Update, March 23, 2025: This story, originally published March 22, has been updated with a statement from Google, concerns from readers about the deletion, and a warning of planned changes to come that could also see your Google Maps Timeline deleted.
Hot on the heels of confirming a major scam involving more than 10,000 fake listings and hacked accounts impacting searches for Google Maps users, Google has made a non-apology to users after their data was deleted and, for those without encrypted backups, might be gone forever.
Google Maps Timeline Data Deleted
As I first reported March 11, some users of Google Maps had been taking to the support forums to angrily complain that when they went to view their timeline data there was nothing there. Nada. It had all, quite literally, vanished into the ether. One person said that Every single day for the last 3+ years just disappeared… and I can’t load my local backup, only the option to delete it.” This appeared to be unconnected to the warnings being issued at the same time in the form of notification emails about changes being made to the Google Maps timeline feature, which required urgent action to prevent data from being deleted. It was, indeed, a mystery. Google had not confirmed or denied the issue; there was radio silence as to what was happening, which left users in the dark as to where their data had gone until now.
Google Sends Non-Apology Email To Users
Some Google Maps users received a March 21 email from Google which, while still not actually apologizing for deleting their data, did go some way to explain what was happening and what could be done to restore the lost timelines. Well, restore the timelines of some users, at least.
The email in question explained that google had “briefly experienced a technical issue that caused the deletion of Timeline data for some people,” and that the company was reaching out to those who may have been impacted. “If you have encrypted backups enabled,” Google said, “you may be able to restore your data.” If and may are doing a lot of heavy lifting, it seems. Those users with the latest version of Google Maps were advised to go to their timeline and hit the cloud icon before selecting the option to import a backup of data. “If you did not have backups turned on, unfortunately you will not be able to recover lost data,” Google said, without as much as a sorry. About the nearest to an apology the email got was by saying “We understand that this can be frustrating if you use Timeline to remember places you’ve visited, and we are taking steps to improve our systems for the future.”
Google Users Express Anger Over Data Loss
Well, gee, thanks Google. I’m sure those users who have lost their curated Google Maps timeline data forever will be sympathetic. Of course, all of this does reinforce the importance of keeping regular backups of all your data. You never know when disaster will strike, be it from a technical issue or cyber threat such as ransomware or other malware.
Indeed, one Forbes reader emailed me to say that “ten years of my timeline data is gone, and I’m actually devastated,” explaining that they used the feature constantly and were quick to follow all the directions given to protect it when the aforementioned change was announced. “I had been the biggest advocate to my friends and family for timeline and imagined a future where I look back on my life and revisit every moment thanks to this,” they said. That reader expressed his shock and anger at Google while conceding that such companies don’t owe users anything but asked, “what next, oops, all your emails are gone?”
I reached out to Google for a statement, and a spokesperson told me: “We briefly experienced a technical issue that caused the deletion of Timeline data for some people. Nearly everyone with encrypted Timeline backups will be able to restore their data; unfortunately, those who did not have backups enabled will not be able to recover lost data.”
Google Timeline Is Changing And Users Need To Act Now
This is, perhaps, the perfect time to remind Google Maps users who rely upon the Timeline feature that Google is making significant changes that could also lead to the loss of your data if you don’t act before May 18.
Not long after I published this article, another email from Google landed in my inbox to remind me that I only had until May 18 to make changes or risk the permanent loss of my timeline data. No technical errors are involved; this time, it is planned and deliberate. “This is a reminder that Timeline is changing,” the email said. “Now, if you choose to keep Timeline on, all of your devices will save new visits on their own Timelines – including any devices that previously had Location History reporting turned off.” And here’s the stinger: “Because of these changes, you need to choose new settings to avoid losing Timeline data.”
Google has said that you will need to make sure the Google Maps app is up to date on your smartphone and then go to the Timeline settings to change your privacy preferences.
