- Google Timeline Visualizer reads exported JSON files and displays routes, places, and activity segments.
- Export locally from Google Maps or Google Takeout before opening the data in a visualization tool.
- Protect privacy by using browser-based processing and avoiding optional cloud-import features.
- Validate first with a short date range before processing years of location history.
- Choose your output between an interactive map view and a locally rendered MP4 route video.
google timeline visualizer Overview
Google Timeline Visualizer is a privacy-focused way to explore Google location history after exporting it as JSON. Instead of depending on a Google account or a web-based Timeline dashboard, you load the files into a browser tool that can display individual points, paths, visited places, movement types, and year-based filters.
The tool is designed for several Google Timeline formats. It can detect raw GPS records, monthly Semantic Location History files, newer phone exports with semanticSegments, and supporting metadata such as Settings or TimelineEdits. Multiple files can be loaded together, allowing you to combine older exports with newer phone-generated data.
Video Highlights:
- Export location history from Android or iOS before visualization.
- Keep JSON processing on your own device whenever possible.
- Test a short timeline before rendering a large multi-year file.
- Use date filters and camera profiles to create a focused route video.
Interactive Map
- Explore routes and individual location points
- Filter data by year
- Inspect places and activity segments
Privacy-First Viewing
- Process files in the browser
- Avoid unnecessary account uploads
- Close the tab to remove the active session
Route Video
- Convert selected history into an MP4
- Adjust dates and camera behavior
- Save the finished file locally
Start with one month or one trip rather than a fifteen-year archive. A small test confirms that the file format, map rendering, and date filters work before you commit more processing time.
Export Google Timeline JSON
The quality of your visualization depends on having a usable export. In 2026, Timeline data may be stored locally on a mobile device, inside a previous Google Takeout archive, or in a backup that must be restored before exporting. If an export contains no records, check whether the phone has completed its Timeline import or backup process.
Use the method that matches your device:
| Export method | Navigation path | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Android | Google Maps → Settings → Location → Location Services → Timeline → Export Timeline | Current Android Timeline data |
| iOS | Google Maps → Settings → Personal Content → Export Timeline data | Current iPhone Timeline data |
| Google Takeout | takeout.google.com → Location History | Older archives or account exports |
| Backup restore | Google Maps Timeline backup or device import | Rebuilding missing local history |
Android and iOS may produce different file structures. Save the export in a persistent folder rather than opening it temporarily from a share sheet. For iPhone exports, the Files app is a practical destination. On Android, a dedicated Downloads subfolder or another local archive folder makes later selection easier.
| File type | Typical contents | Visualization value |
|---|---|---|
| Records.json | Raw GPS records using E7 coordinate format | Detailed location points and movement trails |
| Semantic Location History | Monthly place visits, addresses, and activities | Places, arrival times, and movement categories |
| Phone Timeline Export | semanticSegments and timeline paths | Newer mobile Timeline structure |
| Settings or TimelineEdits | Preferences and edited-history metadata | Supporting context for an archive |
You can use the Google Timeline Visualizer web tool to load compatible files directly in a browser. The tool is intended to recognize multiple formats and combine several files in one session.
Locate Your Timeline Data
Check Google Maps on your phone first. If the history is missing, search local backups and any Google Takeout archive saved before 2026.
Export the JSON Files
Follow the Android or iOS navigation path and save the result to a folder you can access again. Keep the original files unchanged.
Create a Working Copy
Duplicate the export before editing, renaming, or combining files. This preserves a clean backup if a visualization attempt fails.
Load the Files
Drag one or more JSON files into the visualizer. Wait for the calendar, map, and activity summary to finish loading.
Do not assume an empty export means your history was permanently erased. It may indicate that local Timeline storage has not been restored or that the selected export method did not include the required files.
Privacy and File Safety
Location history can reveal home addresses, workplaces, daily routines, travel dates, and frequently visited places. Treat Timeline JSON as sensitive personal information. A browser visualizer can reduce exposure when its JavaScript processing happens locally, but privacy still depends on the exact feature you choose.
The referenced visualizer explains that files remain on the device during normal browser visualization. Its optional “Save to my Dawarich account” action is different: that feature uploads the selected data to Dawarich Cloud for import. Use it only when you understand the account and storage implications.
| Action | Local processing | Account upload | Recommended approach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drop JSON into the visualizer | Yes | No | Preferred for private inspection |
| Filter by year or date | Yes | No | Safe for focused analysis |
| Generate a local route video | Yes | No | Save the MP4 to a protected folder |
| Save to a cloud account | No | Yes | Use only when cloud storage is intentional |
Before loading a file, review these safeguards:
- Keep the raw export in encrypted or access-controlled storage.
- Use a private browser profile if other people access the device.
- Avoid public computers and shared workstations.
- Do not post screenshots that expose addresses, timestamps, or regular routes.
- Remove temporary copies after confirming your archive is safe.
- Close the browser tab when you finish a private session.
For the lowest-exposure workflow, export the data, open it locally in the browser visualizer, create only the output you need, and skip optional cloud-import controls.
Validate, Filter, and Read the Timeline
Large exports should be tested before deep analysis. A short date range makes it easier to identify malformed JSON, missing semantic data, unsupported structures, or an empty local database. Once the map displays correctly, expand the range gradually.
The visualizer can show more than a line on a map. Depending on the export format, you may see individual GPS points, place visits, arrival and departure details, and activity categories such as walking, driving, cycling, or transit.
| Filter or metric | What it reveals | Practical use |
|---|---|---|
| Year | Movement during a calendar year | Compare lifestyle or travel changes |
| Date range | A trip, week, or selected period | Isolate a specific journey |
| Location points | Raw recorded coordinates | Check route density and gaps |
| Places | Visited locations and times | Rediscover restaurants, parks, or neighborhoods |
| Activity type | Walking, driving, cycling, or transit | Understand how a route was traveled |
| Distance and point count | Scope of the selected data | Confirm the filter contains useful records |
A live summary panel can help confirm that the selected range contains movement data. Check the point count, distance, and place total before starting a large render. If the map shows a “raw locations only” warning, the export may lack Google’s semantic processing. The raw path can still be useful, but place and activity details may be limited.
Timeline Validation Checklist:
- Confirm the JSON file opens without a parsing error
- Verify that the selected date range contains location points
- Check that the map geometry follows plausible routes
- Review places and activity categories when available
- Save a clean working copy before combining files
A dense cluster of points does not always mean more travel. It can reflect frequent phone sampling, while long straight sections may indicate sparse recording or missing intermediate points.
Create a Local Timeline Route Video
A route video is useful when you want to turn a selected trip or year into a visual summary. A local rendering workflow reads the JSON, draws the route on map tiles, and produces an MP4 without requiring the full history to remain in a cloud dashboard.
Begin with a short ten-second preview. This small render checks file access, map geometry, date selection, and basic output before your device processes a longer timeline. After the preview succeeds, select a specific vacation, calendar year, or multi-day journey.
| Camera profile | Behavior | Suitable scenario |
|---|---|---|
| Steady | Keeps the route near a central dead zone | General travel summaries |
| Fixed | Locks the camera altitude | Consistent geographic scale |
| Dynamic | Adjusts scale more aggressively | Routes with changing distances |
| Balanced compression | Interpolates gaps across long movements | Flights and sparse GPS sections |
Follow this rendering workflow:
- Open the visualizer and select Create Video.
- Choose the exported JSON file or combined file set.
- Accept the privacy notice required to fetch map tiles.
- Set a short duration and press Preview.
- Confirm that the route appears in the expected locations.
- Adjust the date range, camera profile, and duration.
- Start the final render and wait for the MP4 to finish.
- Review the result in the device’s local media library.
For large archives, narrow the time window before increasing the duration. A year-long video can communicate broad movement, while a multi-day video is better for showing individual streets and stops. If processing fails, reduce the file set, shorten the date range, or test another supported export format.
Desktop users who need repeatable batch conversions can also investigate the project’s Python command-line interface and documentation. Keep automated processing local and confirm the input and output paths before running a large batch.
Use date filters to give each video a clear story. A focused trip usually produces a more readable result than compressing unrelated years into one route.
Google Timeline Visualizer FAQ
Q: What files does Google Timeline Visualizer support?
It can work with Records.json raw GPS data, monthly Semantic Location History files, newer Phone Timeline Export files containing semanticSegments, and supporting Settings or TimelineEdits metadata. Multiple compatible files can be loaded together.
Q: Can I view Google Timeline data without Google Maps?
Yes. After exporting your JSON files, you can load them into a browser-based visualizer to inspect routes, points, places, activities, and date filters without relying on the Google Maps web Timeline interface.
Q: Is it safe to upload Google Timeline JSON?
Normal browser visualization is designed to process the files on your device. However, an optional cloud-save or account-import action can upload data. Skip that option when you want a local-only workflow.
Q: Why does my exported Timeline show no data?
The local database may not have been restored, the export may use the wrong navigation path, or the selected archive may contain no Timeline records. Check phone backups, Google Takeout files, and the export method before retrying.
Always inspect the destination before sharing a Timeline video. Even without visible labels, route shapes and timestamps can disclose private routines or recognizable locations.