Why Google Maps Timeline is no longer on desktop

What changed

The older Maps experience let users inspect Location History from a computer. In the device-first model, Timeline data is stored on the phone and can be backed up in an encrypted form when that option is enabled. The desktop Maps site cannot simply open the local database on your phone, which is why the familiar web Timeline disappeared.

This change does not mean every trip was automatically deleted, but it does change where you must look. The phone that completed the migration, plus any available encrypted backup, is the place to verify history.

Where to find and export the data now

On Android, the current export normally starts in Phone Settings under Location → Location services → Timeline. On iPhone, start in Google Maps under profile picture → Settings → Personal content → Export Timeline data. Follow the general Timeline export instructions, or use the detailed Android guide and iPhone guide, then save the JSON locally.

If history is missing after a phone change, app reinstall, or reset, look for the restore option in Google Maps before exporting. A third-party visualizer cannot access or decrypt that backup.

Use the export on a computer without uploading it

Move the JSON to your computer through a transfer method you trust, then open Timeline to Video in a supported browser. The file is parsed locally, which restores a useful desktop workflow without requiring a service to store the location history.

Once map loading begins, the browser still requests third-party tiles. Read the privacy boundary, hide sensitive places with the home privacy workflow, and do not describe the experience as fully offline.

Check the migration before assuming data was deleted

The change to device-stored Timeline separates three things that used to feel like one service: the local history on a phone, an optional encrypted backup, and an exported JSON copy. A desktop browser cannot read the phone's local store, and an exported file is not a live connection to the account. Treat each one as a different state when troubleshooting.

Before replacing or resetting a phone, open Timeline on the device, check several known dates, and confirm whether backup is enabled for that device. After moving phones, import an available backup inside Google Maps and verify the dates there before exporting. If no backup exists and the original device data is gone, a visualizer cannot recreate it from map tiles, photos, or account sign-in.

For desktop use, transfer only the exported JSON through a method you trust, keep an untouched original, and compare the viewer's date coverage with the phone. This gives you a verifiable local workflow without implying that the retired desktop Timeline has returned.

Independent tool notice

Timeline to Video is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google, and it cannot change Google Maps account, storage, backup, or retention behavior.