Google Maps tracks everywhere you go

Google Maps' location timeline logs your movements for later reference. While useful for remembering places, many people find constant background tracking invasive.

“One particular feature is more divisive: your location timeline, which logs everywhere you've traveled for later reference.”

Your location data is now stored locally

Google recently shifted from storing location history in the cloud to keeping it on your device by default, unless you manually back it up.

Access timeline settings in Google Maps

Open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, select Your timeline, then tap the three dots and choose Location and privacy settings.

Turn off tracking or delete all data

Select Timeline, then choose Turn off to stop tracking while keeping existing data, or Turn off and delete activity to erase all historical location records.

Set auto-delete for ongoing privacy

You can configure automatic deletion of location data older than three, eighteen, or thirty-six months to maintain privacy without fully disabling the feature.

Fine-tune backup and export options

You can disable cloud backup of timeline data, edit or delete specific days, export your timeline to another device, or delete a range of location data.