Google announced new Google Maps features and changes that will be gradually rolled out over the coming weeks. The search giant is making a big change to the way the Timeline feature works in Google Maps.
Google said it will start saving your Timeline and its related data directly to your device. This feature is not ready yet and users will be notified when the update starts rolling out to Android and iOS next year.
Here’s the description: “The Timeline feature in Maps helps you remember the places you’ve been and is powered by a setting called Location History. If you’re among the users who choose to turn on Location History (it’s off by default), soon your Timeline will be saved directly to your device, making it easier on your data.” “It will give you more control. As before, you can delete all or some of your information or disable the setting completely at any time.”
Timeline is a personal map that keeps track of the places you’ve visited and the routes you’ve taken. Location History needs to be enabled for the feature to work, and Google said the auto-delete functionality for Location History will default to three months.
Google also notes that if you want to keep your Timeline for a longer period of time, you can choose to extend your automatic deletion period or disable the feature entirely. While Google Maps saves the Timeline on your device, it also allows you to periodically back up an encrypted copy of it to your Google account. This way, you can continue your Timeline on a new device or recover data if your phone is lost.
The blue dot that indicates your GPS location on Google Maps will also become more useful in the coming weeks. New capabilities include various features such as recording your parking space, sharing your location, and allowing you to see nearby places.
You’ll also be able to view your recent activities directly from Google Maps and clear all your searches, directions, visits, and shares for a particular location.
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