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How to Transfer Google Maps Saved Places to Organic Maps: Complete Guide

Learn how to export your Google Maps saved places and import them into Organic Maps with step-by-step instructions, including solutions for the geocoding challenge.

October 29, 2025

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5 min read

Are you moving from Google Maps to Organic Maps and want to bring all your favorite locations with you? This complete guide shows you how to export your Google Maps saved places and import them into Organic Maps, while solving the common challenge of missing coordinates in Google Takeout.

What is Organic Maps and Why Use It?

Organic Maps is a privacy-focused, offline-first maps and navigation app based on OpenStreetMap data. It's designed for hikers, travelers, and privacy-conscious users who want fast maps without trackers. Organic Maps is particularly useful for:

  • Offline navigation and search
  • Privacy-friendly routing without analytics or ads
  • Viewing high-quality OSM data and hiking trails
  • Organizing places as bookmarks and folders
  • Importing/exporting bookmarks in standard formats (KML/KMZ/KMB/GPX)

The Challenge: Google Maps Export Limitations

When exporting your data from Google, you'll quickly discover a significant limitation: Google Takeout doesn't provide actual geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) for your saved places. Instead, it only gives you names and addresses, which aren't directly importable into Organic Maps. You'll first need to geocode your places to add precise coordinates.

Step-by-Step Solution

1. Export Your Saved Places from Google Takeout

First, let's get your data out of Google:

  1. Go to Google Takeout
  2. Click "Deselect all"
  3. Scroll down and select only "Saved" (your Google Maps saved places/lists)
  4. Click "Next step"
  5. Choose "Export once" and set the export format to .zip
  6. Click "Create export"
  7. Wait for the export (you'll receive an email)
  8. Download the ZIP file
  9. Unzip it and find the "Saved Places" folder

2. The Geocoding Challenge

At this point, you have your saved places, but they're not ready for import. The exported CSVs lack latitude/longitude, which are required for mapping apps like Organic Maps. Geocoding converts each address or place name into precise coordinates.

3. Geocoding Options

You have several options for geocoding:

Option 1: Manual Geocoding (Time-Consuming)

Look up each place manually and copy coordinates. This works for a handful of items, but it's impractical for large lists.

Option 2: Use a Geocoding API

Developers can script against a geocoding API, but this requires coding experience, API keys, and time to manage rate limits and errors.

Option 3: Use Takeout Tools (Recommended)

The simplest solution is to use Takeout Tools:

  1. Visit Takeout Tools
  2. Upload your exported CSV files from Google Takeout (multiple files supported)
  3. If your CSV headers are not in English, translate them to the exact English names (case-sensitive) to avoid parsing errors
  4. The service automatically geocodes all your saved places
  5. Choose your preferred export format for Organic Maps:
    • GPX (recommended for bookmarks/waypoints)
    • KML (widely supported by Organic Maps and other tools)
    • GeoJSON (can be converted if needed)

4. Importing into Organic Maps

Organic Maps supports bookmarks and tracks in KML, KMZ, KMB, and GPX formats. You can import a single file or import in batch.

Import a single file (iOS and Android)

  1. Locate your exported KML/KMZ/KMB/GPX file (e.g., in Files/iCloud/Google Drive or from email/messenger)
  2. Tap once or long-press the file
  3. Choose Open with Organic Maps (Android) or Import with Organic Maps (iOS)
  4. After import, you'll see “Bookmarks loaded successfully!” Your places will be visible on the map and in the Bookmarks menu

Import multiple files (batch)

  1. Open the Organic Maps app
  2. Tap the star icon to open Bookmarks/Tracks
  3. Tap Import Bookmarks and Tracks
  4. Select a folder containing KML/KMZ/KMB/GPX files (subfolders will be scanned)
  5. Organic Maps will import all supported files

Tip: For best results, export GPX with categories/lists preserved as folders, so your organization carries over as bookmark groups in Organic Maps.

Benefits of Using Takeout Tools

  • Time-Saving: Process hundreds of places in minutes
  • Accurate Geocoding: Reliable coordinates for precise placement
  • Preserves Organization: Keep lists/labels as folders or categories
  • Multiple Export Formats: GPX, KML, and more for broad compatibility
  • Privacy-Focused: Processed securely without long-term storage

Conclusion: Take Your Bookmarks with You to Organic Maps

Moving your saved places from Google Maps to Organic Maps doesn't have to be hard. With Google Takeout and the geocoding provided by Takeout-Tools.com, you can quickly migrate your favorite locations and keep your organization intact for offline, privacy-friendly navigation.

Get it done quickly with Takeout Tools

Upload your Google Takeout CSVs, let the service add coordinates, and download a clean file ready for Organic Maps.

  • Takeout Tools
  • Accurate geocoding
  • Multiple export options (CSV/GPX/KML/GeoJSON)
  • Privacy-conscious processing

See Other Export Guides

Need a different format or destination? Start here: