Google announced the Incognito Mode for Google Maps at I/O, back in May, but since then it’s been, well, incognito. Now the feature, which will stop the app saving your every move to your Google account, is finally being beta tested, suggesting a full rollout might not be too far away.
Much like the Incognito Mode for the Chrome browser, enabling the feature will hide your searches, destinations and progress towards them from your Location History.
Once it becomes available to the wider community of Google Maps travellers, it’ll be pretty easy to enable, judging by the GIF sent to Droid-Life by an anonymous tipster (below).
All users will need to do – if the feature remains the same following the beta testing – is tap their profile picture in the search bar and select “Turn on Incognito Mode.”
Considering Google really, really loves that location data, it’s noteworthy the feature is so easily accessible. That’s probably due to the criticism Google has taken over the way the Maps app collates all of that location data, if you aren’t very vigilant.
Last August, the company was pilloried following an Associated Press report, which revealed services like Google Maps were still noting the user’s every move even if they turned off the Location History setting. The only difference turning off that setting made was users locations didn’t appear on the public Timeline setting, but the data itself was still being swept and stored by Google.
In response the company began rolling out a feature that enabled users to automatically delete their location history every three- or 18-months, earlier this year.
Auto-delete controls for Location History start rolling out today on Android and iOS, making it even easier for you to manage your data → https://t.co/dX1uoqcR8O pic.twitter.com/Oc3fk66QNm
— Google (@Google) June 26, 2019
At the time, the company said: “You should always be able to manage your data in a way that works best for you–and we’re committed to giving you the best controls to make that happen.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
