Google Maps Timeline on your phone: view, delete and limit it

For years, Google has been saving where you go if you have location history turned on. In 2024 it changed where it stores it and for how long. Here's what it does now, where to change it, and how it relates to family location apps.

The Mi Estela teamOctober 15, 2026 · 5 min read

In this article

The 2024 change: from the server to your phone
How to view your Timeline
How to delete it or set it to expire
What doesn't change even if you turn it off
What it has to do with a family location app

Google Maps Timeline (formerly “location history”) is the record of the places you've been with your phone: days, trips, stops. It's off by default and only exists if you turned it on. What changed recently is where it's stored.

The 2024 change: from the server to your phone

Google announced it would stop storing Timeline on its servers and keep it on the phone itself. The switch happened in late 2024: if you didn't choose anything, your Timeline now keeps only the last three months by default; if you wanted to keep everything, you had to opt in explicitly (Google sent emails with deadlines in November and December). You can make a backup, which travels encrypted to Google's servers, to move it to another phone. And the web version of Timeline is gone: it can now only be viewed from your phone.

How to view your Timeline

Open Google Maps and tap your profile picture.
Tap Your Timeline.
Pick a day on the calendar to see trips and stops; you can edit, add notes or delete a day.

How to delete it or set it to expire

Delete everything or a time range: in Your Timeline › the three dots › Settings and privacy › “Delete all Timeline” or “Delete a time range”.
Automatic expiry: in the same settings, tap “Auto-delete” and choose 3, 18 or 36 months.
Turn it off: in Settings and privacy, switch off location history (you can also do it from your Google Account › Data & privacy). Google stops saving places and trips.

What doesn't change even if you turn it off

Turning off Timeline doesn't turn off your phone's GPS or stop apps with permission (Maps for navigation, any location app) from using your position in the moment. And Google can still receive location signals through other channels (searches, web and app activity). Timeline is only the record of your days; it's also worth checking “Web & App Activity” in your account.

What it has to do with a family location app

A family app can also save where you've been: that's the history, and it's the most sensitive part. That's why it's worth checking how much each one keeps and who can see it. Life360 keeps 2, 7 or 30 days depending on the plan; Find My on Apple devices keeps no history; in Mi Estela it exists only if you turn it on, 3 days on the free plan and 30 at most with Premium, and the real-time position is overwritten. What we store and for how long, and what happens to location data in other apps.

Sources

Written by the Mi Estela team. We talk about other apps with sources and dates; if you spot anything outdated, drop us a line at hola@miestela.app and we'll fix it. Brands and names mentioned belong to their respective owners.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Google Maps Timeline stored now?

Since late 2024, on your phone, not on Google's servers. By default it keeps the last three months; you can choose to keep it until you delete it and make an encrypted backup.

How do I delete my location history in Google Maps?

Google Maps › your profile picture › Your Timeline › three dots › Settings and privacy › “Delete all Timeline” (or a time range). That's also where you turn on automatic deletion at 3, 18 or 36 months.

If I turn off Timeline, does Google stop knowing where I am?

It stops saving the record of days and trips, but apps with permission still use your location and Google can still receive signals through other channels (searches, web activity). Also check “Web & App Activity”.