Google Maps is bringing a giant change to the way it shops your location knowledge, in accordance with a report. It is going to quickly allow units to retailer location and timeline knowledge domestically (on-device) as a substitute of Google Cloud, the report suggests. Moreover, the corporate may also set the auto-delete function, which robotically removes your timeline knowledge after a sure time interval, to a few months. Any knowledge older than that shall be deleted, the report additional provides.
On-device Maps location storage
In line with a report by The Verge, this transfer is a part of Google’s efforts to double down on privateness measures. In an e-mail reportedly despatched to Google customers, the corporate revealed that they’ve till December 1 to avoid wasting their location info, such because the locations they’ve visited and journeys they’ve gone on, to their units. After that, it is going to begin deleting the outdated knowledge, as per the report.
It will reportedly embody Location Historical past – now often called Timeline. Google says Timeline is a “private map” that helps individuals bear in mind the routes and journeys primarily based on their Location Historical past. Customers have the choice to edit and delete their Timeline knowledge. Going ahead, all the situation knowledge will now be sure to the machine domestically as a substitute of Google Cloud.
The tech large first introduced this privacy-driven initiative in December 2023. In a weblog put up, it stated, “In the event you’re among the many subset of customers who’ve chosen to show Location Historical past on (it is off by default), quickly your Timeline shall be saved proper in your machine — providing you with much more management over your knowledge. Identical to earlier than, you possibly can delete all or a part of your info at any time or disable the setting totally.”
Learn how to maintain utilizing Timeline
As per the report, Google says to maintain the situation historical past on, customers must open Google Maps on their smartphone and faucet on the profile image within the top-right nook. Then, head over to the Timeline part and set the function to On.
Moreover, customers also can select how lengthy they need Google to retailer their knowledge, starting from three months to a few years. Alternatively, they will additionally toggle the guide delete choice which is able to maintain the Timeline knowledge till the consumer manually removes it.
