Google to Shut Down Dark Web Report in 2026: What You Need to Know

Google is discontinuing its Dark Web Report feature in early 2026, ending the short‑lived tool that scanned the dark web for leaked personal data linked to your Google account. The company says it will instead focus on other security tools like Password Manager, Security Checkup, and Passkeys to help users stay safer online.​

Google Dark Web Report Is Shutting Down: What You Need to Know

Google has confirmed that its Dark Web Report feature will be retired in early 2026, just over a year after it was rolled out globally for Google Account and Google One users. The tool allowed people to check whether details like email addresses, phone numbers, or other identifiers connected to their Google account had appeared in known dark‑web data breaches.​

Shutdown timeline

Reports say Dark Web Report will be shut down in two main stages:​

• Mid‑January 2026 – Google will stop scanning for new leaks and updating dark‑web monitoring results.​

• Mid‑February 2026 – The feature will be fully removed from Google Account / Google One interfaces, and the existing monitoring data associated with Dark Web Report will be deleted from Google’s systems.​

After that point, you will no longer see the Dark Web Report card in your account’s Security section or within Google One.​

Why is Google ending Dark Web Report?

According to coverage from multiple outlets, Google’s reasoning is that while Dark Web Report did notify people that their information was circulating in breached databases, it did not always give clear, actionable next steps beyond general security advice. Instead of maintaining a separate branded “dark web” feature, Google now wants to double down on tools that can directly prevent or mitigate account takeover—such as strong authentication and password protections.​

In short, Google appears to be reallocating effort from monitoring and scanning to proactive account hardening.​

What security tools will remain?

Even after Dark Web Report disappears, several important Google security features will continue to be available:​

• Google Password Manager & password leak checks
  Google’s password tools can still warn you if a saved password appears in known data breaches, and will prompt you to change weak or reused passwords.​

• Security Checkup
  This dashboard reviews your account sign‑ins, recovery options, and connected devices, and flags risky settings that could make it easier for attackers to get in.​

• Passkeys and 2‑step verification
  Google continues to push passkeys and multi‑factor authentication as stronger alternatives to passwords alone, making it harder for leaked credentials to be abused.​

• “Results about you”
  Google’s “Results about you” tool, which helps you find and request removal of certain personal info from search results, will remain separate from Dark Web Report’s shutdown.​

How to protect yourself without Dark Web Report

Even though Dark Web Report is going away, you can still monitor and protect your data using a combination of Google tools and trusted third‑party services:​

• Regularly run Security Checkup and enable 2‑step verification or passkeys on your Google account.​

• Use Google Password Manager (or another reputable manager) and immediately change any passwords that show up as compromised, weak, or reused.​

• Check your email address on well‑known breach‑alert services (for example, sites that track password leaks) to see if it appears in large public data dumps.​

• Avoid reusing the same password across multiple sites, especially for your main email and financial accounts.​

Should you be worried?

The end of Dark Web Report does not mean that your data is suddenly less safe, but it does remove one easy visual dashboard from inside the Google ecosystem. For many users, the more important protections remain strong passwords, passkeys, and multi‑factor authentication plus staying alert to phishing and suspicious logins.