Google Maps has launched this week a series of updates focused on giving users more control over their location. The navigation app now allows deleting specific location-related activity, saving location history locally, and makes accessing location controls easier from the app’s blue dot.
The company states that Google Maps users will soon be able to view their recent activity related to specific places, making it easy to delete their searches, addresses, visits, and actions with just a few taps.
Regarding the blue dot that shows your location on Google Maps, soon you’ll be able to use it to access location controls. Tapping on it will allow you to see if location history or timeline settings are activated, a feature in Google Maps that helps you recall the places you’ve visited, and whether you’ve granted Google Maps access to your device’s location.
The ability to delete location-related activity in Google Maps and the new controls for the blue dot will begin rolling out on Android and iOS in the coming weeks, according to Google. Additionally, the company has also announced that if you’ve chosen to enable location history, soon it will be saved directly on your device, locally.
“In a post, Marlo McGriff, the product director of Google Maps, wrote, ‘Just like before, you can delete all or part of your information at any time or turn off the settings completely. If you’re getting a new phone or concerned about losing your current one, you can always back up your data to the cloud so it doesn’t get lost. We’ll automatically encrypt the backup data so no one can read it, including Google.’
“Moreover, now when you first enable location history, the automatic deletion control will be set to three months by default. Previously, this option was set at 18 months. According to Google, these changes will be gradually introduced over the next year on Android and iOS. Users will receive a notification when this update reaches their accounts.”
