Location Tracker

Self-hosted alternative to Google Timeline using Dawarich. Own your location data - maps, trips, heatmaps, and stats without Google.

Why

Google Timeline moved to on-device storage in 2024, breaking web access and exports. Rather than trust Google with location data, I exported everything and self-host it now.

Architecture

Google Timeline JSON export (one-time)

↓

Dawarich import

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PostgreSQL + PostGIS (Docker)

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Nominatim reverse geocoding (place names)

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Web UI on localhost:60005

Stack

dawarich_app      # Rails web app
dawarich_sidekiq  # Background jobs (geocoding)
dawarich_db       # PostgreSQL + PostGIS
dawarich_redis    # Job queue

Features

Map views: Points, routes, heatmap, fog of war, scratch map
Stats: Countries/cities visited, distance traveled, time breakdown
Trips: Set dates, auto-generates map and stats
Places: Confirm suggested locations, track visits

Reverse Geocoding

Converts GPS coordinates to place names using Nominatim (free, 1 req/sec):

REVERSE_GEOCODING_ENABLED=true
# Uses Nominatim by default (no API key needed)

~17k points took ~4 days to process at the rate limit.

Data Ownership

All data lives in Docker volumes on my Mac. Backed up via Backblaze (Docker disk image). Google can't revoke access or change the format.