What file does Timeline to Video create?
Timeline to Video produces an H.264 video in an MP4 container. The route, map frames, text overlays, final summary, and any supported built-in soundtrack are encoded in the browser. The result is held as a local Blob until you download it or pass it to the device share sheet. The source JSON is not packaged into the MP4. The export is a finished video, not an editable project file with separate map, title, and audio tracks.
Which sizes, frame rates, and durations are available?
The editor currently offers portrait 1080×1920 and 720×1280, landscape 1920×1080 and 1280×720, and square 1080, 720, or 480 output. Portrait fits most short-form phone video, while landscape is useful for a normal player or presentation. You can choose 24 or 30 frames per second. Duration can be automatic or fixed at 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, or 60 seconds. Automatic duration uses the selected template and route size; it does not add missing travel data or stretch the source dates.
Which browsers can export an MP4?
A browser must expose VideoEncoder and accept an H.264 configuration for the exact size and frame rate you chose. The page checks every offered combination at runtime. If one format fails, another may still work. If none work, the route preview can remain available while MP4 creation is disabled. Browser names alone are not reliable because codec support can differ by operating system, hardware, and browser build. AudioEncoder is checked separately, so a browser may create a silent MP4 even when it cannot add AAC.
Why can a larger export take much longer?
Larger frames take longer to draw and encode. A 1080×1920 export also needs more working memory than a 720×1280 export of the same duration. Start with 720p when testing a long route or a phone with limited memory. Keep the tab in the foreground, avoid locking the device during export, and use Cancel if the render needs to stop. There is no server job to resume later. The MediaBunny encoding code loads only when an export begins, rather than being part of the first page load.
What stays in the browser?
The Timeline JSON, parsed coordinates, chosen dates, custom text, audio buffer, and generated MP4 stay in the browser. They are not sent to a Timeline to Video server for rendering, storage, account sync, or publication. The analytics endpoint accepts fixed event names and broad size or timing buckets. It rejects route coordinates, filenames, exact dates, city names, user titles, and JSON fragments. Closing or clearing the project releases the application's current file and video references where the browser permits.
Why does creating a map make network requests?
The app is not fully offline. After you accept the map notice, the browser requests raster tiles from CARTO. CARTO can receive your IP address, browser request metadata, and tile coordinates for the map area being drawn. The Timeline JSON is not attached to those requests, but the tile pattern can reveal geographic context. Browser or network caches may retain tile responses under their own rules. The privacy page explains this before the first map request.
What does the endpoint privacy zone remove?
An endpoint privacy zone removes recorded points within the chosen radius of the route's original first and last points. The sanitized route is then used for map preparation, preview, and export. This control does not find a home in the middle of a route, remove labels printed on map tiles, or hide every location that appears often. A route can still expose routines through shape and timing. Inspect the final overview before sharing and use a broader date label when exact timing is unnecessary.
How do music and silent fallback work?
There are three built-in procedural scores: Horizon Pulse, Postcard Light, and Platform Repeat. The browser generates them locally with Web Audio and attempts to encode them as AAC inside the MP4. You can also choose Silent. If AAC is unavailable or the audio track fails during export, the app retries the video without music and reports that fallback. The current editor does not accept song uploads or search a music catalog. Add outside music after download only when you have the rights required by the destination platform.
Will the video name every city or stop?
The standard export does not provide a dependable list of city names, and Timeline to Video does not call a Places lookup service to invent one. The video can show the map image, selected period, route distance, active-day count, route-point count, and text you enter. Map labels may still reveal nearby places. A custom title can disclose a destination even when the route endpoints were removed. Use a broad title and check the opening and final frame if location disclosure matters.
Can the editor repair missing trips or wrong locations?
Timeline to Video cannot restore a trip that is absent from the phone export. The missing-trips guide covers account selection, encrypted backup, device migration, and fresh export checks. For a point in the wrong place, use the wrong-location guide before rendering; the conservative outlier filter only removes short, implausible return jumps and does not rewrite Google Maps Timeline. Empty or malformed files have a separate local troubleshooting checklist, so this FAQ does not repeat those recovery steps.
Verification
Sources and review notes
Claims on this page were reviewed against the sources below. Google Help is the authority for current Timeline behavior. Public videos and Reddit discussions are cited only where they document published work or individual reports. Product behavior was checked with the local automated suite on August 25, 2026.