Google Location History

Norkie

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Jak
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Hi guys, help please :)

I have this mail item from Google:
Location History is paused for your account, and you haven’t had any new Location History in more than 5 years.​
Any existing Location History that you have in your account will be deleted on 1 April 2022.​
Here’s what you can do before 1 April 2022:​
  • Keep this data in your account by turning on Location History in Activity controls
  • Download a copy of this data before it’s deleted on 1 April 2022
    About Location History
    It’s a Google Account setting that lets you save where you go with your devices, even when you aren't using a specific Google service. Location History can be used to give you things such as:​
    • Timeline, a private map of your visited places and routes
    • Suggested destinations on Google Maps and Android Auto
    • More useful ads on Google and other places where Google ads may appear, such as websites or apps
Can someone explain what it actually is please?

Do I need to 'turn it on/off?'

Thank you.
 
If you have a device such as a phone or tablet with google services installed, you can choose to have it track you and where you visit.
This provides you with a detailed timeline of where you’ve been (useful for revisiting places, tracking mileage for business use etc). It also allows google to serve ads relevant to your location, ie a restaurant near by or a tourist attraction.
As you’ve not been using it in over 5 years, it would seem like it’s not something you will miss, so just ignore the email and let it delete your history.
 
If I go to Google maps (the webpage) and click the 3 buttons on the left, there's a thing that says "my timeline". This will show me every place I've ever been (with a powered up device which knows my Google account). It's kind of cool. For example, there's a dot showing that I went to Palazzo dei Congressi in Rome on 31st March 2017 and that the same evening I went on a walking tour of Rome.

Yours won't because it's turned off. Which is less cool. Turn it on if you want to be cooler :D

I bet they use it to sell you stuff too.
 
Thanks guys, I did read the help Google page, but you have been more helpful :)

I understand the targeted ads function, makes sense. I may turn it on for fun, just out of curiosity.

Thanks again.
 
Whilst some people have some concerns about Google knowing your exact movements, I used it to get me out of a parking ticket. I'd been to Sainsburys in the morning one day to fill up with petrol, and in the evening went to do the weekly shop. I few weeks later I received a parking charge as apparently I had been there all day, and Googles location timeline was part of my claim to say when I had left, when I had retured and where i'd been the rest of the day. They could then look on their cctv for my car arriving and departing. The claim was dropped.
 
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