17

I went on a trip and I'd like to make a map of the places I went. I could do this manually in Google Maps, but I know my 'phone tracks me everywhere I go.

Is there any way to take a Google Timeline from date1 to date2 and turn it into a map with connected dots?

Improve this question

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
12

Timeline (https://www.google.com/maps/timeline) now has an Export this day to KML option.

Checked a holiday from October, 2016 that I wanted to merge with Google's My Maps.
I will have to export each day but better than my entire maps history.

Screenshot showing the option to export the day's data to KML

Improve this answer
2
  • You can use Google Takeout to export all location history.
    – thyu
    Commented Aug 13, 2020 at 18:50
  • 1
    @johan The Takeout export comes in JSON and if converted to KML loses the route/trips information, as it shows only visited locations. For trip routing what you suggested is not too useful.
    – Bogdan
    Commented Sep 16, 2021 at 19:12
8

So I worked out a roundabout way of getting it done

  1. You can export your whole Google Timeline history as a KML file. Annoyingly, you can't give a date range you must export the whole history which makes for a huge file.
  2. The KML file can be easily edited in a text editor (use notepad++ maybe as it is huge). The format is very simple and you can delete all the date/point pairs for days you are not interested in. Remember to keep the top and bottom two lines for the KML tags.
  3. If the resulting file is less than 5GB you are good. Otherwise, you must split the file into multiple <5GB KML files. Again remember the beginning/ending tags.
  4. The files can now be imported into Google's My Maps and you have your map.

There has to be an easier way but this works.

Improve this answer
4
  • 1
    Google My Maps now only allows imports <40Mb :(
    – routeburn
    Commented Jan 21, 2018 at 5:48
  • This answer is wrong! you cannot export your entire history as a kml, it comes as a zipped/tgz json collection divided by years and it does not have trips /routes. I will have to vote down this one.
    – Bogdan
    Commented Sep 16, 2021 at 19:08
  • @Bogdan Google seems to have updated their system to use a zipped JSON file. If you try to get the KML file it comes back with just the headers and no data currently. You may have to talk to Google support to get this fixed or if you figure out a way to do it with JSON I'll make it the accepted answer.
    – rhaskett
    Commented Sep 18, 2021 at 16:40
  • 1
    @rhaskett You can use the following online tool mygeodata.cloud/converter/json-to-kml to convert JSON to KML
    – Bogdan
    Commented Sep 23, 2021 at 4:00
1

Not quite what you want, but Google Maps Timeline will show you dots for everywhere you've visited.

If you choose a specific day, it'll show on the map lines connecting the dots in order for your destinations that day. Unfortunately it'll only show a day at a time. There are at least arrows for you to move to the next/previous day.

Improve this answer
3
  • You can even get one month at a time as well though apparently not custom date range. I've exported the KML file now, but I'm not really sure how to play with it.
    – rhaskett
    Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 18:23
  • 1
    Doesn't Google Earth allow import of KML files?
    – ale
    Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 18:24
  • Yeah, but only the last location seems to show. Despite the KML file being 72GB! (You can only download your whole location history)
    – rhaskett
    Commented Aug 26, 2016 at 18:26

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.