Location History is a Google Account setting that creates Timeline, a personal map that helps you remember:
- Places you go
- Routes to destinations
- Trips you take
It can also give you personalized experiences across Google based on where you go.
When Location History is on, even when Google apps aren’t in use, your precise device location is regularly saved to:
- Your devices
- Google servers
To make Google experiences helpful for everyone, we may use your data to:
- Show information based on anonymized location data, such as:
- Popular times
- Environmental insights
- Detect and prevent fraud and abuse.
- Improve and develop Google services, such as ads products.
- Help businesses determine if people visit their stores because of an ad, if you have Web & App Activity turned on.
- We share only anonymous estimates, not personal data, with businesses.
- This activity can include info about your location from your device's general area and IP address.
Learn more about how Google uses location data.
Things to know about Location History:
- Location History is off by default. We can only use it if you turn Location History on.
- You can turn off Location History at any time in your Google Account's Activity controls.
- You can review and manage your Location History. You can:
- Review places you’ve been in Google Maps Timeline.
- Edit or delete your Location History anytime.
Turn Location History on or off
You can turn off Location History for your account at any time. If you use a work or school account, your administrator needs to make this setting available for you. If they do, you'll be able to use Location History as any other user.
- Go to the "Location History" section of your Google Account.
- Choose whether your account or your devices can report Location History to Google.
- Your account and all devices: At the top, turn Location History on or off.
- Only a certain device: Under "This device" or "Devices on this account," turn the device on or off.
When Location History is on
Google can estimate your location with:
- Signals like Wi-Fi and mobile networks
- GPS
- Sensor information
Your device location may also periodically be used in the background. When Location History is on, even when Google apps aren’t in use, your device’s precise location is regularly saved to:
- Your devices
- Google servers
When you’re signed in with your Google Account, it saves the Location History of each device with the setting “Devices on this account” turned on. You can find this setting in the Location History settings on your Google Account.
You can choose which devices provide their location data to Location History. Your settings don’t change for other location services on your device, such as:
When Location History is off
Your device doesn’t save its location to your Location History.
- You may have previous Location History data in your account. You can manually delete it anytime.
- Your settings don’t change for other location services on your device, such as:
- If settings like Web and App Activity are on but you turn off Location History or delete location data from Location History, your Google Account may still save location data as part of your use of other Google sites, apps, and services. This activity can include info about your location from your device’s general area and IP address.
Delete Location History
You can manage and delete your Location History information with Google Maps Timeline. You can choose to delete all of your history, or only parts of it.
Important: When you delete Location History information from Timeline, you won't be able to see it again.
Use the Google Maps app
Delete all Location History
- On your Android device, open the Google Maps app
.
- Tap your profile picture or initial
Your timeline
.
- In the top right, tap More
- Under "Location settings," tap Delete all Location History.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Delete a range of Location History
- On your Android device, open the Google Maps app
- Tap your profile picture or initial
- Tap More
- Under "Location settings," tap Delete Location History range.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Delete a day from Location History
- On your Android device, open the Google Maps app
- Tap your profile picture or initial
- Tap Show calendar
.
- Select which day you want to delete.
- Tap More
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Delete a stop from Location History
- On your Android device, open the Google Maps app
- Tap your profile picture or initial
- Tap Show calendar
- Select the day with a stop you want to delete.
- Tap the stop you want to delete
.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Use a web browser
Delete all Location History
- In your web browser, open your Google Maps Timeline.
- Tap Delete
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Delete a day from Location History
- In your web browser, open your Google Maps Timeline.
- Choose a year, month, and day you want to delete.
- Tap Delete
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Delete a stop from Location History
- In your web browser, open your Google Maps Timeline.
- Choose a year, month, and day you want to delete.
- Next to the stop you want to delete, tap More
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Automatically delete your Location History
You can choose to automatically delete Location History that’s older than 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months.
Use the Google Maps app
- On your Android device, open the Google Maps app
- Tap your profile picture or initial
- At the top right, tap More
- Scroll to "Location settings."
- Tap Automatically delete Location History.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Use a web browser
- In your web browser, open your Google Maps Timeline.
- At the bottom right, click Settings
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
What happens after you delete some or all Location History
If you delete some or all of your Location History, personalized experiences across Google may degrade or or be lost. For example, you may lose:
- Recommendations based on places you visit
- Real-time information about when best to leave for home or work to beat traffic
Important: If you have other settings like Web & App Activity turned on and you pause Location History or delete location data from Location History, you may still have location data saved in your Google Account as part of your use of other Google sites, apps, and services. For example, location data may be saved as part of activity on Search and Maps when your Web & App Activity setting is on, and included in your photos depending on your camera app settings. Web & App Activity can include info about your location from your device's general area and IP address.
Learn about use & diagnostics for Location History
After you turn on Location History, your device may send diagnostic information to Google about what works or doesn’t work for Location History. Google processes any information it collects under Google's privacy policy.
Your device may send information to Google to help improve Google apps, products, and Android devices. For example, Google can use information to improve:
- Battery life: We estimate what apps use the most battery on your device to reduce battery consumption for commonly used features.
- Location accuracy: We use location sensors and settings to improve location estimates for apps and services.
Information your phone could send to Google may include:
- Quality and length of your connections to:
- Mobile networks
- GPS
- Wi-Fi networks
- Bluetooth
- State of your location settings
- Restarts and crash reports
- Google apps you use to turn Location History on or off
Usage and diagnostics information can help improve Google apps, products, and Android devices. For example, Google can use information to improve:
- Battery life: Google can use information about what's using the most battery on your device to help reduce battery consumption for commonly used features.
- Location accuracy: Google can use information from location sensors and settings to help improve location estimates for apps and services.
Learn more about other location settings
- Choose which apps can use your location: Learn how to manage app location settings.
- Learn how to turn your device's location on or off.
- Find your location on a map: Learn how to find & improve your location’s accuracy in Google Maps.
- Manage your history of the places you've been and the routes you've traveled: Learn how to edit your timeline on Google Maps.