A software bug in Google Maps — the most popular navigation service on Android and iOS — is causing Timeline data to vanish for users without warning. According to threads on Reddit, many Google Maps users have discovered years of saved location data has suddenly disappeared from their accounts.
For those who don't know, Google Maps' Timeline feature tracks your movements and saves them to a personal map. It records the places you've visited and the routes taken. This data can be used to personalise Google experiences. Google offers the ability to view, edit, and delete the data.
If you're impacted by the latest glitch, opening the Google Maps Timeline will leave you with the message "No visits for this day" across all dates. According to some affected individuals, years of location data has disappeared without a trace. Reports have increased in the last 24-hours.
It's unclear whether the software bug is preventing your Google Maps' Timeline history from being displayed correctly or whether the data itself has been permanently wiped.
Making matters worse, many Google Maps users can't access their cloud backups of Timeline location data either. It's unclear exactly what's behind the vanishing data.
However, it's worth noting that Google Maps kickstarted a major shift in how it handles location history in December last year. Instead of storing Timeline data in the cloud, Google is moving to an on-device approach.
The company has set a deadline of June 9, 2025 for users to switch over to on-device location history. After this date, any location data still stored in Google's servers will be permanently removed.
There's no confirmed fix for the issue yet, but if you're affected by the bug, there are several steps that you're able to take:
- Check if location history is still enabled in Google Maps settings
- Clear the cache of Google Maps app (Android only)
- Restart your device to see if Timeline data reappears
- Wait for Google's response, as this may simply be a small bug that requires a server-side patch
Most important of all — avoid deleting anything for now until the cause is identified. Those affected will hope for a swift resolution that restores their years of location data.
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