Google has launched a new feature called Activity Cards to help users pick up where they left off across its services. The cards appear in Search and show recent activity from Gmail, Docs, Drive, and other Google apps. This makes it easier for people to find what they were working on without digging through files or emails.
(Google’s “Activity Cards” and User Engagement)
The idea is simple. When someone searches for something they recently viewed or edited, Google may show an Activity Card at the top of the results. Clicking the card takes them straight back to that document, email, or webpage. It saves time and reduces the need to remember exact file names or search terms.
Activity Cards are part of Google’s broader effort to make its tools work better together. They use on-device signals to understand user context while keeping data private. Google says no personal content is sent to its servers unless the user clicks the card. Even then, the data is handled like any other search query.
People can turn off Activity Cards at any time. They can also delete individual cards or clear their entire My Activity history. These controls are built into Google’s privacy settings, giving users full control over what shows up.
(Google’s “Activity Cards” and User Engagement)
Early tests show users spend less time hunting for past work when Activity Cards are active. Teachers, students, and remote workers say the feature helps them stay focused. Google plans to expand the feature to more apps and languages in the coming months. For now, it is available to most users signed into their Google accounts on desktop and mobile.