GPS track on the map: GPX export and Google Maps explained
How to read the map, markers and states of the phone alarm system, how to save the track as a GPX file, open it in Google Maps and how long it is kept.
When your phone runs as an alarm system or tracker, it reports its position to the server. In the viewer it appears on a map, and not just as a dot but as a track with markers. You can do quite a lot with that.
The panel and the map
Under “Protection & map” in the viewer you find a collapsible panel with a map, a period selector (1 hour to 14 days) and the maps of your devices. If you have several devices, you choose with selection buttons which device the map shows. The map is based on OpenStreetMap and loads its tiles directly from there; OpenStreetMap technically sees your IP address but not where your devices are.
How to read the track
The line is coloured by state: disarmed, armed and still, armed and moving, alarm with siren, silent alarm and “siren silenced” each have their own colour. Markers show turning points: the start of recording, arming, disarming, alarms, the siren going quiet and stops, plus intermediate points about every ten minutes while moving. If you tap a marker, time, accuracy, speed and a button to open in Google Maps appear.
Saving a GPX file
Below the map you find the button “GPX file”. It downloads the track in the standard GPX format, with track and waypoints. That is handy for the police and insurers, for hiking or cycling route planners and for navigation apps. The file name contains the device and the period. The file contains only the track of this device, not your account data.
Opening in Google Maps
The “Google Maps” button opens the last known position as a pin in Google Maps, in your phone's Maps app if needed. From there you can start navigation, for example if you are looking for your motorhome on a large site. Google naturally learns what you are looking at in that case. If you do not want that, use the map directly in the viewer.
How accurate is it?
Outdoors GPS is usually accurate to a few metres, indoors and in car parks much worse. Every point is stored with its accuracy and shown in the popup. A single outlier is normal. What matters is the course.
Retention and deletion
The track is stored for at most 14 days, with at most 6,000 points per device. You can delete it at any time in the panel, and it is deleted with the account. It is also part of the subject access request and the data export. More in the article Where are my recordings?.
