What Data Does My Phone Send to Google? All Questions Answered

An interesting 2023 research surveyed 5,101 Americans on their view of data privacy, and the results showed that most participants believe they have little to no control over what companies or the government do with their data. Even so, the majority of participants ignore privacy policies—56% click “agree” without reading the content.

As a major tech company with over 4 billion users, Google perfectly illustrates this discrepancy. The company collects and handles vast amounts of user data, and people often agree to the privacy policy without understanding what data points are collected and how they’re used.

If you’re wondering, “What data does my phone send to Google?” We have the answers. This guide will discuss:

• • What type of data does Google collect?
• • Why does Google collect user data?
• • Can you stop all data sharing with Google?

What Information Does Google Collect?

Google collects a wide range of information—some of it is directly provided by you (when you create your Google account), and some is collected by Google as you use its services. This includes your:

1. 1. Personal information
2. 1. Apps, browsers, and devices
3. 1. Activity
4. 1. Location information

1. Personal Information

This is the information you provide to Google when you set up your Google account. It includes the data that personally identifies you, such as your name and password, and even your phone number or payment information if you provide such details.

Google also collects the content you create, upload, and share with others while using Google services, and this can include:

• • Emails
• • Photos and videos
• • Docs and spreadsheets
• • Your comments on YouTube videos

2. Apps, Browsers, and Devices

Google collects information about the apps, browsers, and devices you use to access Google services. This allows it to provide a better user experience through features like automatic updates or screen dimming (when your battery’s low).

Here’s the data Google collects:

• • Browser type and settings
• • Device type and settings
• • Operating system
• • Mobile network information
• • Application version number
• • IP address
• • Crash reports
• • System activity
• • Date, time, and referrer URL of your request

Google collects this information when a service you use communicates with Google’s servers. For example, when you install a new app or when an app checks for updates.

If you have an Android device, it periodically contacts Google servers to provide information about your device and connection to Google services. In addition to information like your device type and carrier name, your Android device could also send data such as the battery level, app usage frequency, and network connection quality and length. This information is provided only if you enable usage and diagnostics.

3. Activity

Google also collects data regarding your activity within Google services, and it does so to offer a better experience. Here’s some of the activity information Google is interested in:

• • Terms you search for
• • Purchase activity
• • Views and interactions with content and ads
• • Voice and audio information (when you interact with Google Search, Maps, or Assistant)
• • People with whom you communicate or exchange content
• • Activity on third-party apps and services that integrate with Google
• • Chrome browsing history (if you’ve enabled Chrome synchronization with your Google account)
• • Call and message log information (if you use services like Google Meet or Gmail to exchange messages or calls)

4. Location Information

Depending on the Google service you use, Google collects different types of data related to your location. It leverages the information to provide features like personalized ads or driving directions.

Below is the location information Google may collect:

• • GPS and sensor data from your device, including accelerometer or gyroscope readings
• • IP address to identify the location you’re connecting from
• • Google services activity, such as the general area you were in when using these services
• • Nearby network information, including cell towers, Wi-Fi access points, and Bluetooth-enabled devices

Typically, your account settings and device type determine what types of location data Google collects and how long it stores it.

Why Does Google Collect Your Information?

Google is transparent about why it collects your information and how it uses it. Here are the reasons listed in Google’s privacy policy:

1. 1. Providing services
2. 1. Maintaining and improving services
3. 1. Developing new services
4. 1. Providing personalized services
5. 1. Measuring performance
6. 1. Protecting itself, users, and the public
7. 1. Communicating with you

1. Providing Services

Google leverages your information to efficiently deliver its services. Examples include:

• • Using your device’s IP address to deliver the data you requested (e.g., loading a YouTube video or returning results based on the terms you searched).
• • Using the photos and videos you upload to Google Photos to create albums, collages, and other shareable creations.
• • Reading the flight confirmation email you received to generate a check-in button within Gmail.

2. Maintaining and Improving Services

Google relies on your information to ensure its services are working properly. The company constantly monitors its systems. If it identifies an issue, it can use your activity data (or other issue-specific data) to pinpoint when the problem started and fix it quickly.

Your information is also used to improve Google services. For instance, Google uses the data on frequently misspelled search terms to improve its spell-check features. It can also leverage the data on user interactions with particular services to identify an issue with a feature and redesign it to offer a better user experience.

3. Developing New Services

To provide the best possible experience, Google continuously works on developing new features and services by learning from user data.

For instance, Google learned from how users organized their photos in Picasa (Google’s original photo management app) to develop Google Photos.

4. Providing Personalized Services

Google customizes its services based on the data it collects from you. Customization includes:

• • Product recommendations
• • User-specific search results
• • Personalized content and ads (depending on your settings)

For instance, you can get personalized security tips from Google’s Security Checkup based on how you use Google products.

Google will never:

• • Use your data to show you ads based on race, religion, health, sexual orientation, or other sensitive categories
• • Take advantage of your Drive, Photos, or Gmail data to offer personalized ads
• • Share information that identifies you, such as your name or email, with advertisers, unless requested otherwise

5. Measuring Performance

Google “learns” how its products and services are used by analyzing user data. For instance, it:

• • Analyzes your visits to Google websites to optimize product design
• • Assesses the ads you interact with to help advertisers understand ad campaign performance

6. Protecting Itself, Users, and the Public

Google relies on user information to keep its services safe and reliable. This includes detecting, preventing, and responding to security risks, abuse, fraud, and other issues that could affect Google, users, or the public.

For example, Google analyzes IP addresses and cookies to offer protection against automated abuse, such as sending spam to Gmail users or stealing money from advertisers through fraudulent ad clicks.

7. Communicating With You

Google uses your information to reach out to you in different scenarios. For instance, if Google detects suspicious activity in your account, it will send a notification to your email address. It will also use your email address to notify you of updates in terms and conditions or new products and services you may be interested in.

What Personal Data Does My Android Share With Google?

Depending on your settings, your Android can share all the data we mentioned above with Google. You have some control over data sharing, but it’s not possible to completely prevent sharing information with Google, unless you decide to de-Google your Android.

De-Googling means giving up your Google account, disabling or uninstalling Google apps, and not using Google services. Considering Android phones heavily rely on Google, this would mean losing significant functionalities for many users.

Still, if you value your privacy, de-Googling your phone and opting for a privacy-focused Android OS—like GrapheneOS—may be a solid option.

Trivia: A 2021 study showed that Android sends 20x more data to Google than iOS sends to Apple. Google contested these findings, claiming that they’re based on faulty methods for measuring the data collected by each OS, but an official comparison of data collection methods used by Apple and Google was never published.

How To Stop an Android Phone From Sending Data to Google

You can’t stop your Android phone from sending data to Google unless you give up your Google account and all the apps and services the company offers. Instead, you can adjust data collection settings to whatever you’re comfortable with.

Here are a few suggestions on the information you can control:

You can review and update your information using the following tools:

1. 1. My Activity: It enables you to manage the data that’s saved to your Google account while you’re signed in and using Google services. You can browse and delete specific parts of your activity.
2. 1. Google Dashboard: It lets you manage information related to specific products.
3. 1. Personal Info: It allows you to handle your personal information.

Choose the Right Mobile Carrier To Boost Your Privacy

Google lets you adjust your data sharing settings (to a certain degree) to enhance your privacy, and this is good news for everyone who wants more control over their information. If you’re worried about online privacy, there’s another significant risk you may not be aware of—your carrier.

Big carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile collect a significant amount of your personal, location, and financial data, store it for unknown periods of time, and often share it with other companies. The number of data breaches all three carriers experienced in recent years raises alarming concerns regarding the safety of your data in their hands.

To enhance your privacy, choose Cape, a mobile carrier that prioritizes user anonymity, minimal data collection, and strict privacy policies.

Cape: User Privacy Is Always a Priority

Cape is a privacy-first carrier with robust features built to protect your privacy and security by default.

First and foremost, Cape’s ethos centers on minimal trust requirements. From the moment you sign up for Cape, you can be confident your data is protected simply because you never share it with the company. The only data point Cape collects and stores is your phone number, unlike other carriers that require your name, email address, card information, and other data.

What other features make Cape an excellent solution for everyone who prioritizes privacy? Here are a few:

Set Up Your Cape Account

To leverage the latest security and privacy protocols and ensure maximum data protection, sign up for Cape by visiting cape.co/get-cape.

All you need is an eSIM-compatible device. Looking for such a device? Explore the Cape Shop for offers and get $500 off your first six months of service.

Besides advanced features that ensure your privacy, we offer unlimited, nationwide 4G and 5G coverage, as well as unlimited calls and texts. You get everything Cape offers for $99/month, with no hidden costs.

To deliver enhanced network security, Cape partners with Proton, which is known for its strong commitment to privacy and encryption. All Cape subscribers can get Proton Unlimited or Proton VPN Plus for just $1 for six months.