Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google has despatched an e-mail to some customers saying that it by accident deleted Google Maps Timeline information.
- The e-mail was solely despatched out to affected customers, however urges them to revive their information from a backup.
- Sadly, you’re out of luck when 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 challenge resulted in Timeline information being deleted for some customers. The assertion certainly notes that individuals with Timeline backups enabled ought to be capable to restore their information, however there’s unhealthy information when you didn’t have backups enabled to start with.
Try the total assertion from Google beneath:
We briefly skilled a technical challenge that precipitated the deletion of Timeline information for some individuals. Practically everybody with encrypted Timeline backups will be capable to restore their information; sadly those that didn’t have backups enabled will be unable to get well misplaced information.
That’s a disappointing flip of occasions when you worth this characteristic. It additionally comes within the wake of Timeline information disappearing for some customers when Google moved from cloud-based storage of this information to on-device storage.
Authentic article: March 22, 2025 (12:52 AM ET): Google not too long ago modified the best way the Timeline characteristic works in Google Maps, transitioning to on-device storage of your earlier actions. Sadly, some customers reported earlier this month that their Timeline information vanished altogether. Now, Google has apparently issued an e-mail to affected individuals.
Redditor sweepernosweeping reported that Google despatched them an e-mail confirming that it by accident deleted Timeline information for some individuals:
Hello
, We briefly skilled a technical challenge that precipitated the deletion of Timeline information for some individuals. We’re reaching out as your account might have been impacted.
When you’ve got encrypted backups enabled, you could possibly restore your information. Just be sure you have the most recent model of Google Maps, then go to your Timeline. Faucet the cloud icon ( ) close to the highest of your display screen, and select a backup to import your information. For those who didn’t have backups turned on, sadly you will be unable to get well misplaced information.
We perceive that this may be irritating when you use Timeline to recollect locations that you simply’ve visited, and we’re taking steps to enhance our methods for the longer term.
The Timeline Staff
The person famous that they checked their Timeline information and found that they solely had the final two weeks of information. Sadly, it appears like they weren’t capable of restore a backup.
A number of different customers additionally chimed in to verify receipt of the e-mail, with some reporting that they might restore their information 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 information lacking?
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Evidently, you would possibly need to allow Timeline information backups in your telephone proper now when you’re involved about this challenge, because it isn’t enabled by default. I additionally seen that my Pixel 7 Professional solely had just a few 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 most important Timeline machine. So hold that in thoughts when you’ve bought two or extra telephones and need to allow backups.
We’ve requested Google about this e-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.
