Google just Announced it will Automatically Delete your Location History by Default

Don’t want Google keeping track of everywhere you’ve ever been? The company now says it will start to automatically delete users’ location history and web activity after 18 months. Previously, users had to turn this setting on if they didn’t want Google to store their data for an indefinite amount of time.

The move helps Google to keep up with the details and to suggest stuff to you might like based on your previous location or browsing history, but it won’t have years and years’ worth of private data.

Google’s location history monitoring is still off by default, but turning it on can be helpful if you want apps like Google Maps to provide personalized suggestions like the restaurants you’re searching for. based on where you’ve been in the past. Or, Google might know from your location history that you usually leave for work at 8 a.m. and can recommend that you leave a little earlier to avoid traffic on a particular day.

When location tracking is on, however, Google follows your location with precise detail — something you can see if you view your Google Maps Timeline.

when you turn the location history on, Google will automatically erase the data after 18 months. You can also set the Google location history to uninstall automatically every three months or every 36 months.

Web and app activities will also be removed automatically every 18 months, but only for new accounts. Fresh YouTube accounts will also have their history erased after three years.

Also, see Google Removes Labeled for Reuse Options from Google Image Search Tools