Google maps timeline year in review

With the Location History feature in Google Maps you can see a timeline of where you travelled, and the route you took to get there.

Google Maps boasts loads of features, making it stand out from the competition. Although having a variety of features is a plus, for a regular user, it can be tough to know how to use all of them. The Google Maps Timeline is one of the platform's essential features, allowing you to view places you've been to in the past and the routes you used to get there.

The Timeline feature leverages the fact that Google tracks your whereabouts in the background. We will show you how to see your location history on Google Maps on your phone.

How to See Your Google Maps Location History

It's no longer a secret that Google tracks you in the background. The Timeline feature capitalizes on this, giving you a way to check your location history.

The critical thing to note is you must have your Google account's Location History turned on to use the feature. With Location History enabled, you can view the countries, cities, and other places, like restaurants, malls, etc., that you've been to in the past.

Follow these steps to check whether you have your Location History enabled:

1. Open Google Maps and tap your profile icon or letter in the top right.
2. Select Your data in Maps from the pop-up menu.
3. If you see On under Location History, that means you have it enabled. Otherwise, tap Off, and Google will take you to a page where you can switch it back on by tapping Turn on.

If you have just enabled your Location History at the moment, or you deleted your past data to protect your privacy in Google Maps, there won't be anything in your Timeline.

However, if you have some other settings like Web & App Activity enabled, you may still see some location history data. Our tips on troubleshooting Google Maps issues on Android should come in handy if you're experiencing issues with the app.

How to View Your Google Maps Timeline

Otherwise, with that out of the way, here's how you can see where you've been in the Google Maps app:

1. Inside Google Maps, tap your profile icon or letter in the top right.
2. Select Your Timeline from the pop-up menu. Google will take a few seconds to load the Timeline page.
3. The Timeline page will show today's location history by default at the bottom. It provides additional data like how you went to a specific location, the amount of time used during the commute, and an estimate of your time in an area. Tap Today to select a particular date in the past.
4. If you want to see your past trips, select the Trips tab at the top. Google will show you the number of trips you've been on, how long they were, and in which month and year.
5. The Places tab showcases specific places you've gone to presented in different categories like Shopping, Hotels, Attractions, and more. You can also go to the Cities and World tabs to view the cities and countries you have traveled to in the past, respectively.

In the Day tab, nearby places you've visited in the past will be shown as dots of different colors on the map. Each color hints at the kind of activity done at the place.

The amount of data in your Google Maps Location History depends on how long the Location History feature has been enabled on your account. If you have set up your account to auto-delete your history, or if you chose to instantly delete your location data in Google Maps recently, the data will be much less.

Learn more about using the app in Google Maps tips to turn you into a pro user.

Track Your Location History in Google Maps

The Google Maps timeline is an excellent way to see where you've been in the past and on which day. The app presents data in an easy-to-understand manner. Additionally, it adds richer details like the routes you took to a place and an estimate of your time in a location.

While some might ignore the feature or disable it due to privacy issues, there's no way to deny its importance. If you're more privacy-conscious, you can still use the feature and instruct Google to delete your data after three, 18, or 36 months.

Nearly every major app tracks your location in some way. And while most try to keep this a secret (and won't even tell you why they need it), Google Maps is pretty public when it comes to using your location.

But Google Maps doesn't just use it to give you directions and show your current location. If you have it enabled, you can also create a Google Maps timeline, which lets you see where you traveled on a specific day, any attractions or restaurants you've visited, towns you've been to, and countries that you've traveled in.

Here's how to check your Google Maps timeline — and how to enable Location History so you can make a timeline in the first place.

How to see your Google Maps timeline in the mobile app

1. Open Google Maps on your iPhone or Android, and tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.

2. Tap Your timeline.

You can find your timeline in this menu. Google; William Antonelli/Insider

The screen will change, and a large menu will appear with a variety of options at the top. They'll be a bit different depending on whether you're using an iPhone or Android.

On both devices, you'll see:

• Day: Here, you can see all the places you've visited in a single day. It'll also show you how you got there (via subway, car, etc.) and how long you spent at each location. You'll see a full map of everywhere you went on that specific day. Google
• Places: This shows the different restaurants, attractions, shops, hotels, and more you've visited. They'll be sorted into different categories, which you can tap to see a full list.
• Cities: You'll get a list of all the towns and cities you've visited, and when you visited them. Tap a city name to see where you went in that city and how often. You'll also see how many places you've visited in that town or city. Google
• World: A list of all the countries you've traveled to. Tap a country in the list to see which cities you've gone to.

If you're using an Android, you'll also see Trips and Insights. Trips shows (as the name suggests) the vacations and getaways you've taken. Insights tracks how much time you've spent walking, driving, and taking public transit every month, along with how far you've traveled and what you spent your time doing.

You can look at your stats for any month. Google

How to see your Google Maps timeline on the website

You can find the timeline on the Google Maps website too, but it looks a bit different.

1. Open Google Maps on your computer and click the three stacked lines in the top-left corner.

2. Select Your timeline.

The menu on the Google Maps website that lets you find your timeline. Google; William Antonelli/Insider

You'll be brought to the Timeline page. Here, you can:

• Click one of the blue bars at the top-left of the screen or enter a specific day to see all the places you traveled on that day.
• Click the red Places option in the bottom-left to see every business, attraction, and place of interest you've visited.
• Click the More Trips box to check out the vacations and get-aways you've been on.

You can also double-click a red dot on the map to check out the exact day you traveled to that spot.

Your timeline will look different on a computer compared to your phone. Google

If you clicked something and want to reset the map, click Timeline in the top-left to return to your main Timeline page.

William Antonelli

Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews

William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City. As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at [email protected].

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How do I see year in Google Maps review?

Find your travels.

On your computer, open Google Maps..

Sign in with the same Google Account that you use on your mobile device..

At the top left, click Menu ..

Click Timeline ..

To find another date, at the top, choose a day, month, and year..

How do I see different years on Google Maps?

How to Go Back in Time on Google Maps.

Web: Search for a location or drop a pin > photo > See more dates > scroll through dates and click one..

Mobile: Search for location or drop pin > Street View preview > tap screen > See more dates > tap one to view..

You can only go back to 2007 when this feature was first introduced..

How do I review a Google Maps Timeline?

If your visit to a place is in Timeline, you can find the last time that you visited in Google Maps..

On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Maps app ..

Tap your profile picture or initial Your Timeline ..

Select a place from Timeline..

Tap Details..

Scroll until you find Timeline. ..

How often does Google Maps Timeline update?

Google Timeline updates your location history every few minutes or every time there is a significant change in your location. You can manually edit your location history to correct any inaccuracies or remove any locations you don't want to see.