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Location history and sharing: Google, iPhone, Samsung and family apps

Last checked: 23 Oct 2026

Your phone can keep a diary of where you've been. On Android and in Google Maps on iPhone, that's Google Maps Timeline: it's off unless you turned it on, and Google says it's saved on each phone, with an optional encrypted (scrambled) backup on Google's servers. On iPhone, Apple keeps Significant Locations, which it says are encrypted so Apple can't read them, and synced across your Apple devices. Apple Maps can also keep a list of Visited Places. Further down: who can see where you are right now, including family location apps such as Life360, Google Family Link and Apple Family Sharing.

Google Maps Timeline

Google says that when Timeline is on, your phone's precise location "is regularly saved to your device", even when Google apps aren't open. Each phone signed in to your account keeps its own Timeline, so deleting on one phone doesn't delete on the others. Backups are switched on phone by phone and deleted separately. Timeline isn't available in Google Maps on a computer.

Turn off or delete Timeline

Turn Timeline off

Your phone stops saving where it goes. "Turn off" keeps what's already saved; "Turn off and delete activity" also deletes it.

The same steps on Android and iPhone. Google's US-English help pages call the menu "Location & privacy settings"; which wording your phone shows may depend on its language.

Delete all Timeline data

Deletes everything on this phone. Google's US and iPhone help pages say deleted Timeline data "can't be recovered".

Do this on each phone that has a Timeline, and delete any backups separately (below).

Delete a range of dates, a day or one visit

Deletes the dates you choose. For a single day: Your Timeline → Today → pick the day → More → Delete day. For one visit: tap More next to it → Remove.

Auto-delete

Deletes Timeline data older than 3, 18 or 36 months, automatically.

On iPhone Google's help calls it "Auto-delete Timeline data". Google says backups only work with auto-delete off.

Delete the backup of one phone

Turns off and deletes the encrypted copy of that phone's Timeline on Google's servers.

Google says this "does not delete the Timeline data saved on any of your devices".

Delete the backups of all your phones

Turns off and deletes every Timeline backup on your account in one go.

The account-wide switch (any browser)

Turns Timeline on or off for your whole account. Google says turning it off doesn't delete what's already saved; delete that in the Maps app.

In the Google app on iPhone: account photo → Manage your Google Account → Data & privacy → History settings → Timeline.

Delete on every phone that has a Timeline, then delete any backups. Google says factory resetting a phone also removes its Timeline, as does clearing Google Play services data (an Android system app) on Android, or deleting Google Maps on iPhone.

Android and iPhone: what's different

Location permission. On iPhone, Google says Timeline only works properly if Google Maps can use your location "Always" and Background App Refresh is on. On Android, Google's steps start by checking that the phone's location is on.
Labels. Google Maps Help says "Location and privacy settings" on both phones, but Google Account Help for iPhone says "Settings", "Delete Timeline Range" and "Automatically delete Timeline data". Your app may show either.
Copying your Timeline before deleting. On Android it's in the phone's Settings → Location → Location Services → Timeline → Export Timeline data (Google's Android steps; Samsung's menus may differ). On iPhone: Google Maps → your profile picture → Settings → Personal content → Export Timeline data.

Google also says visits to places it treats as particularly personal, such as clinics and shelters, are deleted from Timeline soon after it identifies them. Timeline stays off if Google's systems think you may be under 18.

Other places Google saves your location

Turning off Timeline doesn't cover everything. Google says other settings can still save your rough location with your activity, and photos may include location depending on your camera settings. Google is changing these settings for its Search services "gradually over the next few months", so you may see either name.

Search and activity settings

Search Services History

Covers Google Search, Maps, Shopping, Flights, Hotels, Translate and News. Google says it can include your general location.

Web & App Activity

Google says this activity may include your location "from your device's general area and IP address" (the address your internet connection uses).

More on this setting on our Google page.

See Google and YouTube ad settings for Web & App Activity and how it relates to ads.

iPhone: Significant Locations and Apple Maps

Apple says Significant Locations records places you've recently been, how often and when, and the routes you take. It says they're synced with end-to-end encryption, meaning only your devices can read them, not Apple.

iPhone location history

Clear Significant Locations

Apple says this clears your significant locations "everywhere you're signed in to the same Apple Account".

Turn off Significant Locations

Your devices stop learning the places and routes that matter to you. Apple says it uses them for things like Memories in Photos and predicted destinations.

Apple Maps: turn off Visited Places

Maps stops keeping a list of places you've been. Apple says the list shows on every device signed in to your Apple Account.

Apple Maps: clear or shorten Visited Places

Clear History removes the list. Keep Visits sets how long places are kept: 3 months, 1 year or Forever. To remove one place, tap the button next to it, then Remove.

Apple's guide doesn't say which iOS version added Visited Places.

Which apps can use your location

Tap an app to change how often it can use your location, or set it to Never. Turning off Precise Location gives the app only your rough area.

System Services on the same screen has switches for Apple's own location features.

Apple says apps and websites may still estimate your location from your internet address, and that your location may be used for emergency calls whatever your settings. For Apple's ad settings, see iPhone ad and tracking settings.

Android and Samsung phones

We couldn't find a Samsung UK or US support page describing a separate Samsung location history. Galaxy phones run Google's Android, so Google Maps Timeline (above) applies if you turned it on. We didn't confirm where Samsung's own menus show it. Samsung's pages cover the phone's location switch and app permissions:

Phone location settings

Android: location on or off

With it off, Google says your phone's location "isn't shared with any apps". You can still get results and ads based on your internet address, and Google says your location can still be sent automatically to emergency responders.

Google's steps are for Android 12 and later and may differ on Samsung and other makers' phones.

Samsung Galaxy (US page): location on or off

Turns location on or off for the phone.

Samsung says menu names "may vary depending on the model and software version". The page isn't dated.

Samsung Galaxy (US page): each app's location

Choose Allow all the time, Allow only while using the app, Ask every time, or Don't allow.

Samsung Galaxy (UK page): each app's location

The same choice, one app at a time.

Samsung UK's page was updated in November 2022 and is written for Android 10, so newer phones may differ.

For ad settings, see Android ad settings and Samsung phone ad settings.

Location history is what's saved. Location sharing is people seeing where you are now. Check both. Family location apps (Life360, Google Family Link and Apple Family Sharing) are below. If your phone warns that someone else's tracker is moving with you, see unknown tracker alerts.

Family location apps: Life360

Family location apps show your live location to a group, and some keep a history of where you've been and how you drive. Life360 shares your location with everyone in each "Circle" you join. Life360 says your location stops updating if you log out or turn off the app's location permission on your phone.

What Life360 keeps

Location and drive history: Life360 says members can see 2 days of history on the free plan, 7 days on Silver and 30 days on Gold or Platinum.
It stays with your account: history belongs to your account, not a Circle. If you join a new Circle, its members may see history from your time in other Circles.
Pausing doesn't delete: turning off Location Sharing stops new updates but keeps what's already collected.
No delete button: Life360 says there's currently no way to delete your location history or driving events, except by deleting your whole account.

Data sharing and driving

Turn off data sharing

Turns off Life360's data sharing. Life360 says this also covers "Traffic and retail insights".

Life360's privacy policy calls these settings "Your Privacy Choices" in the "Privacy" or "Privacy & Security" section, so your app may show slightly different names.

Traffic and retail insights

A separate switch for Traffic and retail insights. Life360's privacy policy says you can opt out of it in the Privacy section of the app's settings.

Drive Detection (the Arity connection)

Life360 says its driving features are run with a partner called Arity, so turning off this connection turns off Drive Detection, Crash Alerts, driving reports and drive history.

Life360 says it only shares your driving data for personalised car insurance quotes if you agree to that separately. For one drive, you can mark yourself as a passenger (Location tab → the member → the drive → car icon), but Life360 says the drive still counts in weekly driver reports.

Life360's privacy policy says it shares some information, including precise location and movement data, with selected business partners for their own use, but not your name, email or phone number. Its help pages say location data may be shared with partners for crash detection, research, analytics and tailored advertising. The privacy policy points to Your Privacy Choices in the app for these choices.

Delete your data

Delete your Life360 account

Life360 emails you a link to confirm. It says deleting your account "will permanently delete all history and driving events" and can't be undone.

The same option is under Settings → Privacy Center → Your Privacy Choices → Your Data Rights → Delete my account. Deleting your account, deleting the app or leaving a Circle doesn't cancel a paid membership; cancel that separately.

Get a copy of your data

Asks Life360 for the personal information it holds about you.

You can also email privacy@life360.com.

Your Life360 rights

UK and EU: the privacy policy says you can ask Life360 for a copy of your data, to correct or delete it, and to object to or restrict some uses, and withdraw consent where it relies on it. Use the in-app options above or email privacy@life360.com. If you're not happy with the answer, you can complain to the Information Commission (ICO) in the UK, or your country's data protection authority in the EU. Life360's help page says that to use your rights under data protection law or completely opt out of Arity's processing, you can send a request to its support team.
US: the policy lists 19 states, including California, Texas and Virginia, whose residents can opt out of "sales", "sharing" and targeted advertising, "including precise geolocation data". In the app, that's the Your Privacy Choices switches above. On Life360's websites, use the "Your Privacy Choices" link at the bottom of the page; Life360 says this choice is saved in that browser only, and that it honours Global Privacy Control, a browser setting that asks sites not to sell or share your data. You can also ask to see, correct or delete your data, and appeal a refusal to privacy@life360.com.

Google Family Link

Parents use Family Link to see where a child's Android phone, or a compatible Fitbit, is. Location sharing has to be set up first (Family Link app → Location → Set up location).

Family Link location

Stop seeing your child's location

Turns off finding your child's Android phone or compatible Fitbit in Family Link. Turn it on the same way.

Google says location only shows if the device is on, online and used recently. Family places (Location → Family places) send Arrives and Leaves notifications.

Apple says the family organiser turns on location sharing for the group, which shares the organiser's location automatically with everyone, including people who join the group later. Each other member then chooses whether to share theirs. When Automatically Share Location is on for a child, only parents and guardians in the group can see the child. Apple says children and teens with Screen Time turned on may not be able to change their own location sharing.

If you stop sharing, Apple says family members can still see whether your device is online, play a sound on it, put it in Lost Mode or erase it if it's missing. Apple's Personal Safety Guide covers checking who can see your location. To stop sharing with one person outside your family, or with everyone at once, see Stop sharing your location above.

Sources

This page describes your options and how organisations say they handle requests. It isn't legal advice. See About & sourcing, or report a correction.