How do I enable Web History on Google apps?

And lo, it came to pass that each time I opened Google Maps on my phone, it told me that it wasn’t running optimally because I hadn’t enabled “Web History”.
“Would you like to enable Web History?” it asked me, and of course I said yes, because no-one wants a sub-optimal Google Maps performance, do they?

But then, disaster:

Web History has not been enabled by the administrator of the domain @6000.co.za.

Bugger. What an idiot.

Not really, he’s lovely. But when he tried to enable Web History, it was – shall we say – less than straightforward. In fact, it took three months, an email to Jacob Zuma, the ritual sacrifice of a bunny rabbit and some Sherlock Holmesesque detective work to find out exactly how to do it. (Jacob, perhaps unsurprisingly, never replied.)

The fact is that it’s all there on the Google help section, but it’s so well hidden, it might as well not be.

Thus, I’m posting this in order that others won’t have to suffer the same trials and tribulations as me.
Here goes:

  1. Log In to your control panel (https://admin.google.com/)
  2. In the middle at the bottom of your dashboard click on “More Controls”
  3. Click “Other Google Services”
  4. Remove the Filter “Top Featured Services” by clicking on the “x”
  5. Scroll to the bottom and click the Checkbox next to Web History
  6. Click the “On” Button (this looks like a power switch symbol, top )
  7. a. Select for all users; or
    b. If you have various organizational units select which organizational unit

** Also see comment from billywhizz69 below **

Obviously, you have to be an administrator to be able to do this. But I am, so that’s great. If you’re not, find out who is and direct him or her here.

I hope this works for you as well as it has worked for me. But more quickly.

7 thoughts on “How do I enable Web History on Google apps?

  1. This is out of date now

    If you are digging around in Google and stumble across this, you won;t find (or at least I didn’t) the “Other Google Services” button under More Controls. The new route is

    1. Log In to your control panel
    2. In the middle of the buttons at the top will be “Apps” click this
    3. Click on Additional Google Services
    4. Remove the Filter “Top Featured Services” by clicking on the “x”
    5. Scroll to the bottom and click the Checkbox next to Web History
    6. Click the “On” Button (this looks like a power switch symbol, top )
    7. a. Select for all users; or
    b. If you have various organizational units select which organizational unit

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