Hi everyone, I’m wondering if you’ve also experienced the timeline not updating automatically. In my case, I have all the settings according to the rulebook and I’m wondering if anyone has experienced and solved the problem. I have an iphone with the latest ios and the latest GM version. Thank you for sharing your experiences in this regard.
All the best
Hello @I-am-Q.
I can’t say not at all updating, but the timeline updates unreliable, sometimes much later, a wrong or missing place.
To me, the Google timeline is just a toy. If you really want to track your traveling, it is better to install an app which logs and writes GPX file. For Android there a several free apps. I don’t know about iPhone, but I would be surprised if there is none.
Since almost twenty years I track all my ways, in the past using specialized devices, but since I use Android, I am happy with Locus Maps.
As long as the Google timeline was available on the desktop, I looked it more times often to see the weekly or monthly tracks. Now, with mobile only, I almost gave up on it.
Hey @I-am-Q
I also don’t use Timeline that often I’m afraid so I’m not sure if the same issue is happening for me. But I’ve just had a quick check and my timeline data seems fairly accurate (or as accurate as Timeline can be).
Is your timeline completely not updating at all (i.e. it’s blank and not registering any location at all)? Or is it happening sporadically (i.e. it takes a while for the data to show)?
Have you checked your iOS settings with regards to Location sharing and giving permission to Google Maps to always run in the background. I know that with Location Sharing on iOS, it’s usually quite inconsistent. I don’t know why but my friends on iOS always have issues and have to re-enable permissions from time to time.
@WilfriedB Out of curiosity, does Locus Maps just run in the background and you use it to track your movements 24/7? I had a quick look at their website and it looks to me that you can log activities (hiking, biking, running etc) but I’m not sure if it also runs in a “passive” mode like Timeline.
Hello @AdrianLunsong.
the way, I use Locus Maps most of the times, is indeed tracking in the background and I rarely open the app to use it for navigation or many other things it can do.
24/7 is probably possible, but I always stop the tracking after arriving at home or other destinations and the GPX file is automatically exported to Googel drive, from where I download to my PC. That way, I have a least one file per day, which is great to geo-tag my photos (my main reason, why using it). Instead, I can see all tracks also in the app, what I rarely do, though.
To start, pause and stop tracking, you don’t even have to open the app and can use widget instead.
Thanks for the info!
So it’s still a conscious action to trigger the tracking. I wonder if you could use something like IFTTT or Tasker to auto trigger the tracking when leaving your house. A quick search found this (see last comment about Tasker).
Are you taking photos with a normal camera that doesn’t have a built-in GPS logger?
Correct and there is always the risk to forget. Thank you for the suggestions, I’ll have a look at it, but meanwhile it became a habit to me.
In the past I did have several cameras with built-in GPS, but eventually decided to use an external device. For at least these reasons:
Hi @WilfriedB , well it’s like you say, sporadic and often the wrong places and the wrong road and the wrong means of transport. Sometimes the day can be completely blank. I remember once a question came up about whether I wanted to share the changes so that Google Maps could improve the timeline. .
I use Relive to track my moves and make 3d moves of my activities. I think it is a very fun and useful app.
Cheers
Hi @AdrianLunsong , thanks for your reply. One reason for my follow-up of the timeline is precisely to track the places I have visited. The reviews I write, I think anyway, have to match places I have visited. Otherwise (I think), there is a risk that the AI filter gets a trigger and starts cleaning. I could be wrong, and my reviews might not at all are not tagged to the places I have visited (like those in the timeline).
And yes my setting is as it should be. I have checked it accordingly. By the way, can you also check it so that I get an external assessment and use it as an input to improve my Google Maps setting?
Hi @I-am-Q Sorry for the late reply.
Don’t forget that Google Maps timeline has been made a private feature i.e. data collected are stored and processed on your phone only. You can back it up to the cloud but Google also won’t have access to the data. So, what that means is that your location data is not actually a factor in determining if your review is legit or not.
Also, see this Gemini response:
What do you mean by the above?
Thank you very much @AdrianLunsong , then I can take it easy when it comes to timeline data.
I was just wondering if you could kindly check my settings in Google Maps (i.e. if everything is as it should be).
All the best
Hi again @AdrianLunsong , I found that suggestions to review a place usually come from the timeline. For example, if the timeline has registered a wrong place, Google Maps will ask me to review the wrong place. Even when reviewing, it suggests which pictures belong to the place. So it feels like there is a connection.
All the bes
Q
Good to know! Thanks!
Just for your info @AdrianLunsong
Suggestion that seemingly show a connection between timeline and review.
