Google accidentally deleted users’ data, but there’s no apology in sight

By Willow Roberts Published March 24, 2025

Google Maps users started complaining a couple of days ago that their Timeline data had disappeared — and last night, a Google spokesperson confirmed it had been deleted.

Speaking to The Verge, the spokesperson said it was a technical issue that caused the accidental deletion, but anyone who didn’t have backups turned on won’t be able to get their data back. This sucks for affected users since the Timeline feature is all about keeping track of where you’ve been over long periods of time.

Walkers and hikers use it to find new routes to try out, while others use it to pinpoint unexplored areas of their cities. If you’ve ever played The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it’s kind of like a real-life version of the Hero’s Path — a feature that shows you everywhere you’ve visited in Hyrule.

Needless to say, for people who like to travel and take advantage of Google Maps to find cool spots, losing years of Timeline data could be quite a blow. You might assume it would even be worth an apology, but judging by the spokesperson’s comment, Google doesn’t agree. The full published version simply reads:

We briefly experienced a technical issue that caused the deletion of Timeline data for some people. Nearly everyone with encrypted Timeline backups will be able to restore their data; unfortunately those who did not have backups enabled will not be able to recover lost data.

The lack of a “We apologize for any inconvenience caused.” comment is quite shocking to me. You can’t just delete users’ data and not apologize for the mistake.

If your Timeline data has disappeared and you do have backups turned on, you can get them back by clicking the cloud icon in the Your Timeline menu.