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From December 1, 2024, Google Maps will switch Timeline, the feature that keeps track of places you’ve visited and routes you’ve taken, to on-device only to protect your privacy.
We first heard about this in December 2023 when Google announced plans to store Maps Location History on devices rather than in the cloud.
Google also started deleting potentially sensitive locations, such as domestic violence shelters, from its location history. This followed its December Maps update, which prevents law enforcement from accessing location history.
With the latest update, location data backed up to the cloud and tied to your Google account will be linked to your devices instead. December 1 will mark the end of Your Timeline on the web, though the feature will still be available in Google Maps on Android and iOS as usual.
How to Keep Your Timeline on Google Maps
If you don’t enable Timeline settings by December 1, the past 90 days of your location history will be moved to the next device you use to sign into Google. Any data older than this will be deleted.
To enable Timeline settings before the update rolls out, do the following:
- Open Google Maps on your device,
- Select your profile picture at the top right,
- Choose Your Timeline.
You can set your location data to auto-delete after three, 18, or 36 months or keep it until you delete it manually.
If you need to switch devices, you can auto-backup your Timeline with an encrypted copy of your data uploaded to Google’s servers.
