Google originally revealed that an incognito mode is in works for Maps at I/O 2019. However, there was no buzz about it later on, until now. Some of the members on the Google Maps preview test group confirmed that it is rolling out for testing, finally.
So, not only can you hide your late-night burger exploration activities from Google, but you can also keep your rendezvous point safe – which is a good thing.
Coming soon to @googlemaps, when you turn on Incognito mode in Maps, your activity—like the places you search or get directions to—won’t be saved to your Google Account. Just tap from your profile picture to easily turn it on or off. #io19 pic.twitter.com/z7GRkkmDbn
— Google (@Google) May 7, 2019
Just like you have an incognito mode on Google Chrome, Google Maps will have a private mode too. Normally, the incognito mode is utilized when you do not want your activity to be tracked.
Do note that the incognito mode does not make the activity anonymous from your ISP – they can still track you until you use a VPN.
So, with the private mode, you can only avoid the activity from being associated with your Google account – that’s just it. In other words, there will be no history of what you searched for.
In this case, Google Maps is going to utilize the same method to hide your activity. The places you search for or get the directions to – will not be saved while in incognito mode.
In the tweet mentioned above, you can see how easy it is to enable the incognito mode. You just have to tap on your profile to enable or disable it. That’s handy.
As per the report by Android Police, you will be able to access this feature on Preview Maps version 10.26 or above. All you need to is – tap on your profile and then hit ‘Turn on Incognito mode’.
This will change the location pointer’s color from blue to dark grey – confirming you’re in the private mode.
What do you think of the private mode on Google Maps? Do you think it will be useful for you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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