Manage your Location History for iPhone & iPad

In the coming months, the Location History setting name will change to Timeline. If Location History is turned on for your account, you may find Timeline in your app and account settings. Learn more.

Location History is a Google Account setting that creates Timeline, a personal map that helps you remember places you’ve been, and routes and trips you’ve taken. Location History works when:

  • You're signed into your Google Account.
  • Location History is turned on.
  • Location Reporting is turned on.

Important: Your device location may also  periodically be used in the background. When Location History is on, even when Google apps aren’t in use, your device’s precise location is regularly saved to your devices and Google servers.

When Location History is on, you may get a number of benefits across Google products and services, such as: 

  • Personalized maps
  • Recommendations based on places you’ve visited 
  • Help to find:
    • Your phone 
    • Real-time traffic updates about your commute

By default, Location History is disabled for your Google Account. You must opt in to Location History to turn it on.

  • You can turn off Location History at any time in your Google Account's Activity controls.
  • You control what’s saved in your Location History. You can view the places you’ve been in Google Maps Timeline, which you can edit or use to delete your Location History.

See & manage your Location History in Timeline

  1. Go to your Timeline.
  2. At the top left, choose the time period you want to see.

Delete Location History

You can manage and delete your Location History information with Google Maps Timeline . You can choose to delete all of your history, or only parts of it.

Important: When you delete Location History information from Timeline, you won't be able to see it again.

Use the Google Maps app

Delete all Location History

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. Tap your profile picture or initial Account Circle and then Your Timeline Timeline.
  3. At the top right, tap More And then Settings.
  4. Under "Location settings," tap Delete all Location History.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Delete a range of Location History

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. Tap your profile picture or initial Account Circle and then Your Timeline Timeline.
  3. At the top right, tap More And then Settings.
  4. Under "Location settings," tap Delete Location History Range.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Delete a day from Location History

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. Tap your profile picture or initial Account Circle and then Your Timeline Timeline.
  3. Tap Show calendar Show calendar.
  4. Select which day you want to delete.
  5. Tap More And then Delete the day.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Delete a stop from Location History

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. Tap your profile picture or initial Account Circle and then Your Timeline Timeline.
  3. Tap Show calendar Show calendar.
  4. Select the day with a stop you want to delete.
  5. Tap the stop you want to delete And then Delete Delete .
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions.
Use a web browser

Delete all Location History

  1. In your web browser, open your Google Maps Timeline.
  2. Tap Delete Delete .
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Delete a day from Location History

  1. In your web browser, open your Google Maps Timeline.
  2. Choose a year, month, and day you want to delete.
  3. Tap Delete Delete .
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Delete a stop from Location History

  1. In your web browser, open your Google Maps Timeline.
  2. Choose a year, month, and day you want to delete.
  3. Next to the stop you want to delete, tap More MoreAnd then Remove stop from day.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Automatically delete your Location History

You can choose to automatically delete Location History that’s older than 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months.

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the Google Maps app Maps.
  2. Tap your profile picture or initial Account Circle and then Your Timeline Timeline.
  3. In the top right, tap More And then Settings.
  4. Under "Location settings," tap Automatically delete Location History.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

What happens after you delete some or all Location History

If you delete some or all of your Location History, some personalized experiences across Google may be degraded or lost. For example:

  • You may not get recommendations based on places you’ve visited.
  • You may not be provided real-time information about the best time to leave for home or work to beat the traffic.

Important: If you have other settings like Web & App Activity turned on and you pause Location History or delete location data from Location History, you may still have location data saved in your Google Account as part of your use of other Google sites, apps, and services. For example, location data may be saved as part of activity on Search and Maps when your Web & App Activity setting is on, and included in your photos depending on your camera app settings. This activity can include info about your location from your device’s general area and IP address.

You’re in control. You can always review your data, and any choices you make here, at activity.google.com or your Timeline.

Turn Location History on or off

You can turn off Location History for your account at any time. If you use a work or school account, your administrator needs to make this setting available for you. If they do, you'll be able to use Location History as any other user.

  1. Open the Google app Google app.
  2. At the top right, tap your account photo and then Manage your Google Account. You might need to sign in.
  3. At the top, tap Data & privacy.
  4. Scroll to "History settings."
  5. Tap Location History.
  6. Turn Location History on or off. If you turn Location history off, confirm and tap Pause and then Okay.

If you're on a browser, go to the Location History section of your Google Account. You might need to sign in. Turn Location History on or off.

When Location History is on

  • When Location History is on, even when Google apps aren’t in use, your precise device location is regularly saved to:
    • Your devices
    • Google’s servers
  • To see what devices have Location Reporting turned on, under "Google Location History," tap Devices on this account.
    • To turn on Location History on your iPhone or iPad, give your Google app permission to see your location: Open your device's Settings, then tap Google and then Location. Choose Always.
  • You can change the Location Reporting settings for each device where you're signed in, and limit which devices provide location data to be included in Location History. If you want to change your Location History settings, you can choose to:
    • Report your location from only some of your devices, but not others.
    • Report your location from all your devices.
    • Turn off Location History for your Google Account. Your location won't be reported from any of your devices and you will not have new Location History recorded to your account.
  • Your settings for other location services on your device, like Google Location Services, Location Sharing, and Find My Device, aren't changed.

When Location History is off

  • Your device's precise locations will not be regularly saved to your Location History.
  • Previous activity is not deleted from your Location History. You can manually delete your Location History.
  • Your settings for other location services on your device, like Google Location Services, Location Sharing, and Find My Device, aren't changed.
  • Some location data may continue to be saved in other settings, like Web & App Activity, as part of your use of other services, like Search and Maps, even after you turn off Location History. Web & App Activity can include info about your location from your device's general area and IP address.

Common issues with location services

Availability

Location History may not be available if:

  • It's not available in your region.
  • You don't meet certain age restrictions.
  • Your Google Account is through your work, school, or other group. Your administrator might need to make this setting available for you.
  • You've turned off Location Services or Background App Refresh.
Background App Refresh

Location History can only work properly if Location Services is set to Always and Background App Refresh is on.

  • Location Services uses GPS, Wi-Fi hotspots, and cellular network towers to determine your location.
  • Background App Refresh allows Location Reporting to work when you're not actively using a Google app.

Learn more about how to manage Location Services and Background App Refresh.

Data use

Location History can use a lot of data. Before using this feature, review the data plan of your device.

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