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Google used to (still does?) disable many features of Maps if location history was disabled. I kept it off, but could easily see many people felt forced to give

Google used to (still does?) disable many features of Maps if location history was disabled. I kept it off, but could easily see many people felt forced to give up on their privacy for the convenience.

gruez 2y ago
Source? I remember them disabling search history if you didn't sign in, but not any other critical features. Moreover as I mentioned in my previous comment, only a third has this feature enabled, so whatever feature google is withholding must not be that important to most people.
- 0cf8612b2e1e 2y ago
  Search history is a pretty nice feature to lose unless you volunteer to share your information. I had multiple addresses I had to store elsewhere because Maps would purposely forget them.
  - gruez 2y ago
    >Search history is a pretty nice feature to lose unless you volunteer to share your information I didn't say that you had share location history to get search history, only to sign in. Maybe there was some point in the past where sharing location history was tied to having search history, but I don't remember it, and it's certainly not the case today. If you think that's the case you'll have to provide some third party corroboration.
  - refulgentis 2y ago
    I'm confused, there's 3 separate things being talked about in this thread. You do not have to share your location to store search history. Maps should not store addresses you search for without you signing in.
- jkhanlar 2y ago
  > "so whatever feature google is withholding must not be that important to most people." correction: to most institutional investors that take precedent over the end user people
modeless 2y ago
This is false. The "Location History" setting that the article is talking about is a different feature entirely from the "Web and App Activity" setting that you are referencing. "Location History" has never been required for any Google Maps features other than (obviously) Timeline, AFAIK.
- rjh29 2y ago
  I have it disabled and at the very least I have to type my location in every time on desktop because it doesn't track frequently visited places locally

gruez 2y ago

Source? I remember them disabling search history if you didn't sign in, but not any other critical features. Moreover as I mentioned in my previous comment, only a third has this feature enabled, so whatever feature google is withholding must not be that important to most people.

0cf8612b2e1e 2y ago
Search history is a pretty nice feature to lose unless you volunteer to share your information. I had multiple addresses I had to store elsewhere because Maps would purposely forget them.
- gruez 2y ago
  >Search history is a pretty nice feature to lose unless you volunteer to share your information I didn't say that you had share location history to get search history, only to sign in. Maybe there was some point in the past where sharing location history was tied to having search history, but I don't remember it, and it's certainly not the case today. If you think that's the case you'll have to provide some third party corroboration.
- refulgentis 2y ago
  I'm confused, there's 3 separate things being talked about in this thread. You do not have to share your location to store search history. Maps should not store addresses you search for without you signing in.
jkhanlar 2y ago
> "so whatever feature google is withholding must not be that important to most people." correction: to most institutional investors that take precedent over the end user people

modeless 2y ago

This is false. The "Location History" setting that the article is talking about is a different feature entirely from the "Web and App Activity" setting that you are referencing. "Location History" has never been required for any Google Maps features other than (obviously) Timeline, AFAIK.

rjh29 2y ago
I have it disabled and at the very least I have to type my location in every time on desktop because it doesn't track frequently visited places locally