【Watch Friends】

Google Maps is Watch Friendsincredibly practical -- it's how I get around pretty much anywhere outside of my house -- but the service also records a ton of info on where you've been and what you've been doing.

Now, the company seems to be getting closer to launching Incognito mode for Maps, making it easier to navigate without leaving any tracks. XDA Developers editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman tweeted that the feature is now being pushed to closed beta testers.

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In particular, when in Incognito mode, Maps won't save your browsing, send notifications, update your location history or shared location, or use your personal data to personalize Maps.

The feature is easy to find: Tap on your profile pic in Maps and it's right there at the top. A black bar will show up at the top of the Maps screen to indicate that Incognito mode is on.

On a desktop computer, this is already available through Chrome; since Maps is a web app, when you browse Incognito in Chrome the privacy setting automatically applies to Maps. On a smartphone, though, you'll typically use the Maps app, where Incognito mode isn't available.

According to Android Police, the feature is also undergoing testing on Android Auto.

The feature was originally announced at Google's I/O 2019 event in May; Google then said it would become available "in the coming weeks," but for unknown reasons it's taking a little longer than that. It's still not live for everyone, but the fact that it's being tested makes it likely to be launched soon.

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