Location History is now called Timeline, and you now have new choices
for your data.
To continue using Timeline, you must have an up-to-date version of
the Google Maps app. Otherwise, you may lose data and access to your
Timeline on Google Maps..
I've been getting emails for months saying that Location History is
changing, and if I don't implement the on-phone timeline by Dec 1, I'll
lose my prior history.
(Meanwhile I'm getting emails once a month from Google Maps timeline,
but they have ths same warning.)
The subject line of emails from Google Location History is "Keep your Timeline? Decide by December 1, 2024"
I tried another way:
I go to the settings of google maps on the phone and there is no entry
for Timeline, only for Location History,
On 2024-11-17 03:39, micky wrote:
I've been getting emails for months saying that Location History is
changing, and if I don't implement the on-phone timeline by Dec 1, I'll
lose my prior history.
(Meanwhile I'm getting emails once a month from Google Maps timeline,
but they have ths same warning.)
The subject line of emails from Google Location History is "Keep your
Timeline? Decide by December 1,�2024"
I got one such message on the past March, in one account only (the one
used on the phone). But mine had "Decide by September 15, 2024"
�If you take no action, your visits and routes will be deleted, and your >Timeline settings will be turned off after September 15, 2024.�
I have timeline working, so I must have done what they said, but I have >forgotten. I probably used the app.
...
I tried another way:
I go to the settings of google maps on the phone and there is no entry
for Timeline, only for Location History,
Mine is in Spanish, so I can't say.
Yet the email was in English.
Agree they're handling this badly ... send out warning we're going to
delete your data, then make it clear as mud how not to do that.
micky wrote:
Location History is now called Timeline, and you now have new choices
for your data.
To continue using Timeline, you must have an up-to-date version of
the Google Maps app. Otherwise, you may lose data and access to your Timeline on Google Maps..
Agree they're handling this badly ... send out warning we're going to
delete your data, then make it clear as mud how not to do that.
To continue using Timeline, you must have an up-to-date version of
the Google Maps app. Otherwise, you may lose data and access to your Timeline on Google Maps..
Andy Burns wrote on Sun, 17 Nov 2024 09:57:40 +0000 :
Agree they're handling this badly ... send out warning we're going to delete your data, then make it clear as mud how not to do that.
Just a helpful datapoint... I have plenty of Google accounts and to my knowledge, Google hasn't bothered to send me a single one of those mails.
I guess that's a case of no news is good news... :)
Andy Burns wrote on Sun, 17 Nov 2024 09:57:40 +0000 :
Agree they're handling this badly ... send out warning we're going to
delete your data, then make it clear as mud how not to do that.
Just a helpful datapoint... I have plenty of Google accounts and to my knowledge, Google hasn't bothered to send me a single one of those mails.
I guess that's a case of no news is good news... :)
Andy Burns <[email protected]> wrote:
micky wrote:
Location History is now called Timeline, and you now have new choices
for your data.
To continue using Timeline, you must have an up-to-date version of
the Google Maps app. Otherwise, you may lose data and access to your
Timeline on Google Maps..
Agree they're handling this badly ... send out warning we're going to
delete your data, then make it clear as mud how not to do that.
FWIW, I (in The Netherlands) haven't received any such emails and
still get my 'Frank, here's your new Timeline update' emails (with
subject "Frank, your <month> update", etc.. Where "etc." means the
popups on you phone to explore your timeline, visited places, etc..
BTW, I'm confused about the wording of:
To continue using Timeline, you must have an up-to-date version of
the Google Maps app. Otherwise, you may lose data and access to your
Timeline on Google Maps..
"your Timeline on Google Maps"!? My Timeline isn't 'on' Google Maps.
I can access Timeline *from* the Google Maps app by going to 'Manage
your Google Account', but that doesn't make it *on* Google Maps, it's
part of my Google services, which I *can* - but do not have to - access
from my Google *Account*, which I *can* - but do not have to - access
from the Google Maps app.
Same with the Timeline website, that's
<https://timeline.google.com/maps/timeline>
*not*
<https://www.google.com/maps>
So maybe the fuss is only if you use "your Timeline on Google Maps",
whatever that may mean.
Given your stance on your personal privacy, I strongly doubt that you
have enabled Location History on any of those accounts.
He's also proudly stated he uses throwaway email addresses so I doubt very much he'd receive those messages anyway.
micky wrote:
Location History is now called Timeline, and you now have new choices
for your data.
To continue using Timeline, you must have an up-to-date version of >> the Google Maps app. Otherwise, you may lose data and access to your
Timeline on Google Maps..
Agree they're handling this badly ...
Andy Burns wrote:
I've had a notification that i have until 18th May2025 to decide what to do with my timeline.
LOL. Good. That should give you time to consider all the
ramifications.
Andy Burns wrote:
micky wrote:
Location History is now called Timeline, and you now have new choices
for your data.
���� To continue using Timeline, you must have an up-to-date version of
the Google Maps app. Otherwise, you may lose data and access to your
Timeline on Google Maps..
Agree they're handling this badly ...
And just this minute, I've had a notification that i have until 18th May
2025 to decide what to do with my timeline.
Andy Burns wrote:
micky wrote:
Location History is now called Timeline, and you now have new choices
for your data.
���� To continue using Timeline, you must have an up-to-date version of
the Google Maps app. Otherwise, you may lose data and access to your
Timeline on Google Maps..
Agree they're handling this badly ...
And just this minute, I've had a notification that i have until 18th May
2025 to decide what to do with my timeline.
micky wrote:
Andy Burns wrote:
I've had a notification that i have until 18th May2025 to decide what to do with my timeline.
LOL. Good. That should give you time to consider all the
ramifications.
I told it I wanted to keep my data, no auto deletion, on my pixel phone
it said that would consume 2MB of storage on the phone, which is less
than I was expecting, because a zipped google-takeout of all my maps
history from may 2011 to october 2024 is 48MB
If I try to use the old timeline page from a web-browser on my pc, it
reminds me I can no longer do that, and sends a command to my phone for
it to launch timeline instead.
Andy Burns wrote:
it said that would consume 2MB of storage on the phone, which is less
than I was expecting, because a zipped google-takeout of all my maps
history from may 2011 to october 2024 is 48MB
Thanks for the feedback. 2MB seems quite reasonable to store on one's phone.
To be sure, you mean *location* history, not "maps history", don't
you!?
And I still don't see an explanation *why* they are doing/changing
this. Only that each of your devices will keep its own Timeline, but I
think that's more a disadvantage than a feature.
Frank Slootweg <[email protected]d> writes:
And I still don't see an explanation *why* they are doing/changing
this. Only that each of your devices will keep its own Timeline, but I think that's more a disadvantage than a feature.
Maybe there's no or too little market for the location data? It's the
only reason I can think of, considering it's Google. So maybe there're
now so many apps snarfing up location data, Google can't find buyers? At least at the prices they want? Or everyone who wants that data already
built it into their app so no market?
Frank Slootweg wrote:
Andy Burns wrote:
it said that would consume 2MB of storage on the phone, which is less
than I was expecting, because a zipped google-takeout of all my maps
history from may 2011 to october 2024 is 48MB
Thanks for the feedback. 2MB seems quite reasonable to store on one's phone.
To be sure, you mean *location* history, not "maps history", don't
you!?
yes, I've just been checking on the phone, it does have my data back to
2011, scrolling back one month at a time, then within a month one day at
a time is more laborious than it was on a PC, but the timeline is all
there on the phone.
Frank Slootweg writes:
And I still don't see an explanation *why* they are doing/changing
this. Only that each of your devices will keep its own Timeline, but I
think that's more a disadvantage than a feature.
Maybe there's no or too little market for the location data?
It's the
only reason I can think of, considering it's Google. So maybe there're
now so many apps snarfing up location data, Google can't find buyers? At least at the prices they want? Or everyone who wants that data already
built it into their app so no market?
And I still don't see an explanation *why* they are doing/changing
this. Only that each of your devices will keep its own Timeline, but I
think that's more a disadvantage than a feature.
Maybe there's no or too little market for the location data?
I think their T&C say the timeline data is for the user's eyes only?
As part of the change from cloud to device storage, the do ask for
permission to make the data available to advertisers, of course I said no.
micky wrote:
Andy Burns wrote:
I've had a notification that i have until 18th May2025 to decide what to do with my timeline.
LOL. Good. That should give you time to consider all the
ramifications.
I told it I wanted to keep my data, no auto deletion, on my pixel phone
it said that would consume 2MB of storage on the phone, which is less
than I was expecting, because a zipped google-takeout of all my maps
history from may 2011 to october 2024 is 48MB
If I try to use the old timeline page from a web-browser on my pc, it
reminds me I can no longer do that, and sends a command to my phone for
it to launch timeline instead.
As Andy has found out. The size of the data is rather small (his is
2MB for some 13 years), so even if Google doesn't want (to use) it, why
not just store it in your account or Google Drive on their servers, like
they do with many other data? 2MB versus a (default) 15GB Google Drive? Peanuts.
Anssi Saari wrote:
Frank Slootweg writes:
And I still don't see an explanation *why* they are doing/changingMaybe there's no or too little market for the location data?
this. Only that each of your devices will keep its own Timeline, but I
think that's more a disadvantage than a feature.
I think their T&C say the timeline data is for the user's eyes only?
It's my assumption and I thought it's a common assumption that Google
sucks up any and all data they can and sell it to whoever pays.
Andy Burns writes:
I think their T&C say the timeline data is for the user's eyes only?
What did the T&C say for those older things?
I have timeline working, so I must have done what they said, but I have >>forgotten. I probably used the app.
I too might have done what they wanted and forgotten.
I think I'll stay
indoors all of Dec 1, to be safe.
I turn my phone off a lot, and I'm sure this confuses it, but it doesn't >account for most of Google Maps Timeline's bloopers.
So this is useful but not perfect.
In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 17 Nov 2024 10:02:17 -0500, micky <[email protected]> wrote:
Yet the Timeline knows I was there and the name of the kiosk, Beyoutiful Store. Again, I had forgotten that name. (A lot of the stores in the
malls had English names. I guess like in the US, a lot of stores have
French names.) But I only spent a couple minutes there, since they had souvenirs but no hats. Why did they record it? Maybe... I had found
the place in my phone and then gone there with the phone on but without navigation. Maybe timeline put 2 and 2 together and listed that as a
place I went. Then I went to a movie and I didn't use navigation. I
asked directions to that too, and it knew that too, by name.
Although it didn't know that I went to a bank in that same mall to try
to get money from an ATM or that I ate in the food court (and was there
for a long time. I called a friend in Georgia from there). Or that I
couldn't find my car and had to ask the staff to find it for me, and
wait while they looked. (Not my fault. I noted where it was in relation
to the glass-enclosed room on the parking level with desiccators and an elevator, but didn't realize there were 3 such rooms (a big mall).)
It knows that I spent 11 minutes driving there, 6+ hours there, and 19 minutes driving back to the hotel.
It knows when I'm on a plane. Is that a deduction because I'm moving so fast???
It knows when I'm home all day, but it gives the google maps Home
address, which is two townhouses away from my real address (for security purposes). That means it "rounds" my location, that since I was so near
home (44 feet) and it was for 22 hours, it figured I must be at home. It
says from 00:11 - 22:19. I must have turned my phone on at midnight and forgotten to turn it off. Every time I go home, it gives my google
maps address, 2 doors away. Another deduction.
It knows when I visited a friend and I'm sure I didn't use navigation
but I did have the phone on and probably the map application running.
And it knows when I stopped for lunch at a drive-through, and I know
that was spur of the moment, no navigation involved, and only lasted by
them from 16:04 to 16:12, yet they have the name of the place,
Another day I went to another friend and it just shows a straight line
to her house when the streets require a bunch of zig zag (zig zag which
shows on some other days.)
I've had a notification that i have until 18th May
2025 to decide what to do with my timeline.
| Sysop: | Keyop |
|---|---|
| Location: | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK |
| Users: | 714 |
| Nodes: | 16 (2 / 14) |
| Uptime: | 135:35:25 |
| Calls: | 12,087 |
| Files: | 14,997 |
| Messages: | 6,517,369 |
