What restaurant were you in yesterday and how long were you on the way to and from work? With the new Google Maps timeline for iOS, the maps app gets a handy interactive history function.
Using Google Maps Timeline
Google Maps has always been good at showing the fastest way from A to B, but is now also a nice reminder. With Google Maps Timeline you can see exactly where you have been and when.
For example, see how long you were on the way to work, divided into the time you spent on the train and on the bike. The timeline has been given a prominent place in the side menu for quick access. You view your timeline as follows:
- Open Google Maps and tap the three dashes in the search bar;
- Choose ‘My Timeline’;
- Your Google Maps Timeline will now appear.
The timeline is getting smarter
To make the timeline more accurate, Google Maps will ask for additional information when in doubt. For example, you can tap yes or no at new locations to let you know whether you were there or not. Here you can also designate a specific location as your home or workplace.
If you don’t feel like manually checking your timeline, you can activate the reminder function. With this, Google Maps presents a monthly overview of the cities, shops and other places where you have been in your mail. You activate the reminders as follows:
- Open My Timeline and tap the three dots at the top right of the screen;
- Choose ‘Settings’;
- Set the switch behind ‘E-mails timeline’ to blue.
The Google Maps Timeline is gradually being rolled out for iPhone and iPad. You can also find the new function in the browser version of Google’s map service on your desktop. Since the feature is rolling out on Google’s side, you don’t need to perform a manual update.