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Data Export

Export your location history in multiple formats.

Supported Formats​

FormatExtensionUse Case
CSV.csvSpreadsheets, data analysis
GeoJSON.geojsonWeb mapping, GIS tools
GPX.gpxGPS devices, hiking apps
KML.kmlGoogle Earth, mapping

How to Export​

Bulk Export​

  1. Go to Data Management
  2. Tap Export Data
  3. Select the format
  4. Share the exported file via Android's share menu

Trip Export​

  1. Go to Location History → Trips tab
  2. Tap the export icon to export all trips for the selected day, or tap a trip card and export that single trip
  3. Select the format
  4. Share via Android's share menu

Trip exports include a trip column/property so each location is tagged with its trip number.

Export Data
Export Data
Auto-Export
Auto-Export

Scheduled Export (Auto-Export)​

Automatically export your location data on a schedule without opening the app.

Setup​

  1. Go to Data Management > Export Data
  2. Tap the Auto-Export card at the bottom
  3. Select an export directory (files are saved there via Android's Storage Access Framework)
  4. Choose a format (CSV, GeoJSON, GPX, or KML)
  5. Set the frequency: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
  6. Enable the toggle

You can also tap Export Now to trigger an immediate export using your current auto-export settings, without waiting for the next scheduled run.

Export Range​

  • All data - exports every stored location each time
  • Since last export - only exports locations recorded since the previous auto-export

File Retention​

By default, auto-export keeps the last 10 export files and deletes older ones automatically. You can change this in the File Retention setting (1, 5, 10, 30, or Unlimited).

How it works​

  • Uses Android WorkManager with a daily check interval - the worker runs every 24 hours and checks whether an export is actually due based on your chosen frequency
  • Promotes to a foreground service during export, preventing Android from killing long-running exports
  • Streams data in chunks (10,000 locations at a time) to keep memory usage low even with very large datasets
  • Writes to a temporary file first, then copies to the export directory - if something goes wrong mid-export, you never get a partial or corrupted file
  • After copying, verifies the destination file exists and has the correct size before deleting the temp file
  • If the export loop is cancelled (e.g. by disabling auto-export), it cleans up gracefully without leaving partial files
  • Permanent errors (invalid config, directory access issues) fail immediately; transient errors (I/O failures) retry up to 3 times
  • If the selected directory becomes inaccessible (permissions revoked), auto-export disables itself and a notification prompts you to re-select the directory
  • A notification is shown after each export with the file name and location count
  • Old export files beyond the retention limit are cleaned up after each successful export
Monthly frequency uses a calendar month (e.g. Jan 15 to Feb 15), not a fixed 30-day interval. Daily and Weekly intervals are approximate due to Android battery optimization.

File naming​

Files are saved as colota_export_<timestamp>.<ext> in the selected directory.

Storage Reference​

  • ~200 bytes per location
  • ~2 MB per 10,000 locations