Google has revealed its intention to store Maps Timeline information on your device locally rather than on your Google account starting December 1, 2024.
The modifications were first disclosed by the technology behemoth in December 2023, in conjunction with revisions to the auto-delete function when activating Location History, reducing the default retention period to three months from the prior 18-month limit.
Google Maps Timeline assists users in monitoring their routes, journeys, and visited locations over time, provided that Location History and Web & App Activity settings are activated.
However, with the recent change to store the data on user devices, the company has also declared the removal of the capability to access this data on the web.
“As the information on your Timeline originates from your device, Timeline browsing will no longer be supported on the web version of Google Maps after data transfer to your mobile device,” as stated in a support document by Google.
The updates are gradually being introduced to all Google Maps app users. Additionally, users are urged to activate backups to ensure an encrypted backup of the Timeline data on Google’s servers for easy transfer when switching devices.
This development is a part of a series of adjustments made in response to allegations of misleading consumers and unauthorized tracking of their movements even after disabling Location History in the account settings by exploiting the less-obvious Web & App Activity setting.
According to an Associated Press investigation published in 2018, “Keeping ‘Web & App Activity’ active while turning off ‘Location History’ merely prevents Google from adding your movements to the ‘timeline’, a visual representation of your daily travels. It does not halt Google’s collection of other location markers.”
In light of this, Google has reached settlements with several U.S. states over these practices and has agreed to pay $62 million to numerous non-profit organizations in April 2024. A legal action similar to those taken by other states is currently pending in Texas.
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