- Google Map’s timelines disappearing for some users
- It seems to be a Google problem but there is no known solution
- Fortunately not everyone is affected but it is frustrating for those who are
Google Maps lines are disappearing, and not only there is no guaranteed solution to the problem right now, it is not clear whether this is a permanent removal or just a temporary error.
At first glance, reports of people’s timelines seem lost, as if they may have fallen by Google Map’s big privacy change: Your Google Map’s timeline moves from the cloud to your device and unless you accept different new settings before a deadline (which is different for different users, weird), you lose your travel history.
However, according to reports in Google Maps SUBITTDIT (stained by 9to5Google), it is a non -related problem as it affects people who have agreed to back up their timeline locally. What’s more, they are unable to recover old backups (though they delete and reinstall the Maps app), and some notice that new visits are not tracked either.
Some users have published saying that Google Support is accusing the problem on Google One and that Google is working on a solution, but at the time of writing it doesn’t seem to be a reliable method of getting your timeline back.
There was a time when restoring a backup seemed to work, but the question has passed so long that the backups are now overwritten – or simply cannot be restored – which means this option is no longer available.
Why is it a big thing?
Fortunately, the problem does not seem to affect everyone – the Google Maps Time Line on our devices seems to be fine, for example – but this is nonetheless frustrating.
Although having Google Tracking your location sounds less than ideal for many, having a timeline for their travel history is a dream for many others. It acts as a useful tool for reminiscent of holidays or find a place you will return to later – such as a cafe you stopped on the second day, or a museum that you didn’t spend enough time on your last trip away.
I love looking back through my timeline and would be disappointed if my travel history was torn from me by a mistake – especially since right now is no word about when users’ timelines will be restored.
From the sound of things, it must be a mistake that Google can solve, but so far everyone has to wait and see when a solution is sent out.
