San Francisco: The US based search engine giant Google has started rolling out incognito mode for Google Maps to Android devices.
Incognito Mode is now rolling out for Google Maps on Android, letting you cover your footprints when travelling – to a certain extent.
The new mode was first announced four months ago at Google IO, and has only now started to land on phones around the world. As Android Police explains, activating the feature (which has been in testing for some time) means that your location history in the app won’t be linked to your profile.
You also won’t receive notifications from Google Maps, and your personal data won’t be used to personalize the app.
However, it won’t keep all traces of your location secret. Other apps (such as fitness trackers) may also be tracking your whereabouts using GPS, and the new option for Google Maps will have no effect on them.
It’s a staged rollout, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see the new feature immediately, even if you’re on the latest version of maps. It’s rolling out in batches, beginning with Android users. Google says it should be available to all Android users in “the next few days.”
Once it’s enabled on your account, you can toggle incognito mode on/off by tapping your profile picture, then flipping the switch.
Google first announced that Incognito would be released for Maps a few months ago, and more recently reiterated that the feature was coming soon.
Eric Miglia, director of privacy and data protection office at Google, said: “managing your data should be just as easy as making a restaurant reservation or using Maps to find the fastest way back home”.
