Where you go, Google goes. If you have location services
turned on, then Google Maps has keeps track of every step you (and your
smartphone) take. Your Google Timeline, introduced last year, can be a true
walk down memory lane, but it can also lead straight to you and leave the door
to your privacy wide open.
With Timeline, not only can Google Maps show you where
you're going, but where you've been. There might also be photographic evidence
since Timeline syncs with any shots uploaded to Google Photos.
If you've turned on location services, Google is constantly
pinging your phone from cell towers and Wi-Fi and using GPS to see where you
are. The frequency with which it finds you can be every few minutes or every
few seconds, painting a pretty accurate picture of where you are at all times.
If this all seems less helpful and more harmful, you can
remove your location history and tell Google to quit it already and stop
following you. Here's how.
Android
When you upgrade to the latest version of Google Maps, and
check out your Timeline (Hamburger icon > Your timeline), Google will ask
you to turn on Location History. You can then check out where you've been. I
signed in on a borrowed Galaxy Note 4, so the only thing it had tracked was my
location at the office.
If you'd rather not have your Android phone tracking your
location, go back to Your timeline and tap on the three dots on the upper-right
corner.
Select Timeline Settings
Scroll down to Location Settings.
Tap "Location History is on."
A pop-up window will appear; tap the checkmark next to
"On"
Tap "OK" on the window that appears.
(You can also navigate to Hamburger icon > Settings >
Google Location Settings > Location and toggle it to off.)
You can also get rid of everything under "Delete All
Location History." A pop-up will warn you that everything is about to be
deleted, which might affect how Google Now and other apps that use Location
History work. If that's okay with you, check the box next to "I understand
and want to delete" and then Delete.
Apple iOS
For iOS, go to Google Maps, make sure you're signed in, and
scroll to Settings. Tap Location History, where you'll see a slider that can go
from On to Off. Slide it Off.
To erase the past, navigate to Settings > Maps History
and tap the "X" next to the location you want to delete. On iOS,
there is not currently an option to delete everything at once.
To only enable location tracking while you're using the app
(not in the background), go to your iOS device's Settings > Privacy >
Location Services > Google Maps and select While Using the App. This can be
helpful if you want the phone to remember where you've been for future searches
but not be constantly tracking you.
Web
You can also clear your history from a desktop. Go to Google
Maps and sign in to your account. Select Menu and then Your Timeline. You'll
see every place you've been while Google Maps has been with you.
You can delete just one day by selecting the day on the top
left and clicking the garbage can icon.
To delete your entire location history, go to the Timeline,
click the gear icon on the right side of the screen and select "Delete all
Location History." Like on mobile, a pop-up will ask you if you really
want to do that. If so, check the box next to "I understand and want to
delete all Location History" and then "Delete Location History."
Source: pcmag.com
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