Google Has Rolled Out Auto-Delete Controls For Location History To Android And iOS

Dhir Acharya - Jun 27, 2019

Now, you can set Google to delete the location data it collects over a period of time as per your preference, such as every 18 months or every 3 months.

Google has always claimed that its data collection is not only for ad targeting but also for service improvement. Apparently, however, not all of us think that the company should be collecting personal data on users. Now, in a new attempt to give users more control over their data, the tech giant has launched a new feature which automatically deletes Location History on Android and iOS devices.

The-tech-giant-collects-a-scarily-huge-amount-of-location-data-1 — The tech giant collects a scarily huge amount of location data

Last month, the company unveiled the feature just before Google I/O, its annual developer conference. At the time, the company said that data on location history could help give users better suggestions, such as a restaurant. The point is Google collects a “creepy” amount of data on its users, recording every place you have ever been to.

With the new controls, you can set Google to delete the location data it collects on you over a period of time as per your preference, such as every 18 months or every 3 months.

To enable this feature, you need to first open My Activity section in your Google Account. Now, tap on “choose to delete automatically” in the Location History section.

Next, you will see a screen from which you can choose a time frame based on your preference, namely 3 and 18 months. You also have the option to manually erase the data and you can do it anytime. This option is by default.

Google informed yesterday that it rolled out the controls to both Android and iOS users. However, it may take time so you will probably not see the change immediately.

If you prefer stop the data collection in the first place, you can opt to completely toggle off its data collection settings for each and every of these sections, YouTube Watch History, YouTube Search History, Voice & Audio Activity, Device Information, Location History, and Web & App Activity.