Google Maps Timeline and Web & App Activity record different things. Timeline helps you revisit trips and places, while other activity settings cover your use of Google services. Switching one off does not automatically switch the other off or erase all location-related information.
Know what Timeline stores
With Timeline enabled, eligible signed-in devices save visits and routes on their own Timeline. Google also offers an encrypted backup option for changing devices. Check the Timeline and backup status on the device whose trips you want to manage; do not assume every device holds the same history.
In Google Account activity settings, open Timeline to review its status. Use Maps Timeline to review or delete the relevant visits and routes. Stopping future Timeline recording does not by itself delete previous trips. Before replacing or resetting a phone, review the official Timeline backup instructions if you want to preserve that history.
Identify the separate activity controls
Google is gradually changing the controls for Search services. Your account may show Search Services History separately from Web & App Activity. If so, check the new control for Search and Maps activity. Where the rollout has not reached an account, the affected history and personalized recommendations still use Web & App Activity.
For instance, a location-related search record is not necessarily a Timeline visit. Review the product and item details before choosing a deletion control. Removing a route from Timeline is different from removing a search from My Activity.
Review location features independently
Timeline does not control every device location function. Location Sharing, Find Hub, device location permissions, and location used to provide other Google services have their own purposes and settings. Turning off Timeline is not equivalent to disabling all of them.
Likewise, deleting Timeline data does not remove location information embedded in a photograph or all location context associated with another saved activity. If privacy is your goal, identify each relevant record and setting instead of turning off unrelated safety features. If a trip remains visible on a second eligible device, check that device’s Timeline and the scope of the deletion you selected before concluding the change failed.
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References
Reviewed against the linked official and developer guidance on October 27, 2026. Available options and screen labels can vary by account, device, region, and organization policy.