To clear your Google Maps history on a phone, open the Google Maps app, tap your profile picture, then tap Your data in Maps and open your history (newer versions call it Search Services History). Tap Delete and choose Delete all time, or remove single items one by one. On a computer, open Google Maps, select Menu > Maps history, and use the same Delete options.
Keep in mind that Maps history (your searches and the places you looked at) is separate from Timeline, the log of places you actually went. Timeline is now stored on your phone, so you clear it from the Maps app on that device. This guide covers both, plus auto-delete and Incognito mode, on Android, iPhone, and computer.
Quick Answer
- Open the Google Maps app and tap your profile picture or initial.
- Tap Your data in Maps, then open your Maps or Search Services history.
- Tap Remove next to single items, or tap Delete and pick Delete today, Delete custom range, or Delete all time.
- To clear places you visited, tap your profile picture > Your Timeline and delete visits, days, or all Timeline data.
- Turn on auto-delete and use Incognito mode to keep less history in the future.
In This Guide
- Before you start: what counts as Maps history
- Clear Maps history on Android or iPhone
- Clear Maps history on a computer
- Delete history for one place
- Delete Timeline (places you visited)
- Turn on auto-delete
- Use Incognito mode
- Which option should you use?
- Troubleshooting
- Frequently Asked Questions
Before You Start: What Counts as Maps History
This guide covers the Google Maps app on Android and iPhone and Google Maps in a web browser, as of September 2026. You need to be signed in to the Google Account whose history you want to clear.
Google keeps a few different kinds of Maps data, and each is cleared in a different place:
| Data | What it is | Where you clear it |
|---|---|---|
| Maps history | Searches, directions, and places you looked at in Maps, saved to your Google Account | Your data in Maps (phone) or Menu > Maps history (computer) |
| Timeline | Places you visited and routes you traveled, if you turned Timeline on | The Maps app on each phone, under Your Timeline |
| Saved places and lists | Home, Work, starred places, and lists you created | The Saved tab in Maps |
| Contributions | Reviews, photos, and edits you posted | Contribute or Contributions in Maps |
Google is updating how it names this history. In current versions of the app, Maps history is part of Search Services History, which groups activity from Google services such as Search and Maps. Older versions and some accounts still show Maps history. The steps work the same way either way.
According to Google, deleting your Maps history doesn’t affect Timeline visits, other history such as related searches or website clicks, saved lists or labels, or reviews, photos, edits, and feedback reports you submitted. You’ll need to handle those separately if you want them gone. For saved places, our guide on finding saved places on Google Maps shows where they live.
How to Clear Google Maps History on Android or iPhone
The steps are the same in the Google Maps app on Android phones, iPhone, and iPad.
- Open Google Maps and make sure you’re signed in to the right account.
- Tap your profile picture or initial in the top-right corner.
- Tap Your data in Maps. Expected result: a page with your Maps data controls opens.
- Open your history. Tap Search Services History (or Maps history in some versions). Expected result: a list of your recent Maps activity, grouped by day.
- Remove single items. Tap Remove (or the X) next to any entry you want to delete.
- Or delete by date. Tap Delete on the right side and choose one of these:
- Delete today removes today’s activity.
- Delete custom range lets you pick start and end dates, then tap Next and Delete.
- Delete all time removes everything. Confirm with Delete.
Before you choose Delete all time: this can’t be undone. Maps will also stop suggesting recent searches, so places you search for often won’t appear first until you search for them again.
Google’s help page Manage your Maps history has the official steps for each device.
How to Clear Google Maps History on a Computer
- Open Google Maps in a web browser at google.com/maps and sign in.
- Select Menu (the three lines in the top-left corner).
- Select Maps history. Expected result: a page listing your Maps activity opens.
- Remove single items by selecting Remove next to each entry.
- Or delete a range. On the right, select Delete, then choose Delete custom range, pick your dates, select Next, and select Delete.
- Or delete everything. Select Delete > Delete all time and confirm.
Because this history is stored in your Google Account, deleting it on a computer also removes it from your phone, and the other way around.
Clearing Maps history doesn’t clear your browser’s own history. If you visited Google Maps in Chrome or another browser, the web addresses may still show in the browser’s history until you clear that too.
How to Delete History for One Place
If you only want to remove your history with a specific place, such as a doctor’s office or a store, you can do it from the place itself in the app.
- In the Google Maps app, search for the place and tap it.
- Scroll down to Your visits and Maps history.
- Tap Delete next to Recent Maps history. Expected result: your recent Maps activity for that place is removed.
If you dropped a pin at that spot, remove the pin separately. Our guide to deleting a dropped pin on Google Maps explains how.
How to Delete Google Maps Timeline (Places You Visited)
Timeline is the Maps feature that records places you went and routes you traveled. It’s off by default, so you only have Timeline data if you turned it on. Google now saves Timeline on each signed-in device instead of on its servers, and Timeline isn’t available in Maps on a computer. That means you clear it in the Maps app on the phone that recorded it. If you have more than one phone with Timeline on, repeat the steps on each.
Open your Timeline
- Open the Google Maps app.
- Tap your profile picture or initial, then tap Your Timeline. Expected result: your recorded visits and trips appear.
Delete one visit or one day
- One visit: next to the visit, tap More (three dots), then Remove.
- One day: tap the day, tap More, then Delete day.
Delete a range or all Timeline data
- From Your Timeline, open the Timeline settings (look for More or a settings option at the top of the screen; labels vary by app version).
- Under Location settings, tap Delete range of Timeline data to pick dates, or Delete all Timeline data to clear everything.
- Confirm the deletion.
Before you delete: Timeline deletions can’t be reversed. If you use Timeline backup, Maps also keeps an encrypted copy of your Timeline on Google’s servers so you can restore it on a new phone. If you want every copy gone, check the backup settings in Timeline and delete the backup as well.
Turn off Timeline
To stop recording new visits, go to the Timeline section of your Google Account’s activity controls, select Turn off, or Turn off and delete activity to also clear what’s saved. Google’s Manage your Google Maps Timeline page has the full steps.
How to Turn On Auto-Delete
Auto-delete removes old history for you on a schedule, so you don’t have to remember to clear it. Google lets you automatically delete activity older than 3 months, 18 months, or 36 months.
For Maps history
- On any device, go to myactivity.google.com and sign in.
- Open the controls for your Search services history. While Google finishes its settings update, this history may still be controlled by Web & App Activity, so look for whichever of the two your account shows.
- Find Auto-delete, choose 3, 18, or 36 months, and confirm. Expected result: older activity is deleted now, and newer activity is deleted as it ages past your choice.
Google’s page on deleting your activity explains the options and notes that settings pages are being updated, so labels may differ on your account.
For Timeline
In Timeline settings on your phone, you can choose to automatically delete Timeline data older than 3, 18, or 36 months, or keep it until you delete it.
How to Use Incognito Mode in Google Maps
If you want to look something up without adding it to your history, use Incognito mode in the app on Android or iPhone.
- Open Google Maps and tap your profile picture.
- Tap Turn on Incognito mode. Expected result: Maps shows that Incognito is on, usually with an Incognito icon where your profile picture was.
- To go back, tap that icon at the top right and select Turn off Incognito mode.
While Incognito is on, Maps doesn’t save your browsing or search history to your account, doesn’t update your Timeline, and doesn’t use that activity to personalize Maps. Some features, including Commute, Timeline, notifications, search history, offline maps, and contributions, aren’t available.
Incognito only affects Google Maps. According to Google, it doesn’t change how your internet provider, other apps, voice search, or other Google services handle your activity. On a computer, Maps doesn’t have its own Incognito switch; using your browser’s private window while signed out keeps activity out of your Google Account. See Google’s Use Google Maps in Incognito mode page.
Which Option Should You Use?
| Your goal | Best option |
|---|---|
| Remove one embarrassing search | Remove the single item from Maps history |
| Clear everything you’ve searched | Delete > Delete all time |
| Hide where you’ve been | Delete Timeline data on each phone, and its backup |
| Keep history from piling up | Auto-delete at 3 months |
| Plan a surprise or private trip | Incognito mode for that search |
| Hand your phone to someone else | Delete all time, delete Timeline, and sign out of Maps |
Related: How to See How Busy a Place Is on Google.
Troubleshooting
I don’t see Your data in Maps or Maps history
Update the Google Maps app, then check that you’re signed in. If you see Search Services History instead of Maps history, that’s the new name for the same data.
Deleted searches still show in the search box
The change can take a short time to sync. Close and reopen the app. Also check that you deleted history in the correct Google Account, since Maps can be signed in to several.
My Timeline came back after I deleted it
You may have restored it from a backup, or a second phone may still have Timeline on. Delete the backup and turn off or clear Timeline on every device signed in to your account.
I can’t find Timeline on my computer
Timeline is no longer available in Maps on a computer. Use the Maps app on your phone.
Places still appear under Saved
Saved places and lists aren’t part of Maps history. Remove them from the Saved tab.
I can’t find the auto-delete option
Google is moving Maps history into Search services settings, so the auto-delete control may sit under Search services history or under Web & App Activity, depending on your account. Open myactivity.google.com on a computer, where the controls are easiest to find, and check both.
I share a phone or tablet with someone else
If other people use the same device, make sure each person signs in to their own Google Account in Maps. History is saved to whichever account is signed in, so clearing yours won’t touch theirs, and theirs won’t show up in yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does clearing Maps history on my phone clear it on my computer?
Yes. Maps history is stored in your Google Account, so deleting it anywhere removes it everywhere you’re signed in. Timeline is the exception, because it’s stored on each phone.
Can I recover Maps history after deleting it?
No. Once deleted, Maps history can’t be restored.
Does deleting history remove my saved Home and Work addresses?
No. Saved places, lists, and labels stay until you remove them from the Saved tab.
Does Incognito mode hide my location?
No. It stops Maps from saving your activity to your account, but your phone, internet provider, and other apps can still see your location as usual.
How do I delete incident reports I made?
Tap your profile picture, then Settings > Location & privacy > Delete all incident reports, and confirm.
How often should I clear my Maps history?
That’s up to you. Auto-delete at 3 months is a good middle ground that keeps recent suggestions useful.
Does clearing Maps history also clear my Chrome history?
No. Your browser keeps its own history of the pages you visited, including Google Maps pages. Clear it in the browser’s settings if you want those entries gone too.
Summary
- On a phone, go to your profile picture > Your data in Maps > Search Services History (or Maps history).
- On a computer, go to Menu > Maps history.
- Remove single items, or use Delete for today, a custom range, or all time.
- Clear Timeline separately on each phone, plus any Timeline backup.
- Turn on auto-delete and use Incognito mode to keep less history going forward.
Next step: open Google Maps now, clear the history you don’t want, and set auto-delete to 3 months so it stays tidy.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.