Google Maps has long been a gold standard in everyday navigation, whether it is hopping on public transportation or jumping in your car for a journey across town.
In addition to giving you insight into how crowded the bus or final destination is, Google has increased user data control with features like auto-delete and incognito mode.
Google takes it a step further with its latest updates launched this December to give you even more ease and control as you navigate your life.
Though your Location History is off by default, if you turn it on you can take advantage of the Timeline feature.
There’s so much to remember, let alone the store you visited a week ago. Just like having your search history on, having your location data on to utilize the new Timeline feature can be very helpful when you need help recollecting the specific address or location of the store or restaurant you visited while running errands the week prior. Timeline will remember the places you’ve visited for you. Here's how to turn it off or on, depending on your preference.
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When location history is turned on, it will not only help you remember locations you’ve visited when you want, but you also have more control over what data is saved. With auto-delete, you can select a timeframe for which your location history will be automatically deleted. When your location data is on, and you set up auto-delete, the default or minimum timeframe you can set for auto-deletion is 3 months. This way, you don’t have to remember to go back and delete your location data. Google will remember for you. Thereafter, you can choose 18 months or 36 months.
Google will automatically delete your location history older than the timeframe you selected. You can change or turn off this setting anytime you want.
You may also want to delete some or all of your location history for various reasons, such as privacy, security, or storage. Here's how to delete your entire location history, a specific time range, a single day, or a single place from your Google Maps app on your mobile device.
How to delete all Location History
You may want to delete your entire location history on Google Maps for privacy or security reasons. To do this, follow these steps.
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How to delete a range of Location History
You can also choose to delete a specific period of your location history, such as a week or a month, by following these steps.
How to delete a day from Location History
Sometimes, you may want to delete a single day of your location history, for example, if you visited a sensitive or personal place. To remove a single day from your location history, you can select the date from the calendar and delete it with these steps.
How to delete a stop from Location History
If you only want to delete a certain place that you visited, such as a restaurant or a shop, you can find it in the list of places and remove it with these steps.
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You can keep specifics about your whereabouts private with the ability to delete directions, searches, and shares in one place on Google Maps.
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That’s it. You have deleted your activity on Google Maps for the selected time frame. You can also delete individual activities by tapping on them and then tapping on the Trash icon.
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When you open Google Maps, your current location is shown as a blue dot. This not only gives you a clear visual reference of your location in relation to the area around you, but now it also lets you control key location features with a few taps. With one tap, you can find out if certain settings are on, such as Location History or Timeline, and whether you’ve given Maps access to your device’s location.
You can always review your data, and any choices you make at activity.google.com or your timeline.
Google Maps has long been a mainstay for most Android and Apple users because of the ability to get powerful data, up-to-date intel, and fluidity between desktops and phone apps. Now Google gives you even more control over your data by allowing Maps to remember specific visits and locations for you while remembering to delete consistently or specifically if necessary.
Do you use Google Maps for daily errands or travel? Will you take advantage of Timeline and other new features to maximize Maps? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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