Google has confirmed a technical error that led to the accidental deletion of user data from Google Maps Timeline, which records a user’s travel history, and is widely used for personal tracking, travel logs, and even business documentation. However, a glitch caused several users to lose portions of their saved location history, with no official solution for full recovery. The deletion was not triggered by user actions but was rather an internal error within Google’s system.
While Google has not disclosed the exact number of affected users, those without cloud backups may have lost their data permanently. This unexpected data loss raises concerns about digital security, data management, and the risks of relying solely on cloud services without independent backups.
- Regular Google Maps users who track their location history for personal reference
- Business professionals who rely on Google Maps Timeline for documenting client visits, deliveries, or travel expenses
- Researchers and analysts who use location tracking for behavioural studies
As we say, the onus of backing up your Google data lies on you. This job is expertly done by Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud for Google Workspace.
For those who actively used Google Maps Timeline to recall past trips, verify locations, or retrieve route information, this error is particularly frustrating. The lack of a rollback feature or Google-provided recovery solution means users are left with no way to restore lost data.
What Can You Do?
If you suspect that your data was affected, follow these steps:
- Check your Google Account settings: Navigate to your Google Account and review your backup settings to see if any Timeline data has been stored in the cloud.
- Look for alternative backups: If you’ve ever exported your Google location history manually or synced it with third-party services, check for saved copies.
- Enable backups moving forward: Google’s error highlights the importance of having automated cloud backups enabled to prevent future data loss.
How to Prevent Future Data Loss
The Google Maps Timeline issue serves as a reminder that even major tech companies are not immune to accidental data loss. To safeguard your important information, Logix recommends:
- Enabling automatic backups for all critical business and personal data
- Using third-party backup solutions as a redundancy measure
- Regularly reviewing cloud storage and security settings to ensure all important information is being preserved
While cloud storage is convenient, no system is foolproof, and having a backup strategy in place is essential. To strengthen your data security and ensure no critical business information is ever lost, contact Logix today for comprehensive backup solutions.