Google tracks your every step and you can check it yourself

How to check your Google location history?

If you want to find out how much Google knows about you, you need to visit: Google Location history (You need to login with your Google account). Now, select any date and Google will tell you where you visited, how many miles you traveled with the timestamps and map of that location. Surprised? Most of us do not even remember that we visited that particular location at a given past date, but Google knows it and can let you find out your all past trips. It knows your route, your stays and all that stuff.

Google location history map

You can see all places and routes logged by Google.
Image credit: Google Location History

This is not something new that Google has launched. Google has been tracking your steps for pretty long. You can select any past date and you could check your visits of that particular day. You could also select up to 30 days and see history for those days.
Pro tip: You can also select a date or date range and click on little play button at the side of the map and it will show you your movements of that day as they happened. Interesting, huh!

Google Location history Play button

This small button will give you some interesting view.
Image credit: Google Location History

How does Google know my location history?

If you use a smart phone, you must be using any of Google services. Most of us have Android phones and we are required to sign in to Google account. We use Google maps on our phones and this is where Google finds its way to track your every step. Wherever you go with your smart phone, Google knows that and stores that for your location history.

What can I do about my Google location history?

Well, if you are a person who does not really cares about it; you do not need to do anything. You may use it to find your past visits and locations you visited for a particular date. It can also help you find your lost phone. It’s a pretty useful and interesting feature. However, if you do not like your data to be stored, you have the option to delete all history and stop Google storing your data.

How to delete and disable Google Location history

To delete all your Google location history, go to: Google Location history
There you get the option to delete history from a specific time period or simply “Delete all history”.
Now you can be at ease that your history from Google map location has been deleted, however to stop it from storing your steps further, click on “Settings” icon at the right top, just below your profile picture icon,then go to “History settings”, and click “Pause”. It will stop Google from storing your history. However, it doesn’t turn off Location Reporting or location services for your Android device. You can turn off location history from your Android device’s settings option and then location settings. For detailed information on it, visit this Google support answer page.
It is not that Google stores data on your Android device only. If you are using iOS and using Google maps, Google knows your steps even in that case. You can disable location services from your iOS device by going to “Settings app” then go to “Location services”. Here you can either disable all location services or disable it for selected apps, i.e. Google maps and other apps.
Looking at this Google location history it won’t be exaggerated to say that Google knows more about us than we know about ourselves. Isn’t it? Let us know how do you feel after knowing it and what do you think about this location history tool.
Bonus tip: You can also view your Google search history by going to: Google Search History