- Google Timeline Visualizer reads exported JSON files and rebuilds your travel history on an interactive map.
- Privacy-first viewing processes files in your browser without sending them to a third-party server.
- Export first from Google Maps, your device settings, or an available Google Takeout archive.
- Use year filters to inspect commutes, trips, places, activities, and movement patterns.
- Keep backups because older Timeline records may not remain available on your phone after migration.
What Google Timeline Visualizer Does
Google Timeline Visualizer is a browser-based way to inspect Google location history after the web version of Google Maps Timeline was discontinued. Instead of relying on an active Google account session, you provide exported JSON files and explore the records on an interactive map.
The visualizer can display individual location points, connected paths, place visits, and activity segments. Depending on the export format, it may also identify walking, driving, cycling, or transit portions of a journey. A calendar and year filter make it easier to focus on one vacation, one year, or a smaller date range.
Video Highlights:
- Export Timeline data before attempting to create a map or route video.
- Keep sensitive location files on your device during local processing.
- Start with a short date range or small preview to confirm the data structure.
- Use the separate route video workflow only when you want an MP4 summary.
The central distinction is between viewing data interactively and rendering it into a video. The browser visualizer is best for searching places and inspecting individual records. The related local rendering workflow is useful when you want an animated route that can be stored in your device’s media library.
| Feature | Browser visualizer | Local route renderer |
|---|---|---|
| Primary output | Interactive map and timeline | Animated MP4 route |
| Input | Google Timeline JSON files | Exported JSON data |
| Best use | Search, filtering, place review | Travel recap or presentation |
| Processing focus | Browser-based visualization | Local video generation |
| Account requirement | No Google account needed after export | Local files and compatible application |
Interactive Map
Explore points, paths, places, and activity segments with date and year filters.
Local Processing
Files can remain on your device while JavaScript builds the visualization in your browser.
Route Video
Convert selected travel periods into an animated MP4 through a separate local workflow.
Begin with a single month or year. A focused range loads faster and makes it easier to confirm that your export contains meaningful movement data.
Export Your Google Timeline Data
The visualizer cannot reconstruct records that were never exported or backed up. Start by locating the most complete copy of your Timeline history. Google moved Timeline toward on-device storage, so the available menus and the amount of retained history can vary by device.
On Android, open Google Maps or the relevant device Timeline settings and look for the export option under Location, Location Services, and Timeline. On iPhone, Google Maps generally places the export control under your profile, Settings, and Personal Content. Menu labels can differ by app version, so search for Export Timeline data if the exact path is not visible.
| Platform | Typical export path | Save location | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android | Google Maps or device Settings → Location → Location Services → Timeline | Downloads or another persistent folder | Confirm JSON files have a non-zero size |
| iOS | Google Maps → Profile → Settings → Personal Content → Export Timeline data | Apple Files app | Reopen Files and verify the export remains available |
| Google Takeout | Takeout → Location History, when available | Local archive folder | Extract the archive before uploading JSON files |
Google Timeline exports may use several structures. A complete archive can contain raw records, monthly semantic files, phone exports, and supporting metadata. The visualizer is designed to detect multiple formats and can accept more than one file at a time.
| File type | Typical contents | Recommended use |
|---|---|---|
| Records.json | Raw GPS records using coordinate data | Detailed point-level history |
| Semantic Location History | Monthly places and activity segments | Visits, addresses, and movement types |
| Phone Timeline Export | Newer timeline paths and semantic segments | Current device-based exports |
| Settings or TimelineEdits | Additional metadata and corrections | Include when available for context |
If an export contains no records, stop before troubleshooting the visualizer. Open Google Maps Timeline and check whether the local database has been restored from an available backup. A missing local history can produce an empty JSON file even when an older archive exists elsewhere.
Location history can reveal your home, workplace, routines, and travel habits. Store exported JSON files in a private folder, avoid sharing them publicly, and remove temporary copies when you finish.
Locate Timeline
Open Google Maps on your phone, then enter Timeline through your profile or location settings. Confirm that historical entries are visible before exporting.
Export the Records
Choose the Timeline export option and save the JSON files to a persistent local folder. On iOS, use the Files app; on Android, use Downloads or another protected folder.
Check the Files
Confirm that the files exist, have non-zero sizes, and use a supported JSON format. Keep the original archive unchanged as a backup.
Prepare a Working Copy
Duplicate the export before testing filters or combining files. This lets you retry without altering your only copy of the location history.
View the Data Privately in Your Browser
Once your JSON files are ready, open the Google Timeline Visualizer and use the file drop area. Select one file or several files when you need to combine different export methods. The tool automatically detects supported formats and loads the map in the browser.
The visualizer’s privacy model is important: normal visualization happens locally through browser JavaScript, so your location file is not uploaded during standard map viewing. The optional Save to my Dawarich account action is different because it uploads the file for cloud import. Avoid that option if you only want a local review.
| Workflow | Data location | Suitable for | Privacy consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard visualization | Your browser session | Exploring maps and dates | Files remain on the device during normal use |
| Multi-file import | Your browser session | Combining exports | Verify that every selected file is trusted |
| Cloud account import | Dawarich Cloud after opting in | Maintaining an imported account timeline | Requires an explicit upload action |
| Local cleanup | Your file system | Removing old copies | Empty trash or secure temporary folders afterward |
After loading, use the year selector and calendar controls to narrow the view. A summary panel can show the number of places, distance, and moving time for the selected range. These metrics help you determine whether the chosen period contains actual movement rather than an empty or incomplete export.
Year Filter
Compare movement patterns across different years without loading every period into one crowded view.
Place Visits
Review arrival and departure details for restaurants, parks, neighborhoods, and other recorded locations.
Activity Segments
Identify walking, driving, cycling, and transit records when semantic data is present.
A large archive may take longer to process. The referenced visualizer documentation reports testing with more than 630,000 points across over 15 years, while a 170 MB file may require roughly 20–30 seconds on a modern computer. Treat those figures as practical reference points rather than guarantees because browser speed, memory, and file structure vary.
For a standard local review, close the browser tab when finished and delete temporary exports you no longer need. Do not choose the cloud-save action unless you intend to upload the file.
Create a Route Video from Timeline JSON
Interactive maps are ideal for research, but a route video creates a shareable visual summary of a trip. The local rendering workflow accepts exported JSON, lets you set a date range, and produces an MP4 without requiring the full history to be uploaded to a remote processing service.
Start with a short validation render. Select a 10-second preset or another minimal duration, preview the route, and verify that the map geometry appears correctly. This prevents a large multi-year render from consuming time when the export is empty, malformed, or missing the expected semantic information.
| Setting | Purpose | Practical choice |
|---|---|---|
| Date range | Limits the records included in the render | Select one trip, month, or calendar year |
| Duration | Controls the length of the MP4 | Use a short preview before a long render |
| Steady camera | Keeps a central dead zone | Good for stable local routes |
| Fixed camera | Locks the viewing altitude | Useful when consistent scale matters |
| Dynamic camera | Adjusts scale more aggressively | Useful for routes with varied distances |
| Balanced compression | Handles long gaps between points | Helpful for flights and extended journeys |
Before committing to a render, check the live data summary beneath the date selectors. It should show movement data for the chosen period. If the selected year contains no points or places, change the range rather than assuming the renderer is broken.
A raw locations only notice usually indicates that the export lacks Google’s semantic processing. The route may still contain coordinate points, but place names, visit details, or activity categories may be limited. For long histories, a desktop Python command-line workflow may be more suitable than a phone-based render because larger files can require additional memory.
Before You Render:
- Confirm the JSON export has a non-zero file size
- Select a date range containing visible movement data
- Run a short preview before creating a long MP4
- Choose a camera profile that matches the route scale
- Keep the original export and store the final video separately
Use exact dates for a focused vacation or calendar year. A narrow range improves the story, reduces processing work, and makes route gaps easier to identify.
Troubleshooting Missing or Incomplete History
Most problems occur before visualization begins. An empty map can mean the file has no records, the wrong export format was selected, or the chosen date range does not contain activity. Check the source file and filter settings before reinstalling anything.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Recommended action |
|---|---|---|
| Empty map | Empty export or no records in the selected dates | Inspect file size and broaden the date filter |
| Export shows zero data | Local Timeline database was not restored | Check Google Maps for an available backup, then export again |
| Only raw points appear | Semantic segments are missing | Add Semantic Location History or a newer phone export |
| Browser becomes slow | Large archive or many combined files | Load one year or month at a time |
| Route jumps across regions | Sparse GPS points or long travel gaps | Use a balanced camera profile and review the date range |
| Video preview fails | Unsupported structure or file access issue | Test a smaller file and validate the JSON source |
When the map loads but paths look implausible, inspect the date range and point density. Long-distance travel can appear as a straight connection when intermediate GPS records are missing. This is a limitation of the available data rather than proof that every displayed segment represents a continuously tracked route.
For large archives, work in batches. Load one year, confirm the result, then add another period only when necessary. Combining every available file at once is convenient, but it can make browser filtering less responsive and complicate error diagnosis.
Never edit or replace the only copy of your export while troubleshooting. Work from duplicates so you can return to the untouched archive if a conversion or file transfer fails.
The visualizer is independent of Google Maps after the export stage. If Timeline no longer appears in a desktop browser, that behavior reflects Google’s move away from the web-based Timeline interface. An older Google Takeout archive or phone backup may still provide records that can be opened locally.
Check the file size, inspect the date range, test one JSON file, and then compare the result with a second export format. This sequence isolates most problems quickly.
Google Timeline Visualizer FAQ
Q: Is Google Timeline Visualizer safe for private location history?
Standard visualization is designed to run in your browser, allowing the files to remain on your device during normal use. The optional Save to my Dawarich account action is different because it uploads the file for cloud import. Avoid that action when you want a local-only review.
Q: How do I view Google Timeline on the web again?
Export Timeline JSON from Google Maps, your device Timeline settings, or an available Google Takeout archive. Open the Google Timeline Visualizer, drop in the JSON files, and use the calendar or year filter to inspect the history.
Q: Why is my Google Timeline export empty?
The phone’s local Timeline database may not contain the older history, or the selected date range may have no records. Check Google Maps for a backup or older archive, confirm the JSON file has a non-zero size, and test a broader date range.
Q: What is the difference between the map viewer and the route video workflow?
The map viewer is interactive and suited to searching points, places, paths, and activities. The route video workflow converts a selected period into an MP4, making it better for a travel recap or offline presentation.
Export early, preserve the original JSON, and begin with a small date range. That workflow gives you the clearest path to a private, usable Timeline archive.