If you don't already know, Google Maps Timeline, earlier known as Location History, now stores users' data on their devices instead of online in the cloud. This means if you switch your device or lose your phone, you may lose this data. To prevent this from happening, you will need to enable cloud backup for your Timeline. Doing so will also allow you to sync the Timeline on different devices,

  1. Open Google Maps and tap on your profile picture on the top right.
  2. Then tap on 'Your Timeline' in the menu that appears to select it.
  1. If you're checking your Timeline for the first time, scroll down and tap on the 'Continue' button.
  2. Then tap on the disabled cloud icon that appears on the top.
  1. Finally, tap on the 'Turn on' button at the bottom to enable cloud backup for your Timeline. You will have to enter your password to confirm your identity.

Things to know

  • When you turn on cloud backup for your Timeline, it will be backed up to Google services over Wi-Fi when your device is idle or charging. Make sure to turn off the auto-delete activity option from the same page after enabling cloud backup.
  • To sync your Timeline across different devices, you will have to manually enable cloud backup on each one using the method shared here. The process is the same for both iOS and Android devices.
  • The manual cloud backup feature does not work as well as the older automatic cloud-based Timeline, so there is always a chance of your data getting lost.
  • Additionally, the feature that migrates Timeline data to devices has a few bugs, which can still result in data loss.