On mobile, tap the three-dot icon and select Delete day. To get rid of just one thing, tap it, select the trash can icon on the top-right and confirm. On desktop, tap the hamburger menu on the top-left and select Your timeline. Google Maps will display the day's activities, but you can also choose a specific date from the drop-down menus. Remove individual entries by clicking the three-dot icon and selecting Remove from my day.
From desktop, all location data can be deleted by clicking the gear icon on the bottom-right and selecting Delete all Location History. Delete the entire day by tapping the trash can icon. Even outside of Google's dashboards and timelines, Android users can better control location tracking right from their phone.
Be advised that many of your phone's apps and services will be less useful without location services, though. This page can also be used to tweak some settings to better control how Google pings your phone and collects data. This is used to improve location accuracy but also pinpoints your exact location. Changing this will affect Google Maps and Find My Device, but will ensure that Google cannot ping your exact location when you aren't trying to figure out where you are.
This will, of course, cause many of the services on your phone to stop working. However, you can take control of individual apps by setting when they can access location services. Select an app on the Location Services page, including those offered by Google, and determine when they can track you. Select never to disable location services entirely for that app, or choose While Using so that it only tracks your location when you are actually using it, instead of also when it's on in the background. Chrome has offered Incognito Mode for a long time, allowing you to browse without Google compiling history, cookies , site data, or form information.
It doesn't prevent third parties from tracking where you go online, but it's a nice way to tell Google to stop looking at what you're doing at the moment. From either app, tap your icon and select Turn on Incognito Mode to relaunch the app without Google tracking your data. By turning on Incognito Mode, you will stop Maps from saving your search history, location history, and shared location, and will prevent the app from personalizing maps based on your activity.
YouTube will stop tracking your search and watch history, and nothing will save to your library. If all this sounds like too much work to keep your desktop Google-free, or you don't feel like disabling a majority of the features on your phone, you might want to try a VPN instead. By setting one up, you can keep your activity and data private.
The Problem with Mobile Phones
If you're specifically looking for one that works on your phone, there are many options for both iOS and Android. Jason is PCMag's how to content generator. He believes tech corporations are bad, but you might as well know how to use technology in everyday life. He is a Mac owner, Android user, dark mode advocate, and tech bargain hunter. Before joining PCMag, Jason was a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets.
When not writing and editing, he is either reading comic books, playing his Nintendo Switch, hanging out with his wife and two cats, or some combination of the three. Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning. This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. Learn more. Home How-To Security. Updated February 11, Copy Link. Stop Activity and Location Tracking There are a few things you can do regardless of which device or Google service you're using. Delete data from Google's My Activity section Activity data can also be automatically deleted after a certain period of time. Delete your Google activity automatically Google will show you what will be removed.
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Delete location data from Google Maps On desktop, tap the hamburger menu on the top-left and select Your timeline. Android location tracking This page can also be used to tweak some settings to better control how Google pings your phone and collects data. Parents can monitor browsing history on main browsers and enable Google and Bing SafeSearch to automatically filter explicit search results. Parents can also receive different types of alerts on their cell phones with important warnings like kids visiting suspicious sites, watching blocked YouTube videos, or installing unknown apps.
Desktop app
FamiSafe is perfect for parents who need to monitor multiple children at once. With all of the customizable features, this is a perfect way to keep track of the needs of kids of different ages. Along with FamiSafe, you can help your kids form good digital habits, keep track of their whereabouts, and keep them safe from online danger.
FamiSafe has protected over one million kids and counting, and is the ultimate online danger blocker. Get FamiSafe. Qustodio software is available for Windows PC, Mac, iOS, Android, and Kindle devices and provides a comprehensive dashboard to help you monitor your child's online activity. The free version allows you to keep tabs on your child's web and search engine use, track her Facebook and Twitter logins, and set time controls, while Qustodio Premium also allows you to track her location, block certain games and apps, monitor calls and text messaging, and more.
Get Qustodio. This software system can be installed on up to 10 different PC, Mac, or Android devices note: the software is not supported by Windows XP, and you need to purchase a separate product for Net Nanny to work on iOS devices. It allows you to "mask" profanity on web pages — which can be useful if, for example, your child needs to read a news article for a school assignment but the comments section is loaded with swear words. You can set Internet time allowances for each child using a weekly grid divided into minute time blocks, so it's easy to prevent Web access during homework time or bedtime.
This app has so many useful features including social media monitoring, location tracking and alerts, and more. It is known as an all-in-one worry-free app. Social media monitoring is one of the most helpful features. With MamaBear you can monitor Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook activity to know when they have new tags, check-ins, or upload photos.
You can also be aware when inappropriate language or indication of bullying are posted to their profiles by building your restricted words list. You can also get notifications when your teen drives or rides over a speed limit you set. There are several plan options including a free version. Get it on iTunes.
Screen Time is committed to letting kids be kids, and exploring the realm of childhood, outside their screens. Screen Time lets parents remotely monitor the amount of screen time kids spend on their mobile devices. Screen Time lets you set daily time limits, assign tasks to your kids to complete like homework, see which apps your child uses the most, and more. Our favorite feature? Instant pause, allowing parents to instantly pause their child's devices. Your main concern: Finding kid-friendly YouTube videos, and blocking ads and links. Animal videos! Skateboarding demos!
Retro cartoons! YouTube is an obvious source of free entertainment for kids — but it doesn't always feel like a safe choice. Pesky pop-up ads and links to "related" videos possible unrelated adult content can take the fun out of this mecca of free entertainment. That's why YouTube introduced their whitelisted version of the app with kid-friendly only content, YouTube Kids. You can create custom kid profiles, block channels or videos, keep tabs on their watch history, turn search on or off, set a timer to limit kids' screen time, report videos, and more.
Cell Phone Tracker App - Track Mobile Phone Location Free
Bouncie is an app and OBD connected car experience that is designed to stop distracted driving by sending you notifications in real-time when your child is engaging in risky behavior. For example, the app lets you know if your child is exceeding a speed limit that you set, hard-braking, alerts you off their location while driving and when parked, and more. Want to send a strong message when your child repeatedly ignores your texts and phone calls? RespondASAP freezes the child's phone by taking over the kid's screen and sounding an alarm. This forces the child to call the parent back in order to unlock their phone.
It's a better option than taking your child's phone away because he'll still be able to make emergency phone calls to you or even when his phone is otherwise locked. The app is currently only available on Android devices but will be available on iPhones soon. Get it in Google Play store.