Privacy
Effective date: August 27, 2026
Developer: MahlerLab
Contact: mahlerlabdiy@gmail.com
Timeline Visualizer is designed to process sensitive location history locally.
Data the app can access
Your Timeline file is never uploaded. The app reads only the Timeline file and imported MP4 documents that the user explicitly chooses in Android's system document picker. It does not request device location, Google account access, contacts, photos, advertising identifiers, or broad storage permission.
Data storage
The selected JSON file is not copied into app storage. After a successful import, the app saves useful journey history from that file in an app-private Travel Journal database. The Journal can accumulate detailed locations and semantic Timeline history across later imports so older route detail remains available on the device. The app also records import provenance needed to reject duplicate or mismatched files. This database is more sensitive than one Timeline export because it can consolidate movement history over time. It is excluded from Android cloud backup and device transfer.
While a video is being created, the selected route points and export settings are
temporarily stored in private app storage so creation can continue when the app is
no longer on screen and can restart if Android recreates the app process. This
temporary export data is deleted after completion, cancellation, or failure and is
excluded from Android backup and device transfer. Generated videos are written
through Android's media storage interfaces. On Android 10 and later, completed MP4
files are saved through MediaStore under
Movies/Timeline Visualizer. Android 8 and 9 use the system Save As picker.
Cached basemap image tiles remain in the app's temporary cache for no more than
30 days. The app deletes older tiles automatically. They can also be removed by
clearing the app cache or uninstalling the app.
After a successful Timeline import, the app also stores the selected document URI so it can request access to the same document on the next launch. Replacing the selection replaces this URI.
On Android 13 and newer, the app may request notification permission so it can show video progress and a completion alert. Declining this permission does not stop video creation and does not grant access to any personal data.
Travel Journal reminders are optional. If enabled, an inexact local background check reads only the Journal's freshness metadata and may show one or two quiet notifications when a newer Timeline export could preserve recent route detail. The check does not reopen the source document, use device location, or contact a developer server. Reminder preferences are stored locally and excluded from Android backup and device transfer.
For the Videos library, the app stores a local index containing the selected video URI, title, filename, duration, creation date, and Timeline period when available. A small thumbnail is stored in private app storage. The app requests persistent access only to MP4 files that the user creates or explicitly adds. Newly generated videos use a small final-overview thumbnail in private storage. A 1080 × 1080 overview PNG may remain temporarily in app cache for the completion screen's save and share actions. No visible PNG is created unless the user chooses where to save it.
Android backup and device-transfer rules exclude the Videos index and thumbnails so video references and preview images are not copied to another device.
Network use
The app requests raster map tiles from CARTO. Those requests contain standard zoom/x/y tile identifiers and normal network metadata such as an IP address and user agent. Tile identifiers correspond to geographic areas in the selected Timeline and may reveal those areas to CARTO. Before the first Timeline is loaded, the app explains this transfer and lets the user cancel. The app does not send the Timeline JSON, a list of route coordinates, video frames, titles, or generated videos to CARTO or to the developer.
The application has no analytics, advertising, crash-reporting, login, or developer-operated server.
Video presets, automatic-title fields, and saved trip projects are stored only in private app storage. They are never shared off the device and are excluded from Android backup and device transfer.
All network requests made by the app use encrypted HTTPS connections. Under CARTO's current Basemap Terms, CARTO processes request information on the developer's behalf, truncates IP addresses when requests arrive, and stores the resulting request logs in the United States for 30 days. CARTO may also process this information under its privacy notice and data-processing agreement.
Deleting data
Use Android's Settings → Apps → Timeline Visualizer → Storage & cache → Clear cache to remove cached map tiles and other temporary files. Clearing the cache does not delete the Travel Journal. Use Clear storage or uninstall the app to remove the Travel Journal, reminder metadata, Videos index, thumbnails, and all other private application data. The Travel Journal is not recoverable unless the source Timeline history is still available for import. Removing an entry from Videos does not delete the MP4. Use the separately confirmed Delete video action, or delete the file from its saved location, to remove the actual video.
Third-party map sources
Map tiles are provided by CARTO and use OpenStreetMap data. Their terms and privacy practices apply to tile requests: