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Google Maps just introduced a feature that gives you more control over your privacy

Published Nov 11th, 2019 6:50AM EST
Google Maps Privacy
Image: Valentin Wolf/imageBROKER/Shutterstock

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Google Maps is one of Google’s best and most popular apps and an application that Google often updates. Some of the improvements are significant additions to the app, like the Waze incident reports, the incognito mode, and AR navigation support, while others are much smaller in scope. The latest update may be seen as a minor upgrade, but it’s definitely the kind of privacy features a set of Google Maps users will definitely appreciate.

If you’re contributing to Google Maps, then you’ll now be able to customize your profile from right inside the app. And you’ll be able to do more things than before and better protect your privacy.

Before the new update, all you could do about your public profile from Maps was to check your Local Guides points. But Android Police noticed a server-side Maps update that lets you edit your profile and contributions.

A new Your profile item is available in the main menu of the app, and that’s where you’ll be able to edit your public name, change your photo, and even add a bio.

Image source: Android Police

More importantly, the update lets you control ow your personal content is shown. You can choose to hide all your contributions to your profile, which might be a great idea. They will still appear on a place’s listing under your name, but your contributions won’t show on your public profile page.

Also, you can choose to make your profile invisible to businesses. And, as you can see in the screenshot above, you can customize location access and history, and delete location data, which are all great additions to Google Maps.

Google has been trying to make user privacy a thing when it comes to its products, even though user data is what fuels Google’s main money-maker. Google Maps is certainly one of them, especially following the reports last year that explained exactly how much access Google gets when requesting location tracking permissions.

The new Maps updates should make it even easier for the user to control the information they choose to share, both with Google and other Maps users. The new profile menu should be available to all Maps users soon.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.