Google Maps gets an Incognito Mode, but it can't hide your location from everyone
Incognito Mode for Google Maps is now rolling out around the world, just two weeks after Google began closed beta testing. The new option will arrive on Android handsets over the next few weeks, but Google has yet to announce a date for iOS devices.
Activating the new option means that your location history won't be linked with your profile, stored on your device, or used to "personalize your Maps experience". So no requests to rate the cafe where you're having breakfast, for example, or worries that your significant other will see where you actually were last night.
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To activate Incognito Mode for Google Maps, simply tap your profile picture and select the option. If you can't see it yet, you might have to wait a few more days before you can hide yourself away.
Cover your tracks
However, just because Google Maps isn't storing your whereabouts (the company told The Register that it wouldn't be able to turn location data from a device over to law enforcement if Incognito Mode was active), that doesn't mean nobody can tell where you've been. Fitness tracking apps, for example, often use GPS to track runs and cycle rides, and your camera app might use location data to geotag photos.
Many other apps also request access to your location, and can use it to 'personalize your experience' or sell you targeted ads. To find out which apps on your Android phone have access to location data, open the Settings menu and select Apps, then tap the menu button and select App Permissions > Location.
Here you can approve or deny location access to any app, though bear in mind that denying it might stop an app working properly.
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