Timeline.json and location-history.json explained

The file Google Maps exports is JSON: structured text meant for programs, not people. Here is what the parts mean, how the Android and iPhone versions differ, and the simplest way to look at it as a map.

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

Android Timeline.json at a glance

Key	What it holds
`semanticSegments`	The timeline itself: each item has `startTime`, `endTime` and a visit (a stay at a place), an activity (a journey with `distanceMeters` and a mode such as IN_PASSENGER_VEHICLE or WALKING), or a `timelinePath` (route points with times).
`rawSignals`	Raw position fixes (`position.LatLng`, `accuracyMeters`, `timestamp`), plus Wi-Fi scans and activity guesses.
`userLocationProfile`	`frequentPlaces` with a place ID and a label such as HOME or WORK.

A short example

Shortened, with made-up coordinates:

{"semanticSegments": [
  {"startTime": "2025-03-14T09:02:00.000+01:00",
   "endTime": "2025-03-14T11:40:00.000+01:00",
   "startTimeTimezoneUtcOffsetMinutes": 60,
   "visit": {"hierarchyLevel": 0, "probability": 0.9,
     "topCandidate": {"placeId": "ChIJ…", "semanticType": "UNKNOWN",
       "placeLocation": {"latLng": "48.8566°, 2.3522°"}}}}
]}

Coordinates are text with degree signs, times carry a UTC offset, and there is no place name – only a Google place ID.

iPhone location-history.json

A bare list ([ … ]) of the same kind of segments, without the semanticSegments wrapper.
Coordinates as "geo:48.856600,2.352200"; many numbers are stored as text.
Route points give minutes from the segment start (durationMinutesOffsetFromStartTime) instead of a time.

Older Google Takeout files

Before the move to phones, Takeout gave Records.json (raw points with latitudeE7/longitudeE7 – degrees × 10⁷) and monthly Semantic Location History files (placeVisit / activitySegment, with place names). See Records.json and Semantic files.

Pitfalls if you process it yourself

Child visits (hierarchyLevel above 0) are places inside another place, such as a shop in a mall – counting them double-counts time.
Times are local with an offset; mixing them as UTC shifts days near midnight.
Big files (hundreds of MB) can freeze text editors and some JSON tools.
Android and iPhone exports from the same account don't share a format, and overlap if you keep both.

View it without writing code

Open the file in Trackmere: it reads Android, iPhone and Takeout formats (even together), handles large files piece by piece, and shows a map, day-by-day visits and journeys, places and days per country – offline, nothing uploaded. Export to Excel, CSV, GPX, KML or GeoJSON if you need the data elsewhere.

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

How do I open Timeline.json?

Export it from your phone, copy it to a computer and open it in a Timeline viewer such as Trackmere. A text editor shows the raw JSON only.

Can Excel open Timeline.json?

Not directly in a useful form. Convert it first – Trackmere exports visits, journeys and days to Excel or CSV.

Why does my Timeline.json have no place names?

Google's on-device export contains coordinates and place IDs only. Names were included only in the older Takeout Semantic files.

Is Timeline.json the same as Records.json?

No. Records.json is the old Takeout raw-point file; Timeline.json is the newer on-device export, which mixes visits, journeys and raw signals.

Sources and product names: Field names from Google Maps Timeline exports (Android Timeline.json, iPhone location-history.json) as read by Trackmere; Google Maps Help "Manage your Google Maps Timeline". 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.