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How to Turn Off Location History in Google Maps

Google Maps is an essential tool for navigation and finding directions. However, it also keeps a record of your past locations through Location History. If you're concerned about privacy or want to save data usage, you might consider turning off this feature. Here's how:

Disabling Location History on a Computer

  1. Go to the Google Account Dashboard: https://myaccount.google.com/
  2. In the "Personal info" section, click on "Data & personalization".
  3. Select "Location Sharing and Activity", then choose "Manage your Google Activity".
  4. On the left-hand side, under "Activity controls", find "Location History" and toggle it off.
  5. A confirmation dialog box will appear, asking if you want to pause Location History for all devices associated with your account. Click "Pause".

Disabling Location History on a Mobile Device (Android)

  1. Open the Google Maps app on your Android device.
  2. Tap the hamburger menu in the left corner of the map, then select "Settings".
  3. Scroll down and tap on "Location Settings".
  4. Toggle off "Location". A dialog box will appear asking for permission to turn off Location Services. Confirm your selection.
  5. Go back to the "Settings" menu in Google Maps, then tap on "Location History".
  6. At the bottom of the screen, tap on the gear icon and select "Pause".
  7. A confirmation dialog box will appear, asking if you want to pause Location History for your account. Tap "Yes".

Disabling Location History on a Mobile Device (iOS)

  1. Open the Google Maps app on your iOS device.
  2. Tap the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner of the map, then select "Settings".
  3. Scroll down and tap on "Privacy Policy & Terms of Service".
  4. At the bottom of the screen, tap on "Location Services".
  5. Turn off the toggle switch for "Google Maps". A dialog box will appear asking if you want to turn off Location Services for Google Maps. Confirm your selection.
  6. Go back to the "Settings" menu in Google Maps and select "Location Sharing".
  7. Tap on "Pause". A confirmation dialog box will appear, asking if you want to pause Location History for your account. Tap "Yes".

That's it! By following these steps, you've successfully turned off Google Maps' Location History feature on both desktop and mobile devices. Keep in mind that disabling this feature will stop Google from saving your location data, but it won't delete previously collected data. To permanently delete past location history, visit the "My Activity" page on your Google Account Dashboard.

Published November, 2018