Google May Have Deleted Your Timeline Data in Maps
Google Maps’ timeline feature is a great way to look back at your past travels, as long as you have data to look back on.
Timeline users have noticed over the past couple of weeks that their data is missing without any warning or explanation. Earlier this month, Redditor srj737 posted on the r/GooglePixel subreddit that they had lost over a decade of Timeline data, seemingly out of nowhere. They used to be able to view every place they visited using Google Maps over the past ten years; now they had to start from scratch.
What makes the situation especially confusing is the fact that Google previously warned users that they could lose Timeline data. Late last year, the company announced it would bring Timeline functionality from the web to select mobile devices. Google has warned that if you don’t move your timeline data in time, you may lose it forever.
However, that deadline appears to be in June of this year rather than March, so it didn’t make much sense to consider that a reason for removal.
Google accidentally deleted data
However, Google has since responded to these concerns. The company confirmed to The Verge that it accidentally deleted Timeline data for some users:
We briefly experienced a technical issue that resulted in some people’s timeline data being removed. Almost anyone with encrypted Timeline backups will be able to restore their data; Unfortunately, those who did not have backup enabled will not be able to recover their lost data.
Google appears to be actively reaching out to affected users, so keep an eye out for emails from the company with instructions on how to recover your data if you can.
Redditor srj737 was able to retrieve his data once Google acknowledged the situation. They had previously tried to restore the data from a backup without success, but according to the Google email, the backup worked. It’s possible that Google has made some changes on its end to fix this feature as a whole, which includes both saved data and restoring from backup, but this cannot be confirmed at this time.
It’s an unfortunate situation, but it’s a good reminder of the trust we place in tech companies to manage our data. Google is so huge that it seems like everything you share with it will be saved forever. However, all it takes is a technical problem on the company’s part for your data to be lost forever. Today it is timeline data; tomorrow it could be your photos. This is tricky with cloud-specific features, but whenever you have the option, backing up to a source other than the cloud is the most secure way to preserve your data.
How to Recover Lost Timeline Data
Unfortunately, the only way to recover this deleted timeline data is to back up this data via Google Maps. If so, Google’s instructions say to update Google Maps to the latest version, open Timeline, then tap the cloud icon that appears at the top of the screen. From here, you will be able to select a backup to restore your timeline data.
If you don’t see a backup option here, it most likely means you never backed up your timeline and unfortunately, your data is lost forever.
How to Export Google Maps Timeline Data
If you still have your timeline data or are starting to back it up again and want to make the backup more secure than relying on Google services, you can manually export your data, as provided by Redditor saharaci .
To do this, on your Pixel, go to Settings > Location > Location Services > Timeline > Export Timeline Data . On your iPhone, go to the Google Maps app. Tap your profile, go to Your Timeline , and tap the three dots in the top right corner. Here, click Location & Privacy Settings , select Export Timeline Data , then choose a destination for your data.