Manual method
- On iPhone open Google Maps > profile > Settings > Personal content.
- Under Location settings choose Export Timeline data.
- Use Save to Files and keep location-history.json. Repeat on relevant devices if histories differ.
- Check a few dates, time zones and visits before deciding the archive is complete.
Coverage and limitations: Timeline is now device-based; a desktop Takeout package must not be assumed to contain it. An encrypted Timeline backup restores in Maps and is distinct from a readable JSON export. Android menu paths differ; follow the Android tab of the official article.
Size and time to allow
Illustrative planning size: 0.2 GB; scenario range 0.01–2 GB. This is a storage-planning example, not a measured average. Your archive may be smaller or larger. Several years of location JSON, modeled as hundreds of thousands of timestamped points; excludes photo/video libraries.
Preparation and hands-on time: Local export: plan 5–15 minutes plus file-copy time; no cloud archive queue is required for the iPhone route.
For the 0.2 GB example, network transfer alone is approximately:
| Connection download speed | Transfer estimate |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbit/s | 4 min |
| 50 Mbit/s | 46 sec |
| 100 Mbit/s | 23 sec |
These calculations use decimal GB and 70% of the advertised speed. Tiny transfers can take longer because of startup overhead. Local exports do not need an internet download; use these numbers only for a network transfer. Preparation, retries, extraction, checking and a cloud upload are additional; use upload speed for the latter.
Where and how to keep it
An encrypted USB key can hold this example, but keep another independent copy on an external drive or in private encrypted cloud storage. A USB key alone is easily lost and is not a complete preservation plan.
Create a dated google_maps/YYYY-MM-DD/ folder. Keep received originals unchanged, use a separate working copy, and note the account/profile, selected dates, formats and known gaps in a private README. Compare file sizes, check any supplied checksums, and open sample files from the backup before considering the task finished. Repeat after meaningful additions. Follow the storage, archive-checking and large-file guide.
Sources and review
Public documentation was reviewed on 27 October 2026. No signed-in export or restoration was performed. Account options and availability can change; follow the current provider instructions.