In 2023, Google announced that it would be retiring the web version of Google Maps Timeline. The company cited privacy reasons, although some have speculated that this is because law enforcement agencies keep asking for it. By moving your Timeline data to your phone , Google can say they don’t have access to it. That being said, it hasn’t been an easy migration with users reporting that backing up Google Maps Timeline is giving users an error.
Google Maps Timeline backup error
We were sent this tip by one of our readers. According to them, “For over a year, the Google Maps Timeline backup has not been functioning properly for numerous users. While the backup feature can be toggled on, it remains inactive or results in error messages. A particularly problematic aspect is that after changing the Google account password, neither a new backup can be created, nor can an existing backup be imported or restored. Switching devices or resetting the smartphone does not resolve the issue.”
This seems to echo what several posts on Google’s support forums are saying . When users try to access their Timeline backups on Google Maps on their phones, they get an error saying, “Can’t show your backups.” One potential workaround involves using another account that is also logged into Google Maps.
While this seems to work, some users don’t believe it is a viable long term solution. Plus, some users want to be able to fully restore or consolidate their Timelines. This workaround pretty much prevents that. To date, Google has yet to officially respond to these complaints. There have been other Google users who have tried to help , but that’s about it.
What is Timeline, and why does it matter?
For those who use Google Maps purely as a navigational tool, you may or may not be aware of the Timeline feature. In case you’re not, Timeline is a Google Map feature that lets you see where you’ve been and when. This means that for some users, it’s a nice trip down memory lane.
Obviously you can always refer to photos, but it’s often nice to see it drawn out on a map. Users losing access to their Timeline backup data is personal and possibly even emotional. It could contain information like a trip they took with a loved one who passed away. Some might also use it for professional reasons, such as expense reporting when they try to claim travel expenses from their company.
That being said, it does highlight the potential danger of keeping things in the cloud. While you might assume you can access it all the time, these issues serve as a reminder that maybe storing it offline might be a good ide as well.
