kmajewski's post
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Flexible privacy settings for your Google Maps profile

Former Google Contributor

Caption: A screenshot showing flexible privacy settings for profiles in the Google Maps app.Caption: A screenshot showing flexible privacy settings for profiles in the Google Maps app.

Whether you review coffee shops or add information about health clinics, sharing your local knowledge on Google Maps helps others know where to go in your city. The info you post is listed in Your contributions so people who land on your profile can see your expertise and impact. For those who feel like that reveals too much, you now have the option to update your profile settings.

 

Here’s how you can hide the list of your contributions from your profile. Please note that each contribution is still visible on the relevant place page that appears on Google Maps.

 

Here’s how on Google Maps for Android and iOS:

  • Open the Google Maps App
  • Go to the menu on the top left and select Settings
  • Tap Personal content
  • Under “Profile settings,” turn off Show contributions on your profile

 

Here’s how on your desktop:

  • Open Google Maps
  • Go to the menu on the top left and select Your contributions
  • Click Contribute, then click Profile settings
  • Turn off Show contributions on your public profile
116 Comments
Connect Moderator

Una muy buena opción @kmajewski, para permitir tener más control sobre todo lo que compartimos en Google Maps.

 

Gracias por compartir 🙂👍

 

Saludos Farid

Level 9

one of the best options many many thanks @kmajewski :))))

yeah we need some privacy ,  sometimes i visited a country or a place and wrote a reviews , and dont want all to know that i am here , i  have deleted mnay reviews and photos before for this reason :))))

 

Level 9

Thank you for the new features,many are facing this problem about their privacy.

Now it's more user friendly,:)

@kmajewski 

 

 

Regards

@shravan

Level 10

hello @kmajewski 

 

thanks for the very interesting link, I keep my reviews public are practically all positive, it is difficult to write negative reviews with a star and with descriptions that can alter the business of the reviewed activity; I did not know this screening function anyway, for now I keep them public, then I take care of them one by one, and at the max they can even screen individually?

Level 8

Thanks for sharing this new feature in Google Maps, @kmajewski. Great move!👌 Cheers! 😊

Level 9

Thank you @kmajewski for adding new privacy settings feature helpful to all local guides

Level 10

Yehh!!

Awesome Feature! Thank you @kmajewski for sharing 🙂

Add, Edit, Explore More ! || Google Maps Contributions || Gujju Local Guides on G+
Connect Moderator

Just like a lot of businesses have no clue about claiming their business, a lot of local guides have no clue that everything they publish can be seen by everyone clicking on their profile. 

 

Having the choice now to switch this on or off is great.

Check out LetsGuide Podcast | #LGCTM | Please always @Mention me so I see your reply
Level 10

@kmajewski

Thanks.

It's a very good features added by Google.

Privacy problem resolved by adding this on map.

 

BM63
Level 10

Very useful settings, recently I read a news, that a shop owner traveled as for as to catch the negative reviwer to take revenge. 😉 

Level 8

Most awaited feature is finally here, thank you Team Google Maps & Local Guide for launching this 

Level 10
Level 9

Wow great, I love this feature @kmajewski

Twitter | Instagram |My Contributions


 


We enter into this world with one focus, to be successful, many failed trying, but those who make it always set a goal and see every obstacle as nothing but a hurdle.

Level 10
Connect Moderator

@kmajewski

Thanks for the update. 

That's a wonderful step towards privacy, I hope Google will introduce content based privacy in near future as well 

Level 10

@kmajewski Thank you very much for your information. I have to done. 

 

Best of Luck!!

Mohammed Omar Faruque
Connect Moderator

@kmajewski thanks for the information. 🙂

Indonesia Local Guides

 Hey @kmajewski, it is very helpful feature for  those who are honestly do their job of begin Local Guide and try to share their original views to help others.  Thanks google map team for this new feature.

Connect Moderator

Thanks for writing this @kmajewsk. Given what is currently going on with personal social media accounts, it is nice to know there are now ways to provide some privacy to your Google Maps profile.

 

Cheers,

Karen

Level 9

As far as a Local Guide it is a Time line

 

It helps a local guide

https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/badges/userbadgespage/user-id/21203/page/1#
Level 10

This is a good update,but I also know that I will not use this,

Thanks for the information

well


@kmajewski wrote:

Caption: A screenshot showing flexible privacy settings for profiles in the Google Maps app.Caption: A screenshot showing flexible privacy settings for profiles in the Google Maps app.

Whether you review coffee shops or add information about health clinics, sharing your local knowledge on Google Maps helps others know where to go in your city. The info you post is listed in Your contributions so people who land on your profile can see your expertise and impact. For those who feel like that reveals too much, you now have the option to update your profile settings.

 

Here’s how you can hide the list of your contributions from your profile. Please note that each contribution is still visible on the relevant place page that appears on Google Maps.

 

Here’s how on Google Maps for Android and iOS:

  • Open the Google Maps App
  • Go to the menu on the top left and select Settings
  • Tap Personal content
  • Under “Profile settings,” turn off Show contributions on your profile

 

Here’s how on your desktop:

  • Open Google Maps
  • Go to the menu on the top left and select Your contributions
  • Click Contribute, then click Profile settings
  • Turn off Show contributions on your public profile

 

Software Developer , Entrepreneur Leader , Writter & Thinker
Connect Moderator

@kmajewski This is very helpful for those are facing privacy problem.Thanks for this news.

Happy Guiding!

 

 

Level 10

Interesting feature. I'm hoping that this won't throw a major spanner in the works especially when it comes to researching and doing a bit of recon work. Especially when you see one spam/irrelevant photo posted by someone and then when you navigate to their public profile, you can no longer see the rest of their contributions. I'm hoping this would able to be circumvented by the reviewer team, or we might see less reports!

 

It's always nice to see how someone who posts lots of pictures does so and where they go, so I'm hoping everyone doesn't hide their profile. But I wouldn't think that most people would have a privacy problem. Then again...

Level 8

Thanks for share.

Sometimes privacy is necessary.

 

Best regards.

Level 9

I don't see any need for this privacy @kmajewski

Because that is what make reviews to be fun by allowing people see how you experience a place without prejudice.

But actually it is a welcome development for individuals that really need it for many other reasons.

best option to control profile from public view @kmajewski. Thanks for sharing this great feture with us. 

Love to Hear ; Love to Share !
Kamal Hasnainee
Bangladesh
Level 10

Thank you

Tunisia Local Guides
Level 10

Great to have this as option. 

Level 9

Hello @kmajewski indeed it's one of the most awaited feature by local guides who concerns about the privacy 🙂
Anyhow I have found a small glitch in this new update please free to read my feedback post about it 

Regards

thank you

Level 8

That's a welcome move!

Level 10

Nice.

Atma Ram
Level 8

Awesome @kmajewski

This was one of the feature we wanted. Thanks for sharing.

Level 9

Hello @kmajewski , It's a very informative post for us and thanks for sharing with us.

I ❤️ Bangladesh | Meet-Ups | Achievements | Instagram | My Website
Level 8
Really nice tip. Please keep updating with such great tips.
Level 10

@kmajewski

Thank you so much for more new function of Local Guides' profile. Google take care more about Local Guides' privacy.

Cheerrrrrsssss......

LG Summit Attendee in 2016 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Regional Lead before 2017
Level 8

@kmajewski   will our name still be visible on the review itself or will the review be anonymous?

 

Is it granular? Meaning some reviews can have our names and some we could choose to be anonymous? 

 

This can be dangerous because in the name of privacy a business can be ruined with untruthful vias by competitors, by a disgruntled employee, or prankster and the business will have no recourse.

 

My philosophy is that if a business is not forthcoming, or a restaurant serves bad food consitently and I cannot in good conscience give them at least 3 stars rating, I simply do not write about them. 


Level 10

@kmajewski thank you for that update!

It is great that every Local Guide now has an opportunity to make his or her own choise whether to keep the contributions public or not! Personally I have never felt comfortable knowing that my colleagues and friends follow me on Maps.

cheers

Ksenia

Level 10

Privacy is a perfect, but should be a difference between real privacy, and hiding of person's public activities.

Before it was a door open for spammers, because nobody see what edits they do. Now we opened not a door, but a gate. 

 

It's will be a good way for spammers to hide activities.

 

Weekly we are (Maps TCs) sent one or two cheater's profiles to LG Team. So from now we unavailable to do it. Is it says "we win", - no more cheaters and prankers? No, from now we just can't catch them.

Level 8
Thanks. @kmajewski Awesome feature. Great guidance to all Lgs and also like me as a newcomer to Lgs family. Regards
Nityananda Mishra
Level 10

If you close something, there's must be a kind of alternative. For example:

10 time different people complaining about same person = temporary ban him automatically, user's profile goes for moderation, than unlock or permanent ban.

 

For now, users can do whatever they want, nobody cares, and moreover from now, all activities can be invisible.

Level 9

@kmajewski Thanks for sharing the information.
But still the profile status (with respective counts) remains visible to public when clicked on Profile Header section, wish to have ability to hide this as well. 

Level 9
"Great feature"
I am now in Chennai, India. I would like to add reviews and pictures of many places.
But I do not want my office colleague and friends to know I'm here Or I've never been here. For this reason, I refrain from adding reviews and pictures of many places. For many people who are suffering from this problem, this feature will work very well. Such a feature was very essential for privacy. thanks google team. 
Level 7

This is lovely.  It will help the local guides who are more introvertuc in terms of privacy and the feeling about the public.

Level 8

This protects our privacy. Thanks for this Google 

Level 8

Thank you so much for this tip. I just started two days ago. I wrote so many reviews that I had incidents that I have been Ddosed or sent spyware within my home. Luckily I was able to secure my system since, I graduated with CS degree at the age of 20. Plus I have friends whom works with the legal and justice department.

Level 8

This is for sure one of the best updates for some of us, me especially I was a bit uncomfortable with the fact that everyone was able to see all my contributions. I think little control is a good thing.

Level 8

It's really a wonderful feature... I personally like this option as I agree some privacy choice shall lie with the users....

Level 7
Nice Feature, Thanks for this update.