Google Maps is seen by many as a navigation app. Of course, the app does a very good job at that, but people use it for other things. You can use Google Maps to plan your trip, check traffic conditions on your chosen route, dedicated parking, and more. In addition, the app keeps your location history data but has the potential for a serious security risk.
The truth is that our phone is a tracking device. You would be surprised that all the places you have visited in the last couple of months or years are all recorded on your device. Google keeps this data to improve your experience interacting with apps on your device. However, there’s an option to delete your location history manually or schedule it to be deleted automatically.
Meanwhile, before you can check your location history, you must have enabled it. Most phones have it enabled by default unless you already turned it off. If you are not sure whether location history is enabled on your device, you should follow the procedure below.
How to enable Location history using Google Maps
Location History keeps data on the places you have been to. Also, the routes you took while visiting these places are recorded on your Google account. These data are generated using all the apps on your device connected to your Google account.
You can access them via your computer or your mobile device. However, you need to enable Location History before that. Follow the procedure below if Google has not turned it on for you.
- Visit Google Maps on your computer or phone.
- Tap on your profile picture and select “Your data in Maps.”
- Scroll down to Timeline and tap on it.
- On the next page, “Activity Control,” under Timeline, you see an option to enable location history. If it is enabled already, you can proceed below.
How to view location history on the browser
- Open the Google Maps on your browser and log into your account
- Click on the hamburger and select “Your data in Maps.” It will only show the last place you visited, as Google has decided to store your history on Mobile devices.
How to check Location history using the Google Maps app
- Launch the Google Maps app and tap on your profile picture.
- Click on Timeline.
- It will take a moment to go back in time. After that, you will see the last place you visited.
- You can use options like Day Trips, Insights, Places, Cities, and World at the top of your screen to access your location history.
- Click on the drop-down menu next to “Today” to select the day and month.
- If you want to edit anything on your location history, click the pencil icon at the button.
How to delete Location history on Google Maps
Your location history is sensitive data, and because it is, Google lets you delete it. You can choose to have them deleted automatically or manually. Anyone you decide, you can follow the procedure below.
Manually delete Location history data
- Open Google Maps on your device and tap on your profile picture.
- Tap on Timeline.
- Click on the three dots at the top right and select “Location & privacy settings.”
- Select Delete range of Timeline data.
- Choose a Start date and End date.
- Click continue and on the next page, you will agree to “I understand and want to delete.” Tick the box next to it and tap delete.
Auto-delete location history data
- Open Google Maps on your device and tap on your profile picture.
- Tap on Timeline.
- Click on the three dots at the top right and select “Location & privacy settings.”
- Tap on Auto-delete Timeline.
- Select “Auto-delete activities older than.”
- Use the drop-down menu to select the month’s interval.
- However, regardless of your choice, you can always delete manually at any time.
Benefits of Location History on Google Maps
Data on your location history can remind you of places you have been. Since it covers cities and even the world, it gives you an accurate date of when you made each trip and how memorable it was.
Parents can use this data to monitor their kid’s location. You can access where your kid was at every day of the week. And since Google Maps keeps data for at least 18 months, you can always go back in time.
If you want to catch a cheating partner, the best way will be to check their location history. Using the procedure on this post, you can check out their history. With options like Cities and World, it would be easy to know where they have been.
Google can use your location history to improve your experience interacting with some apps. If you are the type that prioritizes visiting places or traveling, it would be easy to make recommendations based on your previous visits.
Conclusion
Google knows how sensitive your location history is and so, only the Google Maps app can be used to access it. You can previously access it using the web browser, but that is no longer working. Nevertheless, someone can still access them without your consent especially when you hand them your phone without pinning an app or lock screen. To ensure your data doesn’t end up in the wrong hands, you can Auto-delete data or do it manually.
