7/22/2015

New Google Maps feature shows you exactly where you’ve been

Google’s latest Maps feature shows you exactly where you’ve been. Whether you find this idea interesting or slightly creepy depends of course on your disposition, though the Web giant will be hoping you’ll see the offering as a useful (or simply fun) tool rather than something about which to be wary.

Called Your Timeline, the new feature lets you “revisit the world that you’ve explored,” as the company puts it. That’s right, with a simple swipe and tap you can access maps showing all the trips you’ve taken on any given day “to get a glimpse of the places where you spend your time.” The results even indicate if you walked, rode, went by car, or took a train, and how many minutes each portion of your journey took.your timeline

Currently for logged-in Android and desktop users, Google’s feature incorporates some neat little extras. For example, it syncs with the Web company’s recently launched photo service, so the Your Timeline maps that you pull up will also include images you snapped along your route. This could help you to resurface some of your memories, whether they link to an outing you made a very long time ago or one as recently as last weekend when you had one beer too many and have no idea how you made it home.