makes it easy to retrieve your data. Here’s everything you need to know, including a step-by-step guide to quickly getting a copy of it all. Then, help control who knows what about your search and browsing with Avira Secure Browser.

What is Google data, and why should you download it?

Google data includes everything you’ve ever done online using Google services—from your emails, search history, and location history to your YouTube watch activity, calendar events, and contacts. Not even your voice recordings from Google Assistant will escape the tech giant’s all-seeing eye! Before you start reaching for a copy of 1984, remember that this data is mainly used to enhance your online experience. Think of personalised ads and recommendations and the convenience of online services seamlessly syncing across your devices. You can start writing an email or searching for a flight on your laptop and then carry on with your smartphone, for example.

Nevertheless, having control over what you share is still a good idea, and downloading your Google data is a vital step. You might be moving to a new service and want a copy of your digital life, or maybe you’re just curious about what Google knows about you. There are many reasons why people choose to download their Google data. Here are some of the most common:

• Backing up important files: Keeping a local copy of your emails, photos, and documents is never a bad idea in case anything gets deleted. (Too late? Don’t despair. Find out how to recover deleted files).
• Transitioning to another service: If you’re moving away from Google products, downloading your data makes the transition easier and gives you the peace of mind that you’re less likely to lose something.
• Enhancing privacy and security: You can better understand what Google collects about you and adjust your privacy settings accordingly (and it’s always helpful to understand how website tracking works. Knowledge is power). Accessing your files also lets you review what’s stored so you can delete anything you no longer want.
• Analysing data: Perhaps you’re curious about how much time you spend on social media or want to analyse your emails and location data. Accessing your digital files will give you this insight.
• Demonstrating compliance: You might need to provide your data to fulfil certain regulations and requests, like data subject access requests (DSARs) for GDPR purposes. Knowing how to access and store the relevant files will help demonstrate your commitment to data privacy.

What is Google Takeout?

No, it’s not a fast-food delivery service, but many people think it’s just as convenient (without the artery-clogging ill-effects). Google Takeout was created by the Google Data Liberation Front in 2011. This “army” of Google warriors (engineers) was tasked with creating a tool to help users quickly export and download a copy of their data from various Google services. At first, Takeout only offered access to limited data, including Google Buzz, Contacts, and Picasa, but it proved so popular that Google added several more options.

You can still manually save individual emails, files, or photos, but why would you go to the trouble? Google Takeout lets you select the data you want and conveniently packages it into a downloadable archive. It’s free, simple to use and works across multiple Google services. You can, for example, select your pictures in Google Photos, emails and attachments in Gmail, files on Google Drive, your YouTube history and comments, plus your location history in Google Maps. It also serves up your Chrome bookmarks and your contacts. And you won’t need to download your entire Google data profile but can customise your export to choose specific data from certain apps only.

Download your Google data with Google Takeout: Follow these simple steps

Google puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to choosing files and formats for export. You’re three steps away from creating your first dataset. 

Step 1: Select the data you want to download

1. Log into your Google account.
2. Go to Google Takeout.
3. Click on Select data to include (the first menu item) to expand it.
4. You can now choose which services to export your data from. By default, all data is selected. To Deselect all or Select all, click the button on the right above the individual checkboxes.
5. To see more details about each service, click on the buttons below that service. For example, under the Calendar option, you can view the available formats for exporting and which calendars to include.
6. Scroll to the bottom and click the Next Step button. You’re now done with this section, and you’ll find yourself automatically transported back to the main menu, where you can proceed with part two.

Step 2: Choose the destination, frequency, and file type of your data

1. Destination: Click on the arrow in the drop-down menu to view the options. You can receive your data via a download link delivered by email or add your data to a cloud storage service such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box.
2. Frequency: You can choose to export your data all at once (as a single export) or every two months over the course of one year (i.e.: That’s six exports, each containing two months of data).
3. File type and size: You have the option to download your data as a zip file or a tgz file. Both are compressed file formats, but zip files are more common. Within the second dropdown menu, you can select the size of your Google archive files. Files larger than the archive size you select will be split into multiple files.

Step 3: Download and save your Google archive

Your file settings are now complete, and it’s time to export your data at last!

1. Click the blue Create export button at the bottom of the page.
2. The Export progress window will open. Be patient; it can take hours or even days to complete an export. It all depends on the sizes of the files to be created and how many Google services you’re extracting them from.
3. If you change your mind and want to select additional or fewer services, simply cancel the export. You can also start another export while one is still in progress, as they will run simultaneously.
4. You’ll receive an email from Google notifying you that an archive of Google data has been requested and asking you to verify that you made the request. If you let Google know that you didn’t initiate the export, they will cancel the request. If you did make the request, click this button in the email, and you’ll see a screen that says, “You’re all set!”.
5. When your archive is finished, you’ll receive another email. Open the email, click Download archive, and follow the instructions to access and save the exported archive. You’ll need your Google account password to verify that it’s you.

You’re done but…don’t rest on your laurels for too long. Your files will be available to download for seven days. After that, Google blocks access to help keep your content safe.

How to download Google data from specific Google services

Now, let’s look at how Google Takeout can request a data archive for one specific service at a time. We’ll focus on five of the company’s most popular apps: Gmail, Google Photos, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and Google Maps.

Gmail

You’re free to export and download data that hasn’t been permanently deleted. You can use this data to create an archive for your records or migrate it to another service. For the full list of data that will be included, such as email signatures and drafts, see Export your data from Gmail by Google Support.

1. Log in to your Google account and go to Google Takeout.
2. Click on Select data to include (the first menu point) to expand the menu.
3. Scroll down to Mail (or Gmail). Your email messages will be in an MBOX format, and your user settings will be JSON. Select All Mail data included, which appears in blue.
4. The Mail content options menu opens, and you’ll see a complete list of your labels and categories. If you want to download everything, check the box to Include all messages in Mail. To individually select the items you want to archive, uncheck that box.
5. Follow steps 2 and 3 from the Google Takeout section above.

Google Photos

You can export the photos and videos you have stored in Google Photos, along with the metadata for your files and albums.

Option 1: Use Google Takeout to download your content from Google Photos

1. Log in to your Google account and go to Google Takeout.
2. Click on Select data to include (the first menu point) to expand the menu.
3. Scroll down to Google Photos.
4. Click on the blue All photo albums included button.
5. The Google Photos content options menu opens and displays a list of all your labels and categories. Check Select all to download all your Google Photos content. You can also uncheck the box to select just the files you wish to archive.
6. Follow steps 2 and 3 from the Google Takeout section above.

Option 2: Download individual pictures and videos using Google Photos

This is handy if you want to download just a few photos or videos, but it’s tedious if you’re looking to export large batches.

1. Open Google Photos on your desktop computer, Android, iPhone, or iPad.
2. Select a photo or video.
3. Click the three vertical dots in the upper right corner.
4. Click Download. (Note: If the picture has already been downloaded to your device, this option won’t be visible.)
5. Select a destination for the image on your device and hit Save.

Google Drive

If you’ve created or saved a file to Google Drive, whether it’s a Google Doc, Form, Slide, or Drawing, you can download it. You can also download all files or select just the ones you need.

Option 1: Use Google Takeout to download your Google Drive data

1. Log in to your Google account and go to Google Takeout.
2. Click on Select data to include (the first menu point) to expand the menu.
3. Scroll down to Drive (Google Drive).
4. Click the blue All drive data included button.
5. The Drive content options menu opens. Choose the individual folders you’d like to download or check Include all files and folders in Drive. 
6. Optional: You can also click the Advanced Settings button to open the Drive – advanced settings menu and add additional files.
7. Follow steps 2 and 3 from the Google Takeout section above.

Option 2: Download single files straight from Google Drive

1. Open Google Drive on your device and right-click on the file you want to download.
2. Click on the three dots to open the More Actions menus. Select Download. If you’d like to choose multiple files, press the Ctrl key (on a Windows computer) or Command (on a Mac).
3. Choose the file destination on your device and hit Save.

Google Calendar

Option 1: Use Google Takeout to download your Google Calendar data

1. Log in to your Google account and go to Google Takeout.
2. Click on Select data to include (the first menu point) to expand the menu.
3. Scroll down to Calendar (or Google Calendar).
4. Click on the blue All calendars included button.
5. The Calendar content options menu opens. You can now select which calendars to export data from.
6. Follow steps 2 and 3 from the Google Takeout section above.

Option 2: Use Google Calendar to export all calendars

1. Open Google Calendar on your desktop computer.
2. Click the Settings icon (wheel) in the top right and then select Settings.
3. In the menu on the left, select Import & export to create a zip file of all your listed calendars.
4. Download the zip file to your computer.

Option 3: Use Google Calendar to export a single calendar

If you need data from one Google calendar, here’s how to export just that:

1. Open Google Calendar on your desktop computer.
2. In the menu on the left, expand the My calendars menu and a list of your separate calendars will appear.
3. Mouse over the calendar of your choice and click the three vertical dots on its right.
4. Click Settings and sharing in the window that opens.
5. Click the Export calendar button to create a zip file for that calendar.
6. Download the zip file to your computer.

Google Maps

1. Log in to your Google account and go to Google Takeout.
2. Click on Select data to include (the first menu point) to expand the menu.
3. Scroll down to Maps (or Google Maps).
4. Click the All Maps data included button to open the Maps content options menu.
5. Check or uncheck the boxes to ensure you’ve selected your desired data (such as your activities, commute routes, places you’ve labelled, and food and drink preferences).

What are the criticisms of Google Takeout?

Like most things in life, the system isn’t perfect. Users generally lose the organisation of their files, which can make things muddled—and it’s impossible to extract shared files. Some people also report failed or incomplete exports. And be prepared for some unexpected and inconvenient formats: Emails are exported in the .mbox format and are only usable if you import them into an email app, for example. Be warned that Google forms are flattened into PDF files, so they’re not editable.

Google doesn’t automatically delete user data after it’s been exported but offers a separate service for deleting Google records. Takeout has also been criticised for only making the takeout data available for a short period of time. Good luck downloading very large files before the 7-day window for that data batch expires! You could end up feeling trapped in Google’s services if you have many huge files and slow bandwidth. Feeling frustrated by these flaws? At least it’s free.

Does Google store too much of our data, and what are the concerns?

Google has policies on data retention, but many users are concerned with the sheer volume of information collected, how long it’s stored, and what it’s used for. Data is a treasure trove for hackers and other cybercriminals, and no company is entirely immune to data breaches—not even Google. A bug in the Google+ API exposed the data of over 500,000 users in 2018. Another breach swiftly followed that year, potentially exposing 52.5 million Google profiles.

Remember also that Google uses cookies and algorithms to track users across devices and platforms. Data from different services can be linked and aggregated, resulting in a very comprehensive profile of you that could even include information about your religious beliefs, political affiliations, and sexual orientation. This has raised concerns about the potential for discrimination and bias in ad targeting. Your physical location is also logged through GPS and IP addresses, so it’s not just your mouse that’s being trailed. Do mega-corporations like this know more about you than your friends and family, and is your privacy not even truly safe in incognito mode? In 2024 Google agreed to destroy billions of data records to settle a lawsuit claiming it secretly tracked the internet use of people who thought they were browsing privately in incognito mode.

If you’re concerned about your online privacy, there are steps you can take (and, no, you don’t need to throw all your devices into a river): Regularly clear your cache as it stores information about the websites you’ve visited, including your preferences. This can be used by advertisers but can also be misused if someone gets hold of your computer. Some malicious websites are designed to exploit cached data to access sensitive information.

Cookies are other digital crumbs you may want to wipe off your online “table”. They store user-specific information like login details and browsing activities—which cybercriminals like to hijack so they can misuse or sell your personal information. Clearing cookies logs you out of websites and helps reset your settings on them.

Help safeguard your data and online privacy with Avira Secure Browser

Is it time to get more serious about your online privacy? Consider adding a collection of tools and features designed to help you manage your personal data better and help control who can see what about you online. Avira Secure Browser comes with security and privacy features built-in, including anti-phishing, anti-tracking, and HTTPS encryption.

And you don’t have to wave goodbye to your current browser—Avira Secure Browser is designed to work alongside many others. You can import bookmarks and data from Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari.

Google is a trademark of Google Inc.

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