Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, tricks, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and connected services.
Google tracks your every move, literally. The company’s Maps app maintains records of all the places you’ve ever been with your phone in tow. That’s handy for future reference, or just plain creepy, depending on how you feel about megacorporations.
It’s not all bad, though: you can visit Google Maps Timeline to check out all the locations you’ve visited, manage your location history, and turn off location tracking entirely. Here’s how to navigate the portal and set it the way you like
To turn off location history:
- Point your desktop browser to google.com/maps/timeline to visit the Google Maps Timeline.
- Click on the tab labeled “Manage Location History.”
- Alternatively, you can click on “Pause Location History” under the settings icon, on the timeline page.
- On the activity page, turn off the toggle for “Location History.”
To delete location history:
- Launch the Google Maps app on your phone.
- Open the menu by tapping the hamburger button on the left, and select “Your timeline.”
- Tap the menu button on the next screen, and then tap “Settings.”
- Scroll down to the “Location settings” section, and select “Delete all Location History” or “Delete Location History range” to remove location data.
- If you’re at your desktop, you can head to Google Maps Timeline and click on the delete icon to wipe your entire location history.
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