Timeline Visualizer

Timeline Visualizer for Google Maps travel videos

Open a Google Maps Timeline export (Timeline.json) in your browser, animate the path, and create a shareable MP4 — privately, with no account wall.

Create video See how it works

Works with Google Maps Timeline.json
No Google account sign-in
Google Maps history stays on-device

Timeline Visualizer demo — Google Maps Timeline travel route video

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How to export Google Maps Timeline data

Need a Google Maps timeline export or Timeline.json for Timeline Visualizer? Follow the iPhone or Android steps, then return here.

Export Google Maps Timeline on iPhone

Open Google Maps and tap your profile photo.
Go to Settings → Personal content.
Choose Export Timeline data (Google Timeline export).
Save Timeline.json in Files, then open it in Timeline Visualizer.

Export Google Maps Timeline on Android

Open Phone Settings → Location → Location services → Timeline.
Tap Export Timeline data, then Continue.
Save the Google Maps Timeline export JSON where you can find it.
Return to Timeline Visualizer and choose that Timeline.json file.

Looking for a Google Maps timeline export json? Prefer a fresh on-device timeline export. Older Takeout “timelineObjects” packages are a different format and are not supported here.

Why people use Timeline Visualizer for Google Maps

Google Maps Timeline stores where you went, but it does not give you a ready-to-share travel recap. Timeline Visualizer fills that gap.

History is hard to show

Google Maps Timeline and Google Maps history are built for lookup — not for a polished year-in-travel clip you can post or send.

Manual editing is slow

Rebuilding Google Maps routes in CapCut or After Effects means redrawing paths, timing cameras, and guessing distances from screenshots.

Privacy friction

Many “upload your location history” tools ask for a cloud account. Here your Google Maps Timeline export stays in the browser tab.

Format mismatch

A modern Google Maps timeline export (Timeline.json) still needs a renderer that understands current shapes — not only old Takeout dumps.

What you need before creating

Prepare these once, then render multiple date ranges from the same Google Maps timeline export.

A Google Maps Timeline export

Timeline.json from an on-device Google Timeline export (iPhone Google Maps or Android Location → Timeline).

Recorded Google Maps history

Google Maps Timeline must have been enabled while you traveled. An empty export cannot invent routes.

A supported browser

Preview works widely; Create MP4 needs WebCodecs + H.264 (Safari 16.4+ on iPhone, recent Chrome/Edge on desktop).

Map-tile consent

Accept that basemap tiles load for the journey areas shown — the Google Maps Timeline JSON itself is still not uploaded to us.

Optional: try the fictional sample journey first if you are not ready to open a personal Google Maps Timeline file.

How to use Timeline Visualizer

After Timeline.json is ready, the create flow takes a few minutes of active time.

1Choose Timeline.json
Load your timeline export, or try the sample journey to learn the controls safely.
2Pick months or exact dates
Narrow the history to a trip window so the animation focuses on meaningful travel.
3Set title, duration, camera, format
Choose steady/dynamic camera, square / portrait / landscape output, and a length that matches the trip.
4Consent to map tiles, then Preview
Confirm the privacy notice, preview the route animation, and adjust settings if needed.
5Create MP4 and download
Keep the tab open while Timeline Visualizer finishes encoding, then download or share the travel video.

How to use your finished video

The output is a standard H.264 MP4 with the animated route, distance, and title burned in.

Year-in-travel recaps

Post a square or portrait clip summarizing trips for New Year or birthday stories.

Trip highlight reels

Export a short date range for one vacation and drop the MP4 into Instagram, TikTok, or WhatsApp.

Personal archives

Keep a local visual diary when screenshots of the Timeline UI feel incomplete.

Presentations & gifts

Use landscape 1920×1080 for slides, or share a quiet route film with family without handing over raw Timeline.json.

When results look weak

Honest limits help you pick a better date range — or know when not to render.

Sparse or missing Timeline history

If Timeline recording was off, battery-restricted, or wiped after a phone change, routes will be thin or empty.

Commute-heavy ranges

Long periods of short local loops can look noisy even with outlier filtering; shorter trip windows usually read clearer.

Wrong timeline export format

Old Takeout timelineObjects files, 0 KB exports, or incomplete share-sheet saves will fail — use a fresh on-device timeline export.

Unsupported encoder

Some browsers can preview but cannot Create MP4 without WebCodecs H.264. Switch browser or lower the format.

Very long, high-res renders

1080p/60fps on a hot phone may stall if the tab sleeps. Prefer shorter durations and keep the page foregrounded.

Flights and sparse long hops are interpolated for smoother camera motion; that improves watchability but is not a survey-grade GPS track.

How Timeline Visualizer differs from related tools

The same timeline export can feed many products — the fit depends on privacy, platform, and output.

vs Google Maps Timeline itself

Google Maps Timeline is for browsing history. Timeline Visualizer turns a timeline export into a shareable animated MP4.

vs the Android open-source app

The GitHub Android app is strongest for on-device batch renders. This web app needs no install and targets browser/iPhone use.

vs desktop Python + FFmpeg

The CLI suits power users with local tooling. The web path trades peak performance for zero setup and private in-tab encoding.

vs Fog of World / map explorers

Those tools focus on explored-area maps or stats. Timeline Visualizer focuses on timed travel animation and MP4 export.

vs generic video editors

Editors are flexible but manual. Here the timeline export drives route geometry, timing, and distance automatically.

Timeline Visualizer features

Camera follow, multi-format MP4, and conservative GPS cleanup — built as a browser timeline visualizer.

Parse Timeline.json

Reads current shapes (direct array and semanticSegments) plus an optional raw-signal fallback when journeys are missing.

Animate travel routes

Fixed, steady, dynamic, or close-up camera paths, then a short zoom-out that shows the full travel trail.

Flexible MP4 formats

Square 480×480 / 720×720 / 1080×1080, portrait 1080×1920, or landscape 1920×1080 for feeds and recaps.

Browser-side H.264 encode

Frames draw on canvas and encode with WebCodecs into a downloadable MP4. Keep the tab open while creating.

Clean noisy GPS spikes

Conservative filtering drops short impossible jumps without rewriting your timeline export file.

OpenStreetMap basemap tiles

CARTO tiles power the preview map (with a fallback host if needed). Attribution stays on screen and in the finished video.

Private processing in Timeline Visualizer

Your Timeline.json, coordinates, titles, frames, and finished MP4 are not uploaded to our servers. Everything sensitive stays in the browser session.

No account wall, location permission, or broad storage access.
After consent, only map-tile requests (area x/y/z plus normal network metadata) reach CARTO or a fallback basemap host if CARTO is unreachable.
Reload or close the tab to clear the active file from memory.

Map tiles are the only network step required for preview and export. See the Privacy Policy for details.

Timeline Visualizer FAQ

Common questions about timeline export, Timeline.json, preview, and MP4 creation.

What is Timeline Visualizer?

Timeline Visualizer is a browser tool that turns a Google Maps Timeline export into an animated travel video: route trail, moving marker, distance, and title — rendered privately from Timeline.json in your tab.

How do I export Google Maps Timeline / Timeline.json?

On iPhone: Google Maps → profile → Settings → Personal content → Export Timeline data. On Android: Settings → Location → Location services → Timeline → Export Timeline data. Open that timeline export in Timeline Visualizer.

Is my location history uploaded?

No. The file is read locally. After you consent, only map tile requests for the visible journey areas go to the basemap provider.

Create MP4 is disabled — what should I try?

Use a browser with WebCodecs H.264 (Safari 16.4+, recent Chrome/Edge), pick a smaller format/frame rate, keep the tab open, and confirm map consent. Preview can still work when encoding is unavailable.

Why is my timeline export empty or rejected?

Timeline must have recorded history first. Empty files, wrong share-sheet picks, and old Takeout formats are common failure modes — prefer a fresh on-device export.

The route looks jumpy or incomplete

Shorten the date range, enable conservative GPS filtering, or try raw-signal fallback only when semantic journeys are missing. Sparse flights are interpolated for smoother camera motion.

Can I export only one trip day?

Yes. Use exact dates after loading Timeline.json, then preview before creating the MP4 so Timeline Visualizer covers just that segment.

Are you part of Google?

No. Timeline Visualizer is independent. Mentions of Google Maps Timeline and timeline export are only for product instructions.

Ready to try Timeline Visualizer?

Load Timeline.json, pick the period, preview the route, then create an MP4 — all in your browser.

Start creating