Google Maps users recently experienced a concerning issue where their Timeline data suddenly disappeared. This glitch affected location history records going back years for some people. Fortunately, Google has acknowledged the problem and provided methods to restore the lost data. Let’s explore what happened and how you can recover your valuable location history.
What Caused the Google Maps Timeline Data Loss?
In March 2025, Google confirmed that a technical error on their end resulted in the accidental deletion of Timeline data for a significant number of users. This bug impacted location history records stored in Google Maps, erasing months or even years worth of data for those affected.
The Timeline feature in Google Maps allows users to view their location history, including places visited, routes taken, and time spent at various locations. For many, this serves as a digital memory bank of their travels and daily movements. Losing access to this data understandably caused distress among users who rely on Timeline for both personal and professional purposes.
How to Check if Your Timeline Data Was Affected
Before attempting any recovery steps, it’s important to verify if your Timeline data was actually impacted by this glitch. Here’s how to check:
Step 1: Open the Google Maps app on your mobile device.
Step 2: Tap your profile picture or initials in the top right corner.
Step 3: Select “Your Timeline” from the menu.
Step 4: Browse through your Timeline history, paying attention to data from before March 2025.
If you notice large gaps in your location history or a complete absence of data prior to the glitch, your Timeline was likely affected by the deletion error.
Primary Method: Restore Timeline Data from Backup
Google has released an official fix to help users recover their lost Timeline data. This method relies on backups of your location history. Here’s how to use it:
Step 1: Ensure you have the latest version of the Google Maps app installed on your device. Check your app store for any available updates.
Step 2: Open Google Maps and tap your profile picture or initials.
Step 3: Go to “Your Timeline” and look for a cloud icon at the top of the screen.
Step 4: Tap the cloud icon to access your Timeline backups.
Step 5: Choose the most recent backup that predates the data loss incident.
Step 6: Follow the on-screen prompts to restore your Timeline data from the selected backup.
This process may take some time, depending on the amount of data being restored. Once complete, your Timeline should reflect your location history prior to the glitch.
Alternative Method: Use Google Takeout
If the primary method doesn’t work or you prefer to have a local copy of your data, you can try using Google Takeout:
Step 1: Visit the Google Takeout website (takeout.google.com) and sign in to your Google account.
Step 2: Deselect all products except “Location History”.
Step 3: Click “Next step” and choose your preferred delivery method (email link or add to cloud storage).
Step 4: Select the file type and frequency (one-time export is sufficient for this purpose).
Step 5: Click “Create export” and wait for Google to process your request.
Step 6: Once you receive the export, download and extract the files.
Step 7: The extracted files will contain your location history in JSON format. You can use various tools or apps to visualize this data or import it back into Google Maps.
While these methods should help most users recover their lost Timeline data, it’s important to note that those who didn’t have backups enabled prior to the glitch may face challenges in fully restoring their history. This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of regular data backups, even for cloud-based services.
Moving forward, consider enabling automatic Timeline backups in Google Maps to protect against future data loss incidents. Additionally, periodically exporting your location history through Google Takeout can provide an extra layer of security for your valuable data.