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Export Google Maps Favorites: Complete Guide for Starred Places

Export Google Maps starred and favorite places with coordinates. Step-by-step guide for saving your favorites to GPX, KML, and CSV for GPS devices and apps.

February 3, 2026

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6 min read

Your Google Maps starred places represent years of discoveries - the restaurant a friend recommended, the hidden viewpoint you stumbled upon, the coffee shop that became your remote office. Unlike custom lists you consciously organize, your starred places often capture spontaneous finds that would be impossible to recreate.

But what happens when you want to access these favorites outside Google Maps? Whether you're planning to switch navigation apps, use a GPS device without cell service, or simply keep a backup you control, you'll need to export them - and that's where things get complicated.

This guide focuses specifically on exporting your starred and favorited places from Google Maps.

What Counts as a Starred or Favorite Place?

Google Maps has evolved its favorites system over the years, which can be confusing:

  • Starred places (⭐) - The original way to mark favorites. When you star a location, it gets a yellow star on your map.
  • Favorited places (❤️) - Newer heart icon that works the same as stars
  • "Favorites" list - A default list where your hearts/stars are collected

All of these end up in the same place when you export. In your Google Takeout data, you'll typically find them in a file called "Starred Places.csv" or within your "Favorites" list export.

Looking for the comprehensive guide? If you have multiple custom lists beyond just starred places, our complete export guide covers all list types.

Why Export Your Starred Places?

There are several scenarios where exporting makes sense:

Switching apps: If you're moving to OsmAnd, Organic Maps, or another navigation app, you'll want to bring your favorites with you.

Backup: Google accounts can be lost or locked. Your starred places represent years of accumulated knowledge - having a backup protects that.

Offline use: GPS devices and offline apps need local data. Exporting lets you access your favorites without cell service.

Analysis: Maybe you want to see your favorites on a map, identify patterns, or share them with others in a clean format.

The Export Problem

When you export your starred places through Google Takeout, you get a CSV file with names, addresses, and URLs - but no coordinates. This is a problem because:

  • GPS devices can't navigate to an address without lat/long
  • Most mapping software expects coordinates
  • Addresses can be ambiguous (which "123 Main St"?)

You'll need to geocode your places - convert addresses to coordinates - before you can use them in most applications.

How to Export and Geocode Your Starred Places

Step 1: Download from Google Takeout

  1. Go to Google Takeout
  2. Click "Deselect all" (you don't want your entire Google history)
  3. Find and select only "Saved"
  4. Click "Next step" → "Create export"
  5. Wait for the email, then download and unzip

Look for a file called "Starred Places.csv" or similar in the Saved folder.

Step 2: Add Coordinates

For most users, the easiest approach is to use a geocoding service like Takeout Tools that's designed specifically for Google Takeout files:

  1. Upload your CSV file
  2. The service geocodes each place automatically
  3. Export in your preferred format (GPX, KML, GeoJSON, or CSV with coordinates)

If you prefer a manual approach or have just a few places, you can look up coordinates individually in Google Maps (right-click → "What's here?") and add them to a spreadsheet.

Step 3: Import to Your Target App

Where you import depends on what you're using:

GPS Devices (Garmin, etc.): Export as GPX, copy to the device's GPX folder via USB

OsmAnd / Organic Maps: Export as GPX, import through the app's favorites menu

Google Earth: Export as KML, open directly or drag-and-drop

Spreadsheets: Export as CSV with coordinates for Excel/Google Sheets

Special Considerations for Starred Places

Language Issues

If your Google account uses a non-English language, the CSV headers may be translated. Geocoding services typically expect English headers like "Title", "Address", "URL". You may need to rename the columns before processing.

Large Collections

If you've been starring places for years, you might have hundreds or thousands. A few things to know:

  • Batch geocoding services handle this fine, but it takes longer
  • Some places may fail to geocode (closed businesses, vague names)
  • Consider exporting in batches if you want to review results

Duplicates

Over time, you may have starred the same place multiple times from different searches. Most target apps handle duplicates gracefully, but you can clean them up in a spreadsheet before importing if preferred.

Pro Tips

  1. Star strategically going forward. Now that you know exporting is possible but tedious, you might want to also save important places to a custom list with a clear name.

  2. Export before trips. If you're traveling somewhere without reliable data, export your starred places for that region ahead of time.

  3. Check the geocoding results. Automated geocoding is usually accurate, but obscure places or recently closed businesses can end up in the wrong spot.

  4. Keep the original Takeout export. Save it somewhere safe. If you need to re-process later with different settings, you'll have the source.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I export just my starred places without other lists?

Google Takeout exports all your saved places together, but they're organized by list. Your starred places will typically be in a separate file from custom lists. If they're mixed, you can filter by list name in a spreadsheet before geocoding.

Do my stars show up on other people's maps?

No, your starred places are private to your account. Exporting them doesn't make them public.

What happens to the star icon when I import?

Most apps don't have an exact "star" concept - they import as favorites, waypoints, or POIs depending on the app. The location and name are preserved; the visual representation varies.

Can I edit my exported places?

Yes. If you export as CSV, you can edit names, delete unwanted places, or add notes in any spreadsheet app before converting to GPX/KML.

Will photos I attached to starred places export?

No. Google Takeout only exports text data (names, addresses, URLs). Photos attached to your place saves are not included.

Export Your Starred Places

Get coordinates for all your favorites in one click

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Already have geo files? Validate and convert them with our free browser-based tools:

See Other Export Guides