Google Maps Finally Becoming More Private, Letting You Store Data Locally

Security-oriented folks have been asking for this for a while and now it’s finally here: the ability to store your location history from Google Maps locally, not in the cloud.

A new Google blog post announces that, next year, you’ll be able to have your Google Timeline feature saved on your device locally, instead of on their cloud.

Even better than that, the app now seems to take a more “privacy-first” approach, having an auto-delete on by default.

From the announcement: 

“If you’re among the subset of users who have chosen to turn Location History on (it’s off by default), soon your Timeline will be saved right on your device — giving you even more control over your data. Just like before, you can delete all or part of your information at any time or disable the setting entirely.

If you’re getting a new phone or are worried about losing your existing one, you can always choose to back up your data to the cloud so it doesn’t get lost. We’ll automatically encrypt your backed-up data so no one can read it, including Google.

Additionally, when you first turn on Location History, the auto-delete control will be set to three months by default, which means that any data older than that will be automatically deleted. Previously this option was set to 18 months. If you want to save memories to your Timeline for a longer period, don’t worry — you can always choose to extend the period or turn off auto-delete controls altogether.”

Head on to Google’s blog to see what other changes are coming to Google Maps soon.

Also read: How to Use Google Maps For Parking Spot Issues