Google admits to deleting Maps Timeline data; here’s how to restore it

A few months ago, Google made changes to the Timeline feature in Google Maps, allowing users to store their location history either on their devices or through an encrypted cloud backup.

Earlier this month, however, several users reported that their Timeline data had unexpectedly vanished. In response, Google acknowledged the issue and emailed affected users to confirm it.

Did Google delete Maps timeline data for some users?

As reported by Android Authority and shared by a Reddit user named sweepernosweeping, the email indicated that a "technical issue" led to the deletion of Timeline data for some individuals. This user mentioned that they lost their Timeline data for the past two weeks. Google informed impacted users that they could attempt to restore their Timeline data from the cloud backup. To do this, users need to update Google Maps to the latest version and then open the app.

Once in the app, users should tap their profile picture in the upper right corner, select 'Your Timeline,' and then click on the cloud icon at the top of the screen to choose a backup for import. If a user does not have a backup, unfortunately, there is no way to recover the lost Timeline data.

While some users successfully restored their Timeline data from the cloud backup, others found their backups to be either incomplete or nonexistent. It is recommended that users actively back up their Google Maps Timeline to the cloud, as this option is not enabled by default.

Users can restore it with a few steps. Open Google Maps > Tap on your profile picture and select “Your Timeline > Tap the cloud icon in the top-right corner > Choose a device or backup from the list > Tap the three-dot menu next to the backup and select “Import” > Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.