Google Now Rolling Out Auto-Delete Controls for Location History

Google in May announced a new privacy-focused auto-delete option for automatically removing Location History and Web & App Activity after a set period of time, and the feature is now rolling out to Google users.

Google users who have these options enabled can choose to delete their information manually, every three months, or every 18 months. Opting in to auto-delete will allow Google to regularly clear out stored data at either the three or 18 month mark.

Prior to the implementation of the new feature, Google allowed Location History and Web & App Activity to be disabled or manually deleted, but there were no controls for regular deletion, which may encourage more people to use functions like Location History.

Location History tracks the locations that you’ve visited, while Web & App Activity tracks websites you’ve visited and apps that you’ve used. Google uses this information for recommendations and cross device syncing.

Auto-delete options for Location History are rolling out around the world starting today on iOS and Android, with the rollout expected to take a few weeks. Auto-delete options for Web & App Activity will be coming later.