Google admits it accidentally deleted Maps timeline: Here’s how you can restore the deleted data
Google has acknowledged a technical issue that led to the accidental deletion of Maps Timeline data for some users earlier this month. The company has sent emails to affected individuals, offering guidance on how to recover their lost data, provided they had backups enabled.
As reported by Android Authority, referencing a Reddit user named sweepernosweeping, Google acknowledged in an email that a “technical issue caused the deletion of Timeline data for some users.” The user also noted losing two weeks’ worth of their Timeline data.
How Google Maps timeline got deleted
The Maps Timeline feature, which tracks users’ location history, experienced a glitch that caused data loss for certain accounts. Google recently transitioned Timeline storage to on-device or encrypted cloud backups, prioritising user privacy. However, some users reported missing data, including years of travel history.
How to restore Google Maps timeline data
Google has outlined steps for restoring lost Timeline data:
- Update Google Maps: Ensure your app is running the latest version.
- Access timeline: Open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, and select “Your Timeline.”
- Restore backup: Tap the cloud icon at the top of the screen and choose a backup to import your data.
Unfortunately, users who did not enable backups will be unable to recover their lost data. Google recommends enabling Timeline backups to prevent future issues. While some users successfully restored their data, others reported incomplete backups or no backups at all.
