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Google timeline/location services

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  Google timeline/location services The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2024-10-13 11:56 -0700
    Re: Google timeline/location services Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2024-10-13 21:37 +0100
      Re: Google timeline/location services The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> - 2024-10-13 16:34 -0700
    Re: Google timeline/location services Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> - 2024-10-13 13:52 -0700
      Re: Google timeline/location services Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2024-10-13 22:11 +0100
        Re: Google timeline/location services VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2024-10-13 19:02 -0500
          Re: Google timeline/location services Charlie <charlie@nospam.com> - 2024-10-13 20:39 -0600
            Re: Google timeline/location services VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2024-10-13 22:24 -0500
    Re: Google timeline/location services VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2024-10-13 18:35 -0500
    Re: Google timeline/location services Chris in Makati <mail@nospam.com> - 2024-10-14 11:11 +0100

#143672 — Google timeline/location services

Apparently our history will no longer be available after December 8 
unless we do SOMETHING.  The concept as well as the solution are 
glaringly unclear.

Supposedly unless I do SOMETHING I will (a) have no location 
timeline/services/history;  (b) have no timeline/location 
services/history on my computer;  (c) have no location 
timeline/services/history on any of my devices except <something>; (d) 
all of the above;  (e) none of the above.

The instructions given were in no way applicable to my computer and I 
can't find the email warning now.

I chose to backup the location history on my phone to <whatever>. It 
seemed to be the only option.  Is that what they wanted?

-- 
Cheers, Bev
     Will give investment advice for food.

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#143675

The Real Bev wrote:

> Apparently our history will no longer be available after December 8 
> unless we do SOMETHING.  The concept as well as the solution are 
> glaringly unclear.

Ditto, when I tried to follow the instructions what I was seeing, didn't 
match what they said,I  couldn't figure out if I had tried too soon, or 
the instructions only applied to one side of the Atlantic.

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#143679

On 10/13/24 1:37 PM, Andy Burns wrote:
> The Real Bev wrote:
> 
>> Apparently our history will no longer be available after December 8 
>> unless we do SOMETHING.  The concept as well as the solution are 
>> glaringly unclear.
> 
> Ditto, when I tried to follow the instructions what I was seeing, didn't
> match what they said,I  couldn't figure out if I had tried too soon, or
> the instructions only applied to one side of the Atlantic.

No clearer here in The Colonies.  Google goes EVERYTHING half-assed. 
Something nice, but crippled.  Their help is abysmal. Thoughts and 
prayers are about as useful.

-- 
Cheers, Bev
   Segal's Law:  A man with one watch knows the time.
                 A man with two is never sure.

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#143676

On Sun, 13 Oct 2024 11:56:31 -0700, The Real Bev wrote:
> Apparently our history will no longer be available after December 8 
> unless we do SOMETHING.  The concept as well as the solution are 
> glaringly unclear.
> 
...
> 
> The instructions given were in no way applicable to my computer and I 
> can't find the email warning now.

Are you sure the email was actually from Google? I haven't received 
one, and I have a Google account to which my Android phone is logged 
in.

-- 
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA         https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

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#143677

Stan Brown wrote:

> Are you sure the email was actually from Google?

Yes ...

<https://support.google.com/maps/community-guide/276228911/changes-underway-for-google-maps-timeline?hl=en>

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#143683

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:

> Stan Brown wrote:
> 
>> Are you sure the email was actually from Google?
> 
> Yes ...
> 
> <https://support.google.com/maps/community-guide/276228911/changes-underway-for-google-maps-timeline?hl=en>

Ah, thanks for that.  As I recall, I saw something about this.  Instead
of Google keeping the timeline data on their servers, and having their
app on your phone sync to it, the location history will get stored only
on your phone.

"with timeline, your visits and routes are automatically saved to a map
on each of your devices."

"timeline is changing and will now be created on your device. as part of
this: to avoid losing your visits and routes, you’ll need to choose
settings for your data by 15 september 2024."

Unless you download the json files for your existing location history.
The Takeout web site is only about downloading your history.  You choose
which categories of data to download.  Up to you to figure out how to
use it after download.  Looks like you lose your existing location
history that is sync'ed up to the server, and why they offer a means to
retrieve it before it's gone.

The instructions say to update the Google Maps app.  According to the
app page, it is currently at 11.149.0101 (and requires Android 8.0, and
up, so I just squeak by with my old Android 8.0.0 phone).  That is the
version of the Maps app currently on my phone.  I just ran the Play
Store a couple days ago to update all candidate apps (it used to update
automatically, but I've had to check and manual start the updates myself
for many months now).

The above article says to follow the instructions in their e-mail, but I
never got it.  Looks like this is a rollout, so I might get it later.
Whatever those instructions say, I'm supposed to do something in the
settings of their Maps app.  With the version that I have, I went into
its settings, and there is a Timeline category.  When I went there,
instead of showing me entries, I got a screen showing "Rediscover,
Remember, and Refect)", and a button saying "Continue".  Never saw that
before, so looks like the updated Maps app is getting ready to locally
store my location history.  Then I got the normal screen showing entries
by date, and locations within a selected date.

Now it looks like Maps will locally save location history instead of
synchronizing it to their server.  However, I have to wonder how other
phones connecting to the same Google account will get location history
from other phones connecting to that same Google account.  Almost seems
location history will be saved only on a single phone.  If you have
multiple phones, their location histories will not be shared.

I've never much used the timeline feature.  I've looked at it, and it
can be helpful, but it draws straight lines between stop points along a
route instead of showing the progress along a route.  Pretty much it
looks usable to see where you stopped, not how you got there.  I've been
using an app from Talented Apps called ParKing (but its author abandoned
it back in 2021).  Unlike Google Maps that tries to determine where you
stopped based on changes in speed measured by GPS, ParKing does similar
but can be configured to mark stop spots by Bluetooth disconnect.  I
have an old car with no integral Bluetooth, but I use an FM/Blueooth
adapter in a cigarette lighter port.  The phone connects to the adapter
using Bluetooth while the adapter connects via FM to my car radio.  This
lets me hear driving instructions from Google Maps.  When I turn off my
car, the cigarette light loses power, so the adapter loses power, so the
Bluetooth connection is broken between adapter to my phone.  This
triggers the ParKing app to register a stop point.  The app has other
detection methods, but the Bluetooth break on a stop and Bluetooth
connect on a start is the most reliable.  The app also keeps a history
of my routes in a day.  So, while Google Maps may now have a local-only
location history, I've rarely looked at it.  It doesn't really help me
to find where is my car in the parking lot, especially at those huge
parking lots at theme parks.  The ParKing apps works for me finding my
car; however, when in a huge parking lot, I find taking pics of the
signs, like which section I'm in, or which level of a ramp, to be
helpful to also find my car.

Google's instructions seem mostly geared to you saving your old location
history before it's gone from their server.  Thereafter, going into the
Timeline feature of their Maps app has it saving it locally on just that
one phone.  I've never needed to sync my travels across phones (I only
have one phone for several years now), so no loss to me, but I'm sure
folks with 2, or more, phones might've liked having their travels
available on all their phones.

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#143684

Sometimes, a message from Google isn't from Google though.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2024/10/13/new-gmail-security-alert-for-billions-as-7-day-ai-hack-confirmed/

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#143685

Charlie <charlie@nospam.com> wrote:

> Sometimes, a message from Google isn't from Google though.
> https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2024/10/13/new-gmail-security-alert-for-billions-as-7-day-ai-hack-confirmed/

As I mentioned in my earlier reply direct to Bev.

However, Andy gave a URL to a Google web page describing the change.  I
wouldn't go by anything in an e-mail even after going through the
tracking headers, especially since the change is automatic with an
update of the Google Maps app.

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#143681

The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:

> Apparently our history will no longer be available after December 8 
> unless we do SOMETHING.  The concept as well as the solution are 
> glaringly unclear.
> 
> Supposedly unless I do SOMETHING I will (a) have no location 
> timeline/services/history;  (b) have no timeline/location 
> services/history on my computer;  (c) have no location 
> timeline/services/history on any of my devices except <something>; (d) 
> all of the above;  (e) none of the above.
> 
> The instructions given were in no way applicable to my computer and I 
> can't find the email warning now.
> 
> I chose to backup the location history on my phone to <whatever>. It 
> seemed to be the only option.  Is that what they wanted?

I have timeline enabled in my Google account, and my smartphone is
registered at Google (so I can login to look at Android apps at
play.google.com to verify the app's manifest says my phone is
compatible).  

I have not yet received an e-mail like you described.  You sure it came
from Google?  Need to inspect the headers, especially the Received
headers, to see from where the e-mail originated.  The Received header
should chain together with the first at the bottom and the latest at the
top.  The 'by' clause of a later Received header should match on the
'from' clause of a prior Received header.  Spammers/scammers will
attempt to insert their own bogus Received header, but those will be at
the bottom (firstmost), and not chain to whomever they actually used to
send their turd.  The Received header is one of several trace headers
added to emails, and it's the mail servers that add it, not clients.

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#143688

On Sun, 13 Oct 2024 11:56:31 -0700, The Real Bev
<bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:

>Apparently our history will no longer be available after December 8 
>unless we do SOMETHING.  The concept as well as the solution are 
>glaringly unclear.
>
>Supposedly unless I do SOMETHING I will (a) have no location 
>timeline/services/history;  (b) have no timeline/location 
>services/history on my computer;  (c) have no location 
>timeline/services/history on any of my devices except <something>; (d) 
>all of the above;  (e) none of the above.
>
>The instructions given were in no way applicable to my computer and I 
>can't find the email warning now.
>
>I chose to backup the location history on my phone to <whatever>. It 
>seemed to be the only option.  Is that what they wanted?

This is how I understand it.

From April 6 2025 your timeline will no longer be continually stored
on Google's servers.

After that date. your timeline will only be stored on the device
you're using.

You can backup your timeline to your Google online account at any time
so that if you lose or change your device you can restore it to the
new one without losing the data.

For me, this is a major degradation in the usefulness of Google
timeline as I can no longer access my location history from any
device.

Chris

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