Google stores a shadow history of your location data, even when you’ve paused Location History. When you visit a new place, Google adds it to a private list that can be used to help you fill out forms, make recommendations, and improve results from Google search and maps. The thing is, Google doesn’t make it clear to users that this data is being collected. And while you can turn off Location History, there’s no way to delete the data that’s already been collected from your account.
**How did we find out?**
Last month, Google engineer Justin Schuh noticed that Google was collecting location data even when he had paused Location History. He then wrote a blog post about it and shared a link to a tool that allows users to check if Google is collecting location data from their accounts.
**What can you do about it?**
If you’re concerned about Google collecting your location data, you can turn off Location History. However, this will only prevent Google from collecting new data. It will not delete the data that’s already been collected from your account.
To turn off Location History, open the Google Maps app on your phone. Tap the menu button in the top-left corner, then tap .
