Google Maps Timeline Overhaul Leads to Accidental Data Loss for Some Users

Google Maps' Timeline feature (previously known as Location History) has always been a mixed bag—some find it incredibly useful for tracking past locations, while others see it as invasive. The feature allows users to look back and see where they were on specific days and times, as long as they had their Android device with them.

Google is currently rolling out a major update to Timeline, which started in December and will reach all users in the coming months. With this change, Timeline data will now be stored only on users' devices, instead of being saved on Google's servers. While this is a significant step for privacy, the transition hasn’t been entirely smooth.

Due to a technical issue, Google accidentally deleted Timeline data for some users, and unless they had opted into encrypted cloud backups, the data is permanently lost. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of users likely enabled this backup option, meaning many may have lost their location history for good.

A Google spokesperson confirmed that this was an unintended error, not a planned change or user mistake. The company has already identified those affected and sent them emails explaining the situation. If you haven’t received an email about this issue, your data should still be intact.