It’s no secret thatGoogle Mapskeeps tabs on your every move with its Timeline feature, which logs all your pit stops and the routes you take. As long as you’re signed in to your Google account with Location History enabled (it’s off by default), Google collects all this juicy information and secures it in the cloud, promising it’s encrypted. But if you’re the paranoid type, the company will soon give you the option to stash your trips directly on your device.
In the coming year, Google isplanningto switch things up by defaulting to saving your Timeline directly on your device instead of the cloud. You’ll also have the option towipe out bits or the whole information dossierwhenever you want anddisable location history completely.
When you’re jumping ship to a new device and want to keep your data close, you always have the option to back it up in the cloud. Google assures you that it’ll lock it up with encryption.
Another significant update is the shorter default amount of time before your location history is auto-deleted. Soon, when you turn on location history, the default auto-delete time shrinks to three months. In the past, it used to hang around for 18 months by default. If you’re the sentimental type, you may extend the Timeline’s lifespan or turn off the auto-delete option.
Google Maps has another nifty trick up its sleeve: soon, you can erase all traces of your trips with just a few taps. Say you’ve got a favorite hangout spot and you want to keep it to yourself. You can wipe the slate clean right from the app, whether it’s searches, directions, visits, or shares. This handy feature is making its debut on Maps for Android and iOS in the next few weeks.
Currently, you need to tap on the “remove” option in the location overview if you want to get rid of a location from your Timeline. But if you ever checked out that place or got directions via Maps, consider that data imprinted in the archives of yourGoogle Web and App Activity, assuming you’ve turned it on.
Finally, you will soon be able to click on the blue dot on the map to view your Location History and Timeline at a glance. It allows you to tweak what you share and store on Maps, all without having to dive into the settings. Currently, the blue dot only gives you some neat shortcuts for parking saves and location sharing.
Keeping secrets can be tricky in the digital age. We’re all hostages to big companies, hoping they throw us a privacy bone. At the very least, Google Maps is stepping up with some nifty location controls, so we can wrestle back some control over where our data is stored.
