How to export Google Maps Timeline – twm’s blog
Posted by jpluimers on 2026/09/04
I am so glad that TWM wrote this down: [Wayback/Archive] How to export Google Maps Timeline – twm’s blog
A while ago, Google changed Maps to no longer store the Timeline data on Google’s servers but only on an Android phone. It also supposedly encrypts that data. Optionally you can enable a “cloud backup” which stores an encrypted backup of that data on Google’s server so you can move your Timeline from one Android phone to another and don’t lose your history.
I’m not a huge fan of this change because it means that I can access my Timeline on my Android phone only and no longer in the web browser, but I guess Google got tired of those requests by various police and spy organizations for user’s Timeline data, so they made it technically impossible.
But I would like to at least see that data on my computer, so what can be done?
…
TWM then goes on with some steps, and then list links what you can do with the exported data which I extended below.
I wish there was an app what would automate the exporting process on a regular interval, or merge from multiple phones back into a single one. Oh, well: maybe one day…
[Wayback/Archive] thekeenant (Keenan) · GitHub, using Google’s Gemini AI wrote three tools using HTML with embedded CSS and JavaScript, which you can find through [Wayback/Archive] thekeenant (thekeenant) / Repositories – timeline· GitHub:
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – thekeenant/google_maps_timeline_exporter: Visualize and export your Google Maps Timeline.
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – thekeenant/google_maps_timeline_to_gpx: Converts a Google Maps JSON timeline to GPX.
- [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – thekeenant/google_maps_timeline_to_kml: Converts a Google Maps JSON timeline to KML.
Then there is the great [Wayback/Archive] Timeline Viewer Map which besides the great map integration, has concise export instructions:
1. Get timeline file from:
Android: Settings -> Location -> Location Services -> Timeline -> Export Timeline
iOS: Google Maps -> Settings -> Personal Content -> Export Timeline data
Google Takeout: https://takeout.google.com/ -> Choose Location History (Timeline) -> Export
Despite great, it regrettably is not open source.
This though, is: [Wayback/Archive] GitHub – kurupted/google-maps-timeline-viewer: View your Google Maps Timeline (Location History) data
Google announced in 2024 that they would begin storing your Timeline data (ie your Location History) locally on your device, rather than in the cloud on their systems. The desktop version of their timeline viewer was also discontinued, since the data is now on your phone.
If you’re like me, you have years worth of timeline data that you want to be able to view. This project enables that. It supports the old data format from Google Takeout, as well as the new on-device data format (which you can export from your device to your computer).
--jeroen
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