Google Maps will soon delete your location history, unless you indicate otherwise.
From now on, the timeline tracking will be limited by default to the last three months.
Google is preparing a series of changes to the location tracking feature of Google Maps, known as Timeline. Starting in 2024, location history will be moved from the cloud to local storage on the user's device. As part of this process, Google will default to deleting all Timeline data that is older than three months, unless users take timely actions.
It had been previously announced that this transition would occur at the end of 2024, but new information suggests that the deadline may be moved up. Some users have reported receiving emails urging them to act before November 19 to avoid losing their Timeline data.
The Timeline feature allows users to visualize their location history as a line on the map, reflecting the places they have visited. Since its introduction in 2015, this functionality has accumulated records spanning nearly a decade for many users. Beyond sentimental value, Google can use this data, with user consent, to evaluate the effectiveness of its advertising.
With the changes, Timeline will no longer sync over the internet and will become device-specific. For those who wish to keep their Timeline data beyond the three-month period, the emails sent by Google include a link to back up the information. However, it has been reported that some users have lost all their location history when attempting to use that link. As an alternative, Google Takeout can be used to export the data and avoid issues with the link. To do this, users simply need to uncheck everything except "Location History (Timeline)" on the takeout.google.com site, proceed to the next step, and create the export.
This move represents a broader change in Google's strategy, which has begun shifting from free cloud services to subscription options or features that are stored directly on the device. A notable example is Google Photos, which eliminated its unlimited free storage option in 2021, while YouTube has considered restricting some features to Premium subscriptions. Although many users may just want to save their data and move on, it is still unclear how much space will be required for storing Timeline on devices.
