Google Maps Timeline missing or not recording: what to check

Two different problems look alike: Timeline has stopped saving new days, or older history has disappeared. The first can usually be fixed in settings. The second depends on whether a backup or an old export exists.

Already exported your Timeline? Trackmere opens Timeline.json (Android), location-history.json (iPhone) or old Takeout files offline in your browser: map, day-by-day visits, places, export to Excel or GPX. It only reads your file – it can’t fetch or restore anything from Google.

Open my Timeline file – free

Updated 2026-11-01 · 6 min read

First: where Timeline is now

Timeline is no longer on the web. google.com/maps/timeline and timeline.google.com don't show your history any more – that is expected, not a fault. Open the Google Maps app on your phone and tap your profile picture › Your Timeline. Each phone keeps its own Timeline, so check the phone you actually carried on those days.

If Timeline isn't saving new days

Timeline is on – Your Timeline › ⋮ More › Location & privacy settings: under Location settings it should say “Timeline is on”.
Location is on – on iPhone, Google Maps needs Location Services set to Always (the same settings screen offers to fix it). Precise location helps accuracy.
Right account – Timeline belongs to the Google account signed in to Maps on that phone.
App version – Google's help says Timeline needs Google Maps 11.106 or later on Android and 6.93 or later on iPhone. Update the app.
Battery savers – aggressive power saving or “sleeping apps” settings on some Android phones can limit background location. Let Google Maps run in the background.
iPhone background refresh – if Background App Refresh is off for Google Maps, recording can be patchy.
Unsupported device – Google says Timeline isn't available on Android Go devices.
Work or school account – some organisations don't allow it; try your personal account.
New phone – a new phone starts with an empty Timeline until you import a backup (see restore a backup).

Menu names differ a little between phone makers and app versions.

If older history is missing

Web history that wasn't moved to a phone before your personal deadline in 2024–2025 was deleted by Google.
You switched or reset the phone without a Timeline backup.
Auto-delete (3, 18 or 36 months) removed old data – check it in Location & privacy settings.
A day or range was deleted on purpose or by mistake.
In March 2025 Google confirmed a technical issue that deleted some users' Timeline data; people with encrypted backups could restore them.

What may still exist and how to get it back: recover lost Timeline history.

Keep a copy you control

Turn on the encrypted Backup (cloud icon in Your Timeline; auto-delete must be off) and export a file every few months – see how to export Google Maps Timeline. An exported file can be opened on a computer in Trackmere, without any Google account.

See your history on a big screen. Trackmere opens Android Timeline.json, iPhone location-history.json and older Google Takeout files in your browser: map, day-by-day timeline, places, distances, days per country, and export to Excel, CSV, GPX, KML or GeoJSON. Your locations never leave your computer. The map, days, places and days-per-country are free; exports are free for 31 days of data, and a $12 lifetime license covers all of it.

Open Trackmere – free

Questions and answers

Why does google.com/maps/timeline show nothing?

Google retired the web version of Timeline. Your history is only in the Google Maps app on your phone (and in any backup or file you exported).

My new phone shows an empty Timeline – is my history gone?

Not necessarily. If backups were on, import the backup on the new phone. If the old phone wasn't reset, its Timeline may still be on it and can be exported.

Timeline only shows today. Where are earlier days?

Tap Today at the top (or the calendar icon on iPhone) and swipe to another month, then tap a day.

Can Trackmere make Timeline record again?

No. Recording is done by Google Maps on your phone. Trackmere only opens files you export.

Sources and product names: Google Maps Help "Manage your Google Maps Timeline" (Android and iPhone versions) and "Update Google Maps to use Timeline on your device"; The Verge and 9to5Google, March 2025. Google Maps and Google Takeout are trademarks of Google LLC. Trackmere is independent and not affiliated with Google. This page is general information, not tax, immigration or legal advice.