Google starts rolling out incognito mode for Maps on Android

Google has started rolling out incognito mode for Maps on Android. This allows users to follow a route or look up addresses without being linked to their Google profile.

Google had already announced the incognito feature earlier this month. The company said at the time that it would be available for Android “somewhere this month”. Also, iOS users of Maps can use the incognito mode in the future, but exactly when it will come for that platform is not known. Google says in a blog post that the rollout has already started. As usual, it may take a while before everyone can use it.

Users can enable incognito mode by clicking their profile picture and selecting the feature there. When incognito mode is enabled, the user’s searches are not saved and associated with the associated Google account. The data is also not used to personalize Google Maps, says Google. The mode cannot be switched on permanently.

Until recently, Google’s Incognito Mode was only available on Chrome and YouTube. Earlier this year, however, the company also decided to give the search function an incognito mode. This means that searches are no longer linked to the profile with which Android users are required to be logged in. Along with that announcement in May of this year, Google also said that there would be an incognito mode for Maps.