Google Says It Might Have Deleted Your Maps Timeline Data

Google has confirmed a technical issue that has permanently deleted location history data for many users of its Maps application, with no recovery possible for most affected customers. The problem arose after Google transitioned its Timeline feature from cloud to on-device storage in 2024 to enhance privacy protections. Users began reporting missing historical location data on support forums and social media platforms in recent weeks, which Google attributed to a technical issue rather than user error or an intentional change. Only users who manually enabled encrypted cloud backups before the incident can recover their data, according to the company.