Introduction
Let me tell you what I did last month.
I downloaded everything Google knows about me. Every search I have ever typed. Every YouTube video I have ever watched. Every place I have ever taken my phone. Every email I have ever sent. Every photo I have ever backed up.
The file was 5 GB. Thousands of files. Years of data.
I saw my search history from 2014. I saw where I was on a specific Tuesday three years ago. I saw every YouTube video I watched during my exam week in college.
It was strange to see. It was also valuable. Now I know exactly what information Google has about me.
Facebook has similar data. They know what posts you have liked. What ads have you clicked? What friends have you added? What pages have you followed? What devices have you used to log in? What your interests are according to their algorithms.
You can download all of it. Both Google and Facebook give you this option. It is free. It takes a few minutes to request. Then you wait for your data to be prepared.
Today, I will show you exactly how to download your data from both platforms. I will also explain what you will see inside those files.
Why You Should Download Your Data
You might be thinking,g "Why would I want to download this?"
Here are a few reasons.
First, you get to see what companies know about you. Most people have no idea. They assume Google knows a lot. But seeing the actual data is different. It becomes real. You see the timeline of your searches. You see your location history mapped out. You see how YouTube figured out what videos to recommend.
Second, you can keep a backup. If your Google account ever gets locked or hacked, you will still have your data. Your emails, your photos, your documents. All of it is saved on your own computer.
Third, you can switch to another service. If you decide to stop using Gmail, you can download all your emails first. If you decide to stop using Google Photos, you can download every photo before deleting it.
Fourth, you can delete your data from Google after downloading it. If you want to reduce what Google knows about you, you can download everything, then go through your account settings and delete old data. Remove old searches. Remove old location history. Remove old YouTube watch history.
What Data Google Collects
Before I show you how to download, let me tell you what data Google actually has.
Search History:
Every single thing you have typed into Google Search. Every time. Even searches you did in incognito mode are saved if you were logged into your Google account.
YouTube History:
Every video you have watched. Every search you performed on YouTube. Every comment you have posted. Every like and dislike.
Location History:
If you have an Android phone or use Google Maps on an iPhone, Google saves where you go. Every place. Every route. Every day. You can see a map with dots showing every location you visited.
Gmail: Every email you have sent and received. Every attachment. Every label. Every filter.
Google Drive:
Every file you have uploaded. Every document you have created. Every spreadsheet. Every folder.
Google Photos:
Every photo and video you have backed up. Thousands of images. You can download them all at once.
Chrome Browser:
Every bookmark you saved. Every password you saved. Every website you visited, if you had sync turned on.
Contacts:
Every person in your address book. Every phone number. Every email address.
Calendar:
Every event you added. Every reminder. Every meeting.
Google Play:
Every app you have installed. Every book you bought. Every movie you rented.
Assistant:
Every voice command you gave to Google Assistant. Every question you asked. Every reminder you set.
How to Download Your Google Data (Step by Step)
Step 1: Go to Google Takeout.
Open your browser. Go to takeout.google.com. This is Google's official data export tool. It is free.
Step 2: Signin too your Google account.
Use the same account you want to download data from. If you have multiple Google accounts, you need to do this separately for each account.
Step 3: Select what data you want.
You will see a long list of Google products. By default, every product is selected. This could be 50 or more different products.
If you want everything, leave it as is. Your file will be very large. Mine was 5 GB.
If you only want certain data, click "Deselect all" at the top. Then scroll down and select only what you need. I recommend at least these: Chrome, Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Contacts, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, SearchHistory, and YouTube.
Step 4: Customize each data type.
Some products let you choose specific settings. For Location History, you can choose which time period. For Gmail, you can choose which labels. For Drive, you can choose which folders. The default settings are fine for most people.
Step 5: Click "Next step" at the bottom.
Step 6: Choose delivery method.
You have several options. You can receive a download link by email. This is the simplest. You can also send the data directly to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box.
I recommend selecting "Send download link via email."
Step 7: Choose frequency.
Select "Export once." You can set up automatic exports every two months for a year, but once is enough for most people.
Step 8: Choose file type and size.
File type: Select ZIP. This works on every computer.
File size: Select 2 GB. If your data is larger than 2 GB, Google will split it into multiple ZIP files. 2 GB is a good size for downloading.
Step 9: Click "Create export."
Google will start preparing your data. A message will appear saying "Google is preparing your export."
You will receive an email when the export is ready. This can take from a few minutes to several days. My 5 GB export took about 4 hours.
Step 10: Download your data.
When the email arrives, click the download link. You will need to sign into your Google account again. Then click the download button. Save the ZIP file to your computer. Extract the files using any extraction tool.
What You Will See Inside Your Google Data
After you extract the ZIP file, you will see folders for each product you selected.
Open the "Search History" folder. Inside, you will find an HTML file. Open it in your browser. You will see every search you ever made. Sorted by date. You can scroll through years of searches.
Open the "Location History" folder. This data comes as JSON files. You need a special viewer to see it nicely. Search for "Google Location History viewer" online. There are free tools that show your locations on a map.
Open the "YouTube" folder. You will see an HTML file with your watch history. Every video. Every search. Every like.
Open the "Gmail" folder. Your emails come as MBOX files. You can open them with email clients like Thunderbird. Or you can upload the MBOX file to a service that reads it.
Open the "Google Photos" folder. Your photos and videos are there as regular JPG and MP4 files. You can copy them anywhere.
Open the "Chrome" folder. Your bookmarks are there. Your saved passwords are there, but they are encrypted. You cannot read them without your Chrome password.
What Data Facebook Collects
Facebook collects even more data than Google. They know what you post, what you like, what you comment, who your friends are, what pages you follow, what events you attend, and what ads you click.
They also collect data from outside Facebook. When you visit a website that has a Facebook " Like " button, Facebook knows you visited that site. When you use Instagram, that is also Facebook. When you use WhatsApp, that is also Facebook.
You can download all of this.
How to Download Your Facebook Data
Step 1: Go to Facebook settings.
Open Facebook on a computer. Click your profile picture in the top right corner. Select "Settings and privacy." Then click "Settings."
Step 2: Go to Your Facebook Information.
On the left menu, click "Your Facebook Information."
Step 3: Click "Download your information."
You will see a button that says "View." Click it.
Step 4: Select what data you want.
You can select specific date ranges. You can select specific data types. You can select your posts, photos, videos, friends list, messages, likes, comments, search history, location data, ads you clicked, and much more.
I recommend selecting at least these: Posts, Photos and Videos, Friends, Messages, Likes and Reactions, Comments, Search History, Location Data, and Ads.
Step 5: Choose media quality.
For photos and videos, you can choose Low, Medium, or High quality. High-quality files are larger but look better. I chose High for photos and Medium for videos.
Step 6: Create a file.
Click "Create File." Facebook will start preparing your data. This can take from a few minutes to several days, depending on how much data you have.
You will receive a notification on Facebook and an email when your file is ready.
Step 7: Download your data.
When the file is ready, go back to the same page. Click "Available copies." Click "Download." You will need to enter your Facebook password again.
What You Will See Inside Your Facebook Data
Your Facebook data comes as a ZIP file. Extract it. Open the folder.
Inside, you will find an HTML file called "index.htm" or "index.html." Open it in your browser. This is your personal Facebook dashboard. You can browse your data through this dashboard.
You will see every post you ever made. Every photo you ever uploaded. Every message you ever sent. Every friend you ever added. Every like you ever clicked. Every search you performed on Facebook. Every ad you clicked. Every device you used to log in. Every IP address you logged in from.
The amount of data can be overwhelming. My Facebook data was 3 GB.
What About Instagram?
Facebook owns Instagram. You can download your Instagram data through the same process.
How to download Instagram data:
Open Instagram on a phone or computer. Go to your profile. Tap the three lines. Tap "Your activity." Tap "Download your information." Enter your email address. Request download.
Instagram will email you a link when your data is ready.
Your Instagram data includes your posts, stories, photos, videos, comments, messages, likes, search history, and account information.
What About WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is also owned by Facebook. You can export your chat history.
How to export WhatsApp chat:
On Android: Open a chat. Tap the three dots. Tap More. Tap Export chat. Choose whether to include media or not. Choose where to save the file.
On iPhone: Open a chat. Tap the contact name at the top. Tap Export Chat. Choose whether to include media or not.
You have to do this per chat. There is no way to export all chats at once from WhatsApp.
How to Delete Your Data After Downloading
After you download your data, you can delete it from Google or Facebook.
Delete Google data:
Go to myactivity.google.com. You will see your search history, YouTube history, and other activity. You can delete individual items. You can delete all activity from a specific date range. You can delete everything.
Click "Delete activity by" on the left menu. Select "All time." Select the products you want to clear. Click "Delete."
Delete Facebook data:
Go to Facebook settings. Click "Your Facebook Information." Click "Delete your account and information" if you want to delete your whole account. To delete specific data, go to "Activity Log" and delete items individually.
Seven Questions People Ask Me About Downloading Data
Question one: Is Google Takeout free?
Answer: Yes. Completely free. Google does not charge for downloading your own data.
Question two: How long does it take to get my data?
Answer: It depends on how much data you have. A small account might take 10 minutes. A large account with years of emails and photos might take several hours or even a few days.
Question three: Can someone else see my downloaded data?
Answer: Only if they have access to your computer or your download link. Store the files safely. Do not share the download link with anyone. Delete the ZIP files from your computer after you have extracted them if you are concerned about privacy.
Question four: Will Facebook delete my data after I download it?
Answer: No. Downloading your data does not delete it. You have to delete it separately if that is what you want.
Question five: Can I download my data from my phone?
Answer: Yes. You can request the download from your phone's browser. But the files are large. You will probably need a computer to download and open them.
Question six: What if I forget my password and cannot log in?
Answer: You cannot download your data without logging in. That is a security feature. If you have forgotten your password, use the password recovery option first.
Question seven: How often should I download my data?
Answer: I download my Google data once a year. I download my Facebook data once a year. That is enough for backup purposes.
My Final Advice
Downloading your data is not difficult. It takes a few minutes to start the process. Then you wait.
What you find might surprise you. It surprised me. I had forgotten what I searched for years ago. I had forgotten where I went on specific dates. I had forgotten what videos I watched.
The data is yours. Google and Facebook have been collecting it for years. You have a right to see it. You have the right to download it. You have the right to delete it.
Take one hour this weekend. Start your Google Takeout request. Start your Facebook download request. When the files arrive, look through them. See what they know about you. Then decide what you want to keep and what you want to delete.
Your data belongs to you.
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