Google Maps for Android is getting quite the significant update today, bringing a handy new feature to the app that allows users to easily see their location history for any given day. The update which is rolling out now in the Google Play Store, will bring the app’s version number up to 9.12.
The biggest feature in version 9.12 is the addition of a Timeline view, which can be accessed from the slide-out navigation menu on the left side of the app. Your Timeline will show you every place you’ve traveled on any given day, along with the amount of time you spent at each place. Take a look at the middle screenshot above. On a particular day last week, I spent some time at work, then I traveled for 4 minutes to the coffee shop down the road, then traveled back to my work. This feature makes it easy for users to check out their location history on mobile, which is one feature Google Maps for Android has been missing since its launch.
To make things easier, the date is shown at the top of your Timeline. Clicking it will pull down a month view calendar, which is where you can select any day’s history.
Not only will you be able to check out location history through Timeline, you’ll also have the ability to add in names for custom places. As pointed out by Ars Technica’s Ron Amadeo, here’s how to add in a name for a custom place: tap on a location that you want to rename, and a place card should show up. Hit the overflow menu (three vertical dots), and click “edit name”. You can then enter in any name you’d like, then click “save”.
As long as you have location history turned on, Google Maps will show you every place you’ve visited in the past – along with a few other (possibly creepy) details. If you take pictures with your mobile device with location turned on, those will show up in your Timeline, too. We understand that this might creep some of you out, but there’s good news – you can easily delete your Timeline if you’d like.
We’re still rounding up all of the changes that come with the version 9.12 update, so we’ll update this post when we learn more. The new version is rolling out in the Play Store as we speak, so head on over to the link below.
