If you use Google Maps Timeline to record your travels, you should check your account immediately—Google may have accidentally deleted all your location data. While you may be able to recover the data, it’s not guaranteed.

Timeline Data Vanished Earlier This Month

Timeline is a feature in Google Maps that, if you give it permission, records where you go and the routes you take. It’s handy for various reasons, like tracking distance traveled or jogging your memory about past trips. It’s great for data nerds who, for example, want to know how many times they’ve visited a particular place.

Earlier this month, some Timeline users noticed that their history had vanished without warning, with no obvious pattern as to who was impacted. The problem seemed to be tied to a Google Maps update on March 7, 2025, with the introduction of an “Import for Timeline Data” feature. At the time, many assumed this was a temporary bug and the data would be restored.

Google Has Contacted Those Affected

Now, Google has acknowledged the issue and contacted those impacted. Unfortunately, it’s not good news for everyone. On Reddit, user sweepernosweeping reported receiving the following email from Google:

We briefly experienced a technical issue that caused the deletion of Timeline data for some people. We’re reaching out as your account may have been impacted.

If you have encrypted backups enabled, you may be able to restore your data. […] If you did not have backups turned on, unfortunately you will not be able to recover lost data.

We understand that this can be frustrating if you use Timeline to remember places that you’ve visited, and we are taking steps to improve our systems for the future.

If you’ve lost your Timeline data and want to restore from a backup, tap your profile picture in the top-right of the Google Maps app, select “Your Timeline”, then tap the cloud icon. Here you will see your backups. Tap the three dots next to the one you wish to restore and select “Import.”

This only works if you had the data backed up in the first place—even then, some users on Reddit say that restoring from backup hasn’t solved the problem.

In a statement to Android Authority, Google said:

We briefly experienced a technical issue that caused the deletion of Timeline data for some people. Nearly everyone with encrypted Timeline backups will be able to restore their data; unfortunately those who did not have backups enabled will not be able to recover lost data.

The phrase “nearly everyone” seemingly confirms that the backups aren’t a guaranteed solution, which is a major fumble on Google’s part.

Timeline Data Is Stored Locally by Default

This all comes on the back of changes that began last year, with Google moving data from being tied to your account in the cloud to being stored locally on your device. It’s why you can’t access your Timeline data on the web anymore.

While you can still enable encrypted cloud backups, it’s not enabled by default. This means if you hadn’t turned the backups on and your Timeline data has disappeared, you’re likely out of luck—though if you use Timeline on multiple devices, it’s worth checking those to see if there’s anything to recover.

Source: Android Authority