As a long-time iPhone user, I heavily rely on Google Maps for navigation, despite Apple Maps’ improvements. Google Maps is my go-to app for exploring my surroundings and is my favorite Google product. However, I have used Google Maps without logging into my account, missing out on saving favorite places and locations.
Google’s push for privacy in December surprised me, with a new approach to location data in Google Maps. The company will no longer collect or link location data to accounts, with a plan to have location data saved locally on devices. Google plans to remove location history from servers starting December 1, prompting users to save their timeline information to their devices.
While Google apps will continue to collect some location data for services, removing detailed location history from the web is a positive move. This will limit the data available for potential ad targeting based on location. Some users may be concerned about the loss of the timeline feature, as saved information will remain linked to that device and not synced with others.
In case of smartphone loss or theft, users risk losing all digital information, including Google Maps location data. Backing up this information to the cloud in encrypted form is recommended. Users must decide before December whether to save their timeline information on their devices or let Google remove it.
Overall, I plan to start saving location data on my iPhone to adapt to Google’s new privacy change for Google Maps. The shift in how Google handles location data will likely impact many users who rely on the platform for navigation and exploration of their surroundings.
Article Source
https://bgr.com/tech/big-google-maps-location-privacy-update-will-change-how-i-use-the-app/