Google has come up with yet another exciting (and controversial?) feature for the Maps called “Your Timeline”. Whether it is the fun holiday destination you had been to last year or the super cool pub you visited last month, everything will be shown by the map letting you visualize the real world routines, courtesy, the Google location history setting. If you use Google Photos, pictures will be shown along with the label for the specific day helping you to cherish your memories.
If you are pondering over the privacy concerns that come with the new feature, fret not. Your Timeline is truly “Yours” as it is visible only to the user and he has a full control over what to keep and what to trash. The feature is currently made available on Android and desktops. One needs to enable the location history feature with Google, which beams the user with useful tidbits like traffic information and location of your parked car. Google’s recently released privacy hub will help you to use the feature more efficiently.
This is a great example of how much Google knows about you, and at the same time, how to put all these data to a meaningful use. Choose any day in your past and Timeline will help you relive that particular day. Creepiness aside, Timeline can be really helpful when you can’t recall that neighborhood store where you bought your favorite chocolate bar or to recall what happened whilst you were blackout drunk the last weekend.
The Your Timeline feature will surprise you with places that you visited some time ago and the effect will be more desirable when its working in tandem with the Google Photos. That being said most of us are still skeptic about Google tracking every location we visit and if your are one of them we would suggest you to simply pull the plug by switching off the Google location history. If you’re skeptic about Google as a whole, here’s our guide to effectively use Google’s services without selling your soul.