Timeline.json is empty? Every reason and the fix

You exported your Timeline, picked the file, and got "The file is empty". It almost never means anything is broken: one of six specific things happened between Google Maps and your browser. Here they are, most common first, each with its fix.

First, tell two situations apart:

• The file is literally 0 KB — check its size in your phone's Files app.
• The file has content, but the tool says "no usable locations" — different causes, covered at the end.

One thing that is never the problem: the file's name. If your phone is set to another language, the export gets a localized name instead of Timeline.json — it works here exactly the same.

1. Timeline was only just turned on

"Timeline is on" starts recording from now. If you enabled it today, the export has nothing in it yet — an empty file is exactly what Google gives you.

Fix: travel for a few days with your phone, open Google Maps → profile picture → Your Timeline and confirm days show visits, then export again.

2. You picked the file through "Recent" or a cloud shortcut

On Android, the file picker's Recent view and Google Drive entries sometimes hand the browser a 0-byte placeholder instead of the real file — the export is fine, the browser just cannot read it from there.

Fix: open the Files app, find Timeline.json (usually in Downloads), check its size is not 0 KB — then on the site, choose it from the Downloads folder directly, not from Recent or Drive.

3. The export had not finished writing

If you jump to the browser the second you tap Save, the file may still be mid-write.

Fix: wait for the "Export complete" confirmation, give it a few seconds, then pick the file.

4. Timeline was off, or the history lives on your old phone

Since 2024, Timeline is stored on the device, not in your Google account. If Timeline was off, there is nothing to export. If you changed phones, your history stayed on the old one unless you had backup on.

Fix: check Google Maps → profile picture → Your Timeline → ⋯ → Location & privacy settings says "Timeline is on". Changed phones? Restore from Your Timeline → cloud icon → your old device's backup — full steps in our export guide.

5. It is a Google Takeout archive, not a phone export

Takeout ZIPs are a different format, and since the 2024 migration they usually contain no recent Timeline data at all. The tool will tell you if you feed it a ZIP.

Fix: export from the phone instead. iPhone: Google Maps → Settings → Location & Privacy → Export Timeline data (saved as Timeline.json or location-history.json — both work here). Android: Settings → Location → Location services → Timeline → Export Timeline data.

6. The file has data, but "no usable locations"

The export contains only raw GPS records, or the selected period has no visits. Timeline Visualizer detects raw-only files and offers to use them (routes look slightly rougher). If a specific month is empty, widen the period — the summary line under the period picker shows how many points each selection has.

30-second checklist

Check	Where
File size is not 0 KB	Files app → Downloads
Picked from Downloads, not Recent / Drive	file picker
"Export complete" was shown before you switched apps	Google Maps / Settings
Your Timeline shows visits on real days	Google Maps → Your Timeline
It is Timeline.json / location-history.json (or its localized name), not a Takeout ZIP	file name

Still stuck? Email support@timelinevisualizer.net with the file size you see in the Files app (for example "Timeline.json, 2.3 MB") — that one number usually identifies the cause.

Menu names follow Google's help page "Manage your Google Maps Timeline" and the Google Maps app as of August 2026.