A Google Maps Timeline alternative for the drives you take
What changed with Google Maps Timeline, what it was good at, and when a driving map is the better tool.
By OVERDRIVE · Published October 11, 2026 · Facts checked October 16, 2026
Short answer: Google Maps Timeline now lives on your phone, is off by default and isn't available in Maps on a computer. When Google moved it off its servers, it said accounts that missed the deadline would keep only up to 90 days, and in March 2025 a technical issue deleted some people's Timelines; only a Google backup can bring one back. If what you actually want is a map of the roads you drive, OVERDRIVE (iPhone) records each drive you start, paints the roads onto your own map and keeps every drive as a route you can replay. It is not a full Timeline replacement: it doesn't record walks or visits, and it can't import old Timeline data. It maps drives from the day you install it.
Get OVERDRIVE on the App Store
iPhone only · Free download, first two drives free · Speed is never scored
What changed with Google Maps Timeline
According to Google's help pages, Timeline saves your visits and routes, is off by default and only works if you opt in, and is no longer available for Maps on a computer. Once your data has moved to your device, you can no longer open Timeline from a desktop browser, and it is kept according to your auto-delete settings. Backups are encrypted on Google's servers if you turn them on.
That suits people who want a private log of where they have been. It suits people less well if what they loved was looking back at a big map of the roads they had driven.
Lost your Timeline? What happened, and what you can still do
Google gave each account a deadline to move Timeline from its servers to a phone. The first was 1 December 2024; it was later extended, and many people were given 9 June 2025, although the date varied by account. For anyone who missed it, Google said it would try to move up to 90 days of Timeline data to the first signed-in device and delete anything older (TechRadar and Android Central, June 2024; TechRadar, December 2024).
Separately, in March 2025 people reported their Timelines disappearing. Google told some affected users that a technical issue had deleted Timeline data for some people, and that those with encrypted backups enabled may be able to restore it (Malwarebytes). A Google support reply published by BGR said Timeline data deleted during the migration "cannot be recovered through our current tools".
- Check every phone you have used. Timeline data is saved on each signed-in device. Open Google Maps, tap your profile picture or initial, then Your Timeline.
- Restore from a backup, if you had one. In Your Timeline, tap the cloud icon, choose the old device under "Your backups", then More › Import.
- Protect what is left. Turn on Backup from the cloud icon (auto-delete must be off), and export a copy: profile picture › Settings › Location & Privacy › Export Timeline data saves a file called location-history.json.
- Without a backup, Google's help page says deleted Timeline data can't be recovered. OVERDRIVE can't restore it either.
If what you miss most is the record of where you drove, OVERDRIVE starts a new one from your next drive: every road you drive lights up on a map stored on your iPhone. It brings back nothing from before.
Timeline and a driving map answer different questions
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Google Maps Timeline | OVERDRIVE | Fog of World | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | Where was I, and when? | Which roads have I driven? | Where in the world have I been? |
| What it records | Visits and routes, once you opt in | Drives you start; it then records hands-free | Tracks of any travel, in the background |
| What you see | A day-by-day timeline of places and routes | Every road you have driven painted onto one map; each drive kept for replay | A world map with the fog cleared where you have been |
| Walking and transit | Yes | No; driving only, with a passenger mode | Yes |
| Import old history | Restores from your own Timeline backup | No | GPX and KML files |
| Where data lives | On your device, with an optional encrypted backup | On your iPhone; online features use an anonymous account | On your device, synced to your own cloud if you choose |
| Price | Free | Free download, first two drives free, then OVERDRIVE Pro (a subscription or a one-time Lifetime purchase) | $30.00 one-time (US) |
What OVERDRIVE replaces, and what it doesn't
It replaces the "map of everywhere I have driven" view: one map with every road you have driven painted on, snapped to the street, with each drive kept as a route you can replay, plus an estimated discovery percentage for 230 cities.
It doesn't replace the record of places you visited, walks, flights or public transport, and it doesn't detect drives on its own. You start each drive while parked.
If you want to keep your Timeline history, keep your Google backup. OVERDRIVE cannot read it.
Privacy in OVERDRIVE
- Your painted map and drive history are stored on your iPhone.
- With Snap to Roads on, which is the default, a finished drive's points are sent to a map-matching service (OSRM) so the painted line follows real roads. Switch it off in Garage to keep every trace on the device.
- Friends, crews and chat use an anonymous account created on the device, with no email address and no password. You can delete the account and its cloud data from inside the app.
Read the full privacy policy for details.
OVERDRIVE is free to download and your first two drives are free. After that, OVERDRIVE Pro costs $3.99 a week, $9.99 a month or $34.99 a year in the US (prices vary by country), or a one-time Lifetime purchase ($29.99 until 31 October 2026, then $49.99). The annual and monthly plans include a 3-day free trial for eligible new subscribers; the weekly plan has none. The price and any trial are shown in the app before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Maps Timeline still available on a computer?
No. Google's help page says Timeline is not available for Maps on your computer; you need the Google Maps app on your phone.
Can I get a deleted Google Maps Timeline back?
Only from a Google backup. In Your Timeline, tap the cloud icon, pick the device under Your backups and tap Import. Google says deleted Timeline data can't be recovered otherwise, and OVERDRIVE cannot import or restore Timeline data.
Can OVERDRIVE import my Google Maps Timeline?
No. OVERDRIVE cannot import Timeline or any other location history. It maps the drives you record with it from the day you start.
Does OVERDRIVE record automatically like Timeline?
Not quite. You start each drive while parked, and OVERDRIVE then records hands-free until you end it.
Is there an app that shows all the roads I've driven on one map?
Yes. OVERDRIVE paints every road you drive onto a single map on iPhone and keeps each drive as a route you can replay.
Can I use OVERDRIVE as a mileage log for tax?
It is not designed for that. For business or tax mileage, use a tool with the records and exports your accountant needs.
Is OVERDRIVE on Android or CarPlay?
No. OVERDRIVE is an iPhone app (iOS 16.4 or later). There is no Android version and no CarPlay app.
How much does OVERDRIVE cost?
OVERDRIVE is free to download and your first two drives are free. After that, OVERDRIVE Pro costs $3.99 a week, $9.99 a month or $34.99 a year in the US (prices vary by country), or a one-time Lifetime purchase ($29.99 until 31 October 2026, then $49.99). The annual and monthly plans include a 3-day free trial for eligible new subscribers; the weekly plan has none. The price and any trial are shown in the app before you pay.
Sources
Checked October 16, 2026. OVERDRIVE facts come from the App Store listing and the app itself (version 2.0.0).
- Google Maps Help: Manage your Google Maps Timeline: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6258979
- Google Maps Help: Update Google Maps to use Timeline on your device: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/14169818
- OVERDRIVE on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6790023849
- OVERDRIVE App Store data (version, ratings, release date): https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=6790023849&country=us
- Fog of World, App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id505367096
- DriveTracker - Driving Log, App Store listing: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6754501628
- Google Maps Help: Manage your Google Maps Timeline (iPhone & iPad): https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6258979?co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS
- Google Maps Help: Manage your Google Maps Timeline (Computer): https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6258979?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
- TechRadar, 6 June 2024: Google Maps is about to get a big privacy boost, but fans of Timeline may lose their data: https://www.techradar.com/computing/software/google-maps-is-about-to-get-a-big-privacy-boost-but-fans-of-timeline-may-lose-their-data
- Android Central, 5 June 2024: Google Maps gets rid of another feature on Web: https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/google-maps-gets-rid-of-another-feature-on-web
- TechRadar, 12 December 2024: the Google Maps Timeline switch gets a new deadline date: https://www.techradar.com/phones/youve-got-more-time-the-great-google-maps-timeline-switch-gets-a-new-deadline-date
- BGR, 12 March 2025: Google Maps Bug Is Deleting Timelines, And There Might Not Be A Fix: https://www.bgr.com/tech/google-maps-bug-is-deleting-timelines-and-there-might-not-be-a-fix/
- Malwarebytes, 25 March 2025: Google accidentally deletes some users’ Maps Timeline data: https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/03/oops-google-accidentally-deletes-some-users-maps-timeline-data