I love using my timeline and I’ve used it for years. Suddenly starting Aug 12, it stopped working.
I only records my “Home” which is a private saved location. When I go out and visit several places, it only shows it as walking or driving. I lets me add a location/business during that span of time. But when I save it, it still shows it as walking or driving.
On occasion, it asks if I’m at “Home” and I click on “I am here”, it goes through the motion of acknowledging it but then it doesn’t update.
How do I get it to work again. Desperately want it to work.
My “Locating method” is high accuracy. Even it is wasn’t, I can manually add locations while I’m actually there or add it whenever is says I’m walking or driving via “Add a Place”. After Aug 12, it goes through the motion, appears that it works, must I don’t see the place added. I think it is inside Google’s database but just not showing it.
How do I clear the app cache? I googled it and it says it should be inside Google Map’s settings but it isn’t there.
Though the description is somewhat disjointed, I understand the blue dot moves while you are in motion.
You also mentioned a desktop. However, most of the desktops do not have the required sensors needed for location tracking.
There are some further possibilities.
=> If you have multiple accounts on the phone and then switch to something else inadvertently, the location history will not be there for your preferred profile.
=> If your profile is active on multiple devices and all are in movement, that may confuse the tracker program.
=> The GPS tracker or compass may have developed some glitch. You can check that using the specific hash codes applicable for the make of your device.
=> Authorities in some region do not permit location tracking.
My finding is, some features in Maps remain locked based upon the region registered in the Play store, or while in that zone.
Nevertheless, your locale doesn’t appear to be doing so.
But, the location tracking service remains active for everyone having a Google account. That never switches off unless a user desires to do so. Thus, in my opinion, this can not be a server-side problem.
For the past 3 years, I’ve only used one cell phone and my timeline and location tracking has worked. The blue dot moves correctly most of the time. What I’m saying is that when I stop at a location/place for a while, Maps usually records that I am at the place. If it doesn’t I can manually add the place and possibly edit the start and end time I was there. Then it shows up on my timeline. What I’m saying is the last part “it shows up on my timeline” is not working since Aug 12. It has worked for many years.
Why I mentioned about my desktop (which remains at home) is that I can also go home and for missing places, I can manually add them to the timeline with start and end times. I’ve done this for years. But starting Aug 12, this doesn’t work either. This is why I’m saying this has nothing to do with my cell phone since the adding of places onto my timeline from a desktop doesn’t work either.
I’m in Canada so there are no regulations against tracking my location. As I said, I’ve been doing this for years with the same cell phone. I’ve been tracking my location since 2005 but with older cell phones. Location tracking and my timeline has been working since 2005 until Aug 12, 2020. Location tracking is working but my places are not showing up on my timeline.
Here are some screenshots. I blocked out any personal info.
The first shows Aug 12. It knows about my Home. Notice the first one has a checkmark because I usually make sure I verify that I was there. I could not verify “Home” at the end of the day. In the 1h33m, I visited 2 places. When I click to add places during my “Walking”, it knows the time ranges of the places I visited so it is in the database somewhere.
The second shows Aug 15. There are 2 screenshots because I visited many places.
In the first “missing activity”, I was driving. I couldn’t update it.
In the 2nd “missing activity”, I visited 2 places.
I don’t know why it recorded and showed “SOOT” which is correct.
Here there are 3 places I visited.which are correct. However, when I clicked “YES”, it would temporarily acknowledge it and then go back to the same “WERE YOU HERE?”.
Thanks for sharing further information and adding screenshots.
Nevertheless, your phone is recording the movements and then adding some places correctly.
Now the problem resolves in two parts
a) Inaccuracy in location tracking
I suggest you once again verify the location accuracy setting. When the GPS satellites aren’t visible, the phone decides the location through other services and if we deny that permission, then the recording may not happen.
Still, these other sources aren’t precise. I find that while at home, the blue dot hovers within two km radius. That depends upon the relative strength of the signal from the mobile towers.
b) The app not acknowledging and updating edits in the timeline.
On a few occasions, I observed that after an update the app goes into a loop and fails to go back. However, when I select the refresh option by clicking the three dots, I find the edit to be in place. I suggest you try that.
I would really like to get (b) working. I’ve used “YES” and “I AM HERE” and “EDIT” for years. It stopped working Aug 12. As I said, I’m trying to do the same edits via the website on my desktop and I get the same results: where my change appears for about 1 sec and then goes back.
I tried the refresh option via the three dots but that but it didn’t make a difference.
Is there someone at Google Maps technical team who can help me?
I checked “Play Store” (I use Android) and the last update was Jul 28 so it doesn’t explain why I had problems starting Aug 12.
When I look at the map of where I travelled, the map is correct, showing the routes I took.
Understand your concern regarding the loss of a useful feature @Chuan_Chee
.
To have the Google Engineers look into the difficulty, please tag any one of the Google moderators.
Also, do not overlook to include the following relevant information.
Make & model of devices you use.
The OS and app version, or browser version on these devices,
Further, in one such similar incidence earlier, it was a revelation that some background apps or services (VPN, AV, Browser add-ins, Clean up apps, Ad-Blockers, DNS filtering, and so on) do interfere with the communication. It would be ideal if you can provide details of that also. That will expedite the root cause analysis.
I love using my timeline and I’ve used it for years. Suddenly starting Aug 12, it stopped working.
I only records my “Home” which is a private saved location. When I go out and visit several places, it only shows it as walking or driving. I lets me add a location/business during that span of time. But when I save it, it still shows it as walking or driving.
On occasion, it asks if I’m at “Home” and I click on “I am here”, it goes through the motion of acknowledging it but then it doesn’t update.
How do I get it to work again. Desperately want it to work.
Please note, this happens on my Android phone, Windows 10 desktop, Windows 7 desktop so it has nothing to do with what platform I’m using. If I look at a map of where I went that day, the map along with the route I took was working.
Here are some screenshots. I blocked out any personal info.
The first shows Aug 12. It knows about my Home. Notice the first one has a checkmark because I usually make sure I verify that I was there. I could not verify “Home” at the end of the day. In the 1h33m, I visited 2 places. When I click to add places during my “Walking”, it knows the time ranges of the places I visited so it is in the database somewhere.
The second shows Aug 15. There are 2 screenshots because I visited many places.
In the first “missing activity”, I was driving. I couldn’t update it.
In the 2nd “missing activity”, I visited 2 places.
I don’t know why it recorded and showed “SOOT” which is correct.
Continuing with the same day, here there are 3 places I visited.which are correct. However, when I clicked “YES”, it would temporarily acknowledge it and then go back to the same “WERE YOU HERE?”.
I am sorry that the Location History function does not work properly for you recently.
What you are reporting usually happens due to poor internet connection. Please check the instructions given in this discussion on the Google Maps community help.
If the steps provided there don’t solve your difficulty feel free to post on the Google Maps forum where the specialist would love to help you.
By the way, I will merge this post with your other one because they represent the same question.
When I use my Windows 10 and Windows 7 desktops, they are connected to a high speed router via a direct Ethernet connection. I have 1-gig download speed. Therefore, the internet connection is not part of the problem. If I can’t get my timeline to work on a desktop, it cannot work on my cell phone either.
Thanks for merging the two conversations. I should have deleted the old conversation because it was too confusing. I posted a new one so that I’ve narrowed the issue.
Their problems started in July 2020. It might have been fixed for them by Google on Aug 14 or earlier. Unfortunately if it was fixed on Aug 12, then it worked for them but broke mine!
My timeline is working again on Aug 24! I made no changes and no one acknowledged my problem and said it would be fixed. The forum had other people with the identical problem but for the month of July 2020 and theirs was fixed around Aug 3. Perhaps this Google Maps bug is hit different people at different times.
For all my missing places, I had to manually add them in but Maps filled in the correct start and end times so it definitely had it in its database.
I’m having the exact same problem as Mr @Chuan_Chee
Nevertheless, it still hasn’t been resolved for me. I’ve tried every step I had to take here above but nothing happens. It’s frustrating as I loved to place my photos on Google maps, now I have to select every place manually and therefore I lose a lot of time and accuracy.
