Nowadays, it seems nearly impossible to keep something like your location a secret, and we are often left at the mercy of companies to take the appropriate steps to ensure this.
To achieve just that goal, Google has released new location controls for Maps designed to give you better control over what data is captured and where.
One of the most
significant changes being introduced is the option to save your Timeline
directly to your device instead of the cloud.
If you do not
already know, the Timeline is an encrypted record of all the areas and
attractions you have visited. You need to turn on location history; it is off
by default, to activate Timeline.
As part of the
Google Maps update, Location History will automatically delete your data after
three months, compared to the previous 18 months. However, you can delete all
information whenever you want or you can turn off automatic deletion.
Additionally, you can turn off Location History at any time.
Google Maps
will also let you click on your blue dot on the map and see settings like
Location History and Timeline. The shortcut lets you change how much of your
information is shared and stored on Google Maps without having to go into
settings.
Similarly,
Google Maps is adding an option to delete location-specific data. For example,
if you searched for a restaurant for a secret date and want to keep it private,
you can delete directions, searches, shares, and more.
This feature and the blue dot shortcut will roll out in the coming weeks to Android and iOS, but the ability to save your Timeline directly to the device will become available over the next year.
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