Google can now use connected Gmail and Photos info to tailor ads

Google updated its privacy policy on October 16, 2026, and information from Gmail and Google Photos can now help personalize the ads you see. It does not apply to everyone by default. It depends on whether you connect those apps to other Google services, such as Search and Gemini.

What changed

Google's earlier policy said it did not show personalized ads based on content from Drive, Gmail or Google Photos. The new version adds an exception. Google still says it will not do this unless users choose to share their data with other Google services that allow personalized ads.

Google lets people link Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Photos and other apps to Search. Once linked, Search can use that information to be more helpful. For example, AI Mode might read a hotel booking in Gmail to suggest nearby restaurants. Google says Search may use summaries, excerpts and inferences (educated guesses) from connected apps, and that this information can also be used for ads.

Who can relax

Google says advertisers cannot access your private inbox or photo library. It also says ads are not based directly on your Gmail inbox or Photos library, and that it does not personalize ads using sensitive categories such as race, religion, sexual orientation or health. The change is about information shared through connected services, not every message and picture in every account.

Why it still matters

Your emails and photos are not handed to advertisers, but what Google learns from them can still influence the ads you get. Some people are fine with Google reading an email to find a reservation, but not with that information affecting ads. Two things are easy to miss.

• Disconnecting Gmail or Photos does not turn off personalized ads. That is a separate control.
• Disconnecting does not delete info already saved in Search Services History.
• Google can still use that saved history to improve its services, including its AI models.

Turning off personalized ads also does not remove ads. It only means Google will not use that information to tailor them to you. Gemini has its own connected-app controls, and changing one service does not change the other.

What to do

The steps are in the alert box above. Google says these settings are still rolling out, so menu names may not match what you see. Accounts without the new settings can still manage Search history and recommendations through Web & App Activity. Saved activity can be reviewed in Google My Activity.