Google Maps is implementing significant updates that will impact anyone who relies on the app for trip planning, navigation, and accessing past destinations. In the coming months, the setting previously known as Location History will be renamed “Timeline.” If you have Location History enabled on your account, you will soon notice Timeline within your app and account settings.
A recent help page update from Google outlines key changes, most notably the shift to saving user location data on devices rather than in the cloud. Location History is now rebranded as Timeline, providing users with new data management options. However, to retain access to Timeline, users must have the latest version of the Google Maps app. Without this update, users risk losing data and access to their Timeline.
Impact on Data Accessibility
The updated Timeline feature will now directly source data from your device, making it unavailable on the Google Maps website on computers. Essentially, Google is phasing out the Timeline feature for web access, confining its use to mobile devices. This local storage approach allows users who are uncomfortable sharing private details with Google to keep their data on-device.
The new Google Timeline feature allows you to keep track of your journeys. This is all made possible through the seamless collection of location data in the background. For those who travel frequently, these records can produce captivating summaries at the end of the year or convenient daily logs.
Steps to Preserve Your Timeline Data
To avoid losing your existing Timeline data, it’s crucial to update your settings by following simple steps:
- Look out for notifications from Google, which may come as push notifications, emails, or in-app messages.
- Follow the on-screen instructions provided.
- Tap Done to finalize the changes.
Your data will then be transferred to your device based on the chosen settings. You can enable the backup feature if you wish to migrate your data to another device.
Deadline and Backup Options
Users have until December 1, 2024, to ensure their saved visits and routes are either stored on their device or backed up. Failure to update settings by the deadline could result in the partial or complete loss of historical data. For more detailed information, refer to the notifications and emails from Google Location History. If switching devices, you can back up your Timeline, saving an encrypted copy of your data on Google’s servers.
In summary, the new changes aim to enhance privacy by storing location data locally on user devices while also necessitating some adjustments to ensure data preservation.
Failing to meet the deadline means that Google will attempt to transfer the last 90 days of your location history to the first device you log into after the cutoff date. Any trips recorded before these 90 days will be automatically erased, ensuring that outdated data does not linger.