Right off the bat, it isn’t a Google change unless something is lost or killed off, and unsurprisingly, it’s time for Timeline on the web to bite the dust. Explaining the change, Google says it won’t have any data to display on the web interface after the switch to on-device location data management through the Maps app.
To retain access to your old Timeline data and ensure subsequent collection is localized, you’ll need to update to a recent version of Maps and follow the instructions in a push notification, in-app alert, or email you receive. You just need to specify your data management preferences on a device of your choice. That’s because the new system curates Timeline for each of your devices independently. Alternatively, you can back your Timeline data to Google servers manually or automatically. This can come in handy if you’re planning to switch to a new phone or tablet without losing the Timeline data.
The email we received mentioned that users have until December 1, 2024, to keep their saved visits and routes on the device or back them up. It warns that inaction could result in partial or complete loss of old data. If you miss the deadline, Google will try to move the last 90 days of location history to the first device you sign in to after the cutoff date, and all the older trips will be auto-deleted. We suggest keeping an eye out for this email.
Chandraveer Mathur
I haven’t received this email notification yet, so I’m still holding on to a slim hope that Google might reconsider until December. Needless to say, this news made me suddenly angry at Google for what I can only regard as a self-serving, user-hostile, and plainly stupid decision. Despite privacy concerns by some, Timeline was one of the best features of Google Maps, and I regularly checked that the places I visited were accurately recorded. The whole point of Timeline is to store your travel logs forever, so that you can revisit those years later to remind yourself of past trips and maybe find inspiration for new ones. Erasing this data automatically after some number of days or when you switch devices defeats this purpose entirely and makes Timeline borderline irrelevant.
It’s frankly remarkable how stupid the new implementation sounds, for both users and the company. It will create constant friction for users (have I backed things up properly? if not, will people lose all history when they lose the phone or when they swap it – or just reinstall the Maps app?! have I restored the history on this new phone? some people may use two smartphones, for work and home, so which is the primary Timeline device in that case?). The thought alone of having to manage my Timeline on my phone makes me want to give up on it entirely; the web interface had its issues, but the smaller touch-only interface is worse. Google apparently has to manage different sets of Timelines on each device (and multiple backups) going forward, instead of one per user as before, and deal with all these potential customer questions and complaints.
Personally, I also don’t but the privacy angle for this change. I think it’s far more likely that Google decided to further reduce headcount, and the team maintaining the web version of Timeline were a convenient place to cut. And if people end up abandoning this diminished Timeline because of these changes, all the better for Google’s bottom line…
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