Google Maps boasts loads of features, making it stand out from the competition. Although having a variety of features is a plus, for a regular user, it can be tough to know how to use all of them. The Google Maps Timeline is one of the platform's essential features, allowing you to view places you've been to in the past and the routes you used to get there.
The Timeline feature leverages the fact that Google tracks your whereabouts in the background. We will show you how to see your location history on Google Maps on your phone.
How to See Your Google Maps Location History
It's no longer a secret that Google tracks you in the background. The Timeline feature capitalizes on this, giving you a way to check your location history.
The critical thing to note is you must have your Google account's Location History turned on to use the feature. With Location History enabled, you can view the countries, cities, and other places, like restaurants, malls, etc., that you've been to in the past.
Follow these steps to check whether you have your Location History enabled:
- Open Google Maps and tap your profile icon or letter in the top right.
- Select Your data in Maps from the pop-up menu.
- If you see On under Location History, that means you have it enabled. Otherwise, tap Off, and Google will take you to a page where you can switch it back on by tapping Turn on.
If you have just enabled your Location History at the moment, or you deleted your past data to protect your privacy in Google Maps, there won't be anything in your Timeline.
However, if you have some other settings like Web & App Activity enabled, you may still see some location history data. Our tips on troubleshooting Google Maps issues on Android should come in handy if you're experiencing issues with the app.
How to View Your Google Maps Timeline
Otherwise, with that out of the way, here's how you can see where you've been in the Google Maps app:
- Inside Google Maps, tap your profile icon or letter in the top right.
- Select Your Timeline from the pop-up menu. Google will take a few seconds to load the Timeline page.
- The Timeline page will show today's location history by default at the bottom. It provides additional data like how you went to a specific location, the amount of time used during the commute, and an estimate of your time in an area. Tap Today to select a particular date in the past.
- If you want to see your past trips, select the Trips tab at the top. Google will show you the number of trips you've been on, how long they were, and in which month and year.
- The Places tab showcases specific places you've gone to presented in different categories like Shopping, Hotels, Attractions, and more. You can also go to the Cities and World tabs to view the cities and countries you have traveled to in the past, respectively.
In the Day tab, nearby places you've visited in the past will be shown as dots of different colors on the map. Each color hints at the kind of activity done at the place.
The amount of data in your Google Maps Location History depends on how long the Location History feature has been enabled on your account. If you have set up your account to auto-delete your history, or if you chose to instantly delete your location data in Google Maps recently, the data will be much less.
Learn more about using the app in Google Maps tips to turn you into a pro user.
Track Your Location History in Google Maps
The Google Maps timeline is an excellent way to see where you've been in the past and on which day. The app presents data in an easy-to-understand manner. Additionally, it adds richer details like the routes you took to a place and an estimate of your time in a location.
While some might ignore the feature or disable it due to privacy issues, there's no way to deny its importance. If you're more privacy-conscious, you can still use the feature and instruct Google to delete your data after three, 18, or 36 months.