Timelinize — Unified Personal Data Timeline

Introduction

Timelinize is a local-first application that imports and unifies your personal data from dozens of online services and local devices into a single, cohesive timeline. Photos, messages, location history, social media posts, contacts, and more are stored in a local database that you control, giving you a comprehensive and searchable archive of your digital life.

What Timelinize Does

• Imports data from services like Google Takeout, Facebook, Twitter/X, and iMessage
• Ingests photos, videos, and metadata from local folders and camera imports
• Merges location data from Google Maps Timeline, GPS tracks, and photo EXIF
• Presents all data on a unified, chronological timeline with filtering and search
• Stores everything locally in an SQLite database with no cloud dependency

Architecture Overview

Timelinize is written in Go and runs as a local server with an embedded web UI. Data sources are handled by pluggable importers that parse export archives or connect to APIs. All data is normalized into a common schema and stored in SQLite with full-text search via FTS5. The timeline UI is served locally and renders events, media, and location data on an interactive map and timeline view.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Download a single binary for Linux, macOS, or Windows — no installation required
• Configure data sources through the web UI by uploading export archives or connecting APIs
• Data is stored in a local directory that you choose; back it up like any other folder
• No external database, cloud service, or account registration needed
• Supports importing incrementally so you can add new data over time

Key Features

• Support for dozens of data sources including Google, Meta, Apple, and messaging apps
• Unified timeline view combining photos, messages, locations, and social posts
• Map view showing location history overlaid with geotagged photos
• Full-text search across all imported data
• Entity recognition linking people across different data sources

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Google Takeout — export-only with no unified viewer; Timelinize merges and visualizes
• ArchiveBox — archives web pages; Timelinize archives personal account data
• Immich — photo management only; Timelinize covers photos, messages, locations, and more
• Standard Notes — note-taking app; Timelinize is a data aggregation and archive tool

FAQ

Q: Does Timelinize connect directly to my accounts? A: For some services, yes. For others, you export your data (e.g., Google Takeout) and import the archive into Timelinize.

Q: Is my data uploaded anywhere? A: No. All data stays on your local machine in an SQLite database. Timelinize has no cloud component.

Q: What file formats does it support for import? A: It handles JSON, CSV, HTML, and various archive formats from supported services, plus common photo and video formats from local folders.

Q: Can I share my timeline with family members? A: Timelinize is designed for personal use on a single machine. Sharing would require giving access to the local web server.

Sources

• https://github.com/timelinize/timelinize
• https://timelinize.com