TrackmereExport and open your Timeline JSON file
Google Maps can export your on-device Timeline as a JSON file. Opened in a text editor it is unreadable, and Android and iPhone even use different layouts. Trackmere reads both.
Android: Timeline.json
- Open the phone’s Settings → Location → Location services → Timeline.
- Tap Export Timeline data and choose where to save. The file is called
Timeline.json(sometimes in your phone’s language). - Copy it to your computer (cable, cloud drive or e-mail to yourself).
Menu names differ a little between phone makers and Android versions. If the option is missing, update Google Maps and restart the phone.
iPhone: location-history.json
- Open Google Maps → your profile picture → Settings → Location & privacy (or Your Timeline → ⋯).
- Tap Export Timeline data → Save to Files.
- The file is called
location-history.json. Move it to your computer with AirDrop, iCloud Drive or a cable.
Open it
Open Trackmere, click Open files and pick the JSON. You can pick both an Android and an iPhone export at the same time.
What is inside the file
| Part | Android | iPhone |
|---|---|---|
| Visits | visit + placeLocation.latLng “52.52°, 13.40°” | visit + placeLocation “geo:52.52,13.40” |
| Journeys | activity with start/end, distanceMeters, type | activity with start/end strings, distance as text |
| Route points | timelinePath with a time per point | timelinePath with minutes from the start |
| Place names | Not included (place ID only) | Not included (place ID only) |
Questions and answers
Why are there no place names?
The phone exports only contain coordinates and Google place IDs. Trackmere shows Home/Work labels, the nearest city, and a link that opens the place ID in Google Maps if you want the name.
The file is very large – is that a problem?
No. Trackmere reads JSON piece by piece, so files of hundreds of megabytes work; very large files just take longer.
Last updated: 2026-10-26