Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has despatched an electronic mail to some customers saying that it unintentionally deleted Google Maps Timeline knowledge.
- The e-mail was solely despatched out to affected customers, however urges them to revive their knowledge from a backup.
- Sadly, you’re out of luck in case you didn’t have Timeline backups enabled.
Replace: March 22, 2025 (11:30 AM ET): Google has issued a press release to Android Authority, confirming {that a} technical difficulty resulted in Timeline knowledge being deleted for some customers. The assertion certainly notes that folks with Timeline backups enabled ought to be capable of restore their knowledge, however there’s dangerous information in case you didn’t have backups enabled to start with.
Take a look at the total assertion from Google under:
We briefly skilled a technical difficulty that prompted the deletion of Timeline knowledge for some folks. Practically everybody with encrypted Timeline backups will be capable of restore their knowledge; sadly those that didn’t have backups enabled will be unable to get well misplaced knowledge.
That’s a disappointing flip of occasions in case you worth this function. It additionally comes within the wake of Timeline knowledge disappearing for some customers when Google moved from cloud-based storage of this knowledge to on-device storage.
Unique article: March 22, 2025 (12:52 AM ET): Google just lately modified the way in which the Timeline function works in Google Maps, transitioning to on-device storage of your earlier actions. Sadly, some customers reported earlier this month that their Timeline knowledge vanished altogether. Now, Google has apparently issued an electronic mail to affected folks.
Redditor sweepernosweeping reported that Google despatched them an electronic mail confirming that it unintentionally deleted Timeline knowledge for some folks:
Hello
, We briefly skilled a technical difficulty that prompted the deletion of Timeline knowledge for some folks. We’re reaching out as your account could have been impacted.
You probably have encrypted backups enabled, you could possibly restore your knowledge. Just remember to have the newest model of Google Maps, then go to your Timeline. Faucet the cloud icon ( ) close to the highest of your display, and select a backup to import your knowledge. In the event you didn’t have backups turned on, sadly you will be unable to get well misplaced knowledge.
We perceive that this may be irritating in case you use Timeline to recollect locations that you simply’ve visited, and we’re taking steps to enhance our programs for the longer term.
The Timeline Workforce
The consumer famous that they checked their Timeline knowledge and found that they solely had the final two weeks of information. Sadly, it seems like they weren’t in a position to restore a backup.
A number of different customers additionally chimed in to verify receipt of the e-mail, with some reporting that they may restore their knowledge from a cloud backup. Nevertheless, others reported that the backup solely restored the previous few weeks of information, or that they didn’t have a backup in any respect.
Is your Google Maps Timeline knowledge lacking?
197 votes
Evidently, you may wish to allow Timeline knowledge backups in your telephone proper now in case you’re involved about this difficulty, because it isn’t enabled by default. I additionally observed that my Pixel 7 Professional solely had a couple of weeks of information, however my vivo X200 Professional had my complete Timeline historical past, ostensibly as a result of I selected the latter as my principal Timeline system. So maintain that in thoughts in case you’ve obtained two or extra telephones and wish to allow backups.
We’ve requested Google about this electronic mail and the enclosed steps and can replace our article as quickly as the corporate responds to us. However, that is one other disappointing flip of occasions concerning Google’s Timeline migration course of.
