We all love to reminisce about the places we visited, but did you know that Google Maps has a feature called Location History that will make it easier for you to get down the memory path? This feature on my Google activity page is a great way to see all the places you have visited. It’s pretty easy to operate, and you’ll be amazed at the amazing things it can do for you when you want to remember what you did last summer.
How to enable location history in Google Maps
To open the many location history options in Google Maps, follow these simple steps:
- visit My Google activity And sign in to your Google account.
- Click the “Location History” tab in the middle.
- Enable “Location History” by clicking “Enable”. If it’s already turned on, it means you’ve turned it on before.
While in some cases privacy concerns related to activating your location history may be justified, using this feature can benefit you in many ways.
4 useful things to do with Google’s placement history
Once you enable the Location History option, Google Maps will be able to track your every move and provide you with lists and timelines showing your past traffic. Here are some cool things you can do if the feature is enabled.
1. Take Trip Down Memory Lane
When you want to go back in time and see all your previous trips, Google Maps’ location history can help. You can quickly scroll through your timeline and see all the places you have been, sorted from the most recent trips to the older trips. To see this, follow these steps:
- Go to … your My Google activity Page. Click “Location History.”
- From there, click “Manage History”. This will take you to a new Google Maps page.
- Go to the timeline section located in the upper right corner of the screen. Here you can enter the details: the year, the month and the day you want to return to. It will display a list of places you visited during that particular date, which will be displayed at the bottom.
2. Go back to the places you recently visited
By running your location history on Google Maps, you can also easily and accurately remember the last places you visited. Here’s what you need to do:
- In Google Maps, click the red box in the lower right corner of the screen.
- This will show you a list of all the places you have recently visited.
- Click the arrow on the left side of the timeline to make a backward path. The places you visit will also be highlighted by red dots on Google Maps just below the timeline.
3. Manage your “saved places”
With the “Manage your personal places” option in the settings, you can see all your saved places. This includes lists of places you like, want to visit, or maps you have downloaded for offline use. Here’s how to test them:
- Click the settings icon located just above the timeline.
- Click “Manage your personal spaces” to open a new page.
- The last places you visited are displayed in the “Visited” tab, along with some interesting statistics about your travels.
This is a quick and easy way to access location timelines without remembering another link.
4. Send an email for the best of your trip
Google Maps is an amazing tool for navigating the world and exploring new places. When location history is turned on, you can set up email updates so your recent trips are automatically recorded in a fun way. To set up email updates:
- Click the settings icon located above the timeline.
- Select “Timeline settings”.
- A pop-up menu will appear, bearing two options: “Google Images” and “Timeline Emails”. Checking the first option will allow you to see all the photos and videos taken during a specific trip. “Timeline Mail” allows the system to send an email summarizing your recent adventures.
- Once you have selected, click “Save”.
Using the location history in Google Maps for mobile
To do some of the things listed above on your mobile phone, it’s important that you first enable “Location History” in your Google Maps app.
- Turn on yours Google Maps application. Tap your profile icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
- Tap “Settings” from the many options displayed on the screen.
- Scroll down the page and select “Personal Content” under “Account Settings”.
- Tap “Location History Settings” on the next screen.
- Click ‘Activate’ to activate your Google Maps location history.
Access your location history on Google Maps in the app
If you do not want to view your location history on your desktop computer, you can do so on your mobile device.
- Open the Google Maps app on your mobile device. Select “Your Timeline” after tapping your profile icon located in the upper right corner of the view.
- A pop-up menu will show you the trips you have made during the day.
- Tap the down arrow next to the word “Today” to open a calendar.
- From here, select the date you want to return to.
Common questions
1. How long will Google keep my placement history?
Google made a significant change to its privacy policy back in 2018 when it announced that users’ location history would be automatically deleted after 18 months. Internet activity will also be defaulted back in time. Additional deletion options every 3 or 36 months are also available.
Can I automatically delete or disable my location history?
On most devices, your location history is turned off by default. Technically, Google does not track your location automatically. The choice is yours whether to use this option or not. Once you decide to prevent Google from recording any of your traffic, you need to turn it off manually.
Can I recover deleted location history?
Unfortunately, you will no longer be able to retrieve your location history after deletion. We therefore strongly recommend checking if your “auto-delete” function is enabled to prevent accidental loss of your data. On the other hand, you can use a data recovery tool to recover them.
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