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Yikes! The Google tracking feature you didn’t know you switched on
This is scary. You know that almost all of us allow our smartphones to keep track of our every move.
It’s the price we pay for having easy access to GPS, right? How could we live in the 21st century without our smartphone using our location to recommend restaurants, showing us the hours at Costco and pinpointing our doctor on a map?
There is a downside to our openness that is downright shocking. Sure, if you activate the location tracking on your smartphone, you realize you’re giving up some of your privacy.
But you will not believe how frequently that Google and other tech companies track your whereabouts. It’s each second of the day.
Don’t panic! Keep reading for easy ways to turn off location tracking and, more importantly, your location history.
Your Timeline on Google Maps tracks and stores your location on a map throughout the day. Did you drive to your psychiatrist’s office? Did you take a walk to a girlfriend’s house? Google knows, and shows your location history on a map and saves it.
Scary, right? Here’s how you can see where you’ve been: Open Google Maps >> sign in to Google >> click on the menu on the upper-left side of your screen (three horizontal lines) >> Your Timeline.
This is incredible and creepy. Google will show you where you’ve been today, yesterday and up to years ago.
Worse, it shows your home address and work address. Of course, Google says it doesn’t share your location with anyone. But Google knows!
Here’s what you must do to stay safe:
1. Turn off Location
The steps you’ll use to turn it off on your Android smartphone will vary by its manufacturer. But it will most likely be something like this: Apps >> Settings >> Privacy & Safety >> tap on Location >> turn it off.
2. Turn off location history
On your smartphone, follow the instructions in No. 1 above, then: Tap on Google Location History >> turn it Off.
On your laptop: Go to Google Maps >> click on the Menu in the upper-left side of screen >> Your Timeline >> click on Pause Location History near the bottom of the screen.
Speaking of being tracked, delete this app now! The latest update lets it spy on users.
You will not believe which app is tracking your location. It’s a popular app that has no reason to know where you are. Keep reading for everything you must know.
Click here to learn more about this shocking invasion of your privacy!
Tags: Android, apps, Google, settings
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