You exported your Snapchat memories, imported them into Google Photos, and opened the map view. Nothing. Three years of photos from different cities and trips, and not a single pin on the map.
The photos are there. The map just cannot see them.
This happens because Snapchat never writes GPS coordinates into your photo files. The location data exists – it is sitting in a file called memories_history.json inside your export. But gallery apps read location from EXIF fields inside each photo file, not from a separate JSON file.
This guide explains exactly what is happening and how to get your location data back.
When you request your data from Snapchat’s account portal, you get a ZIP file. Inside that ZIP is a file called memories_history.json.
That file contains the original capture date, latitude, longitude, and altitude for every memory you took with location enabled. All of it is there, structured, and accurate.
The problem is that Snapchat never transfers that data into the actual photo files. When a photo downloads, it arrives as a plain JPEG or MP4 with no GPS fields in its EXIF data. The coordinates stay in the JSON and go nowhere else.
Gallery apps read location from EXIF fields inside each file. They have no way to read a separate JSON file. So even though your location data exists, no app can use it.
If you want to understand more about what is inside memories_history.json, this guide to Snapchat export JSON files covers the structure in detail.
In early 2025, Snapchat updated how exports work. The main change was that photos now download with the correct timestamp embedded in the file. Before that update, every exported photo showed the download date instead of the original capture date.
That was a real fix. But location data was not part of it.
As of 2026, Snapchat still only stores GPS coordinates in memories_history.json. They do not write latitude or longitude into the EXIF fields of the actual photo. The map view problem remains the same as it was before the 2025 update.
If you exported recently and your timestamps look correct but your map is still empty, this is why. The timestamps are fixed. The location is not.
Every photo file can carry EXIF metadata — a set of fields that record when and where the photo was taken. When GPS is properly embedded, the relevant fields look like this:
When Snapchat exports your photo without writing GPS, those same fields are empty:
Gallery apps read those fields to place photos on a map. When the fields are empty, the app has nothing to plot. The photo exists in your library but has no location the app can use.
Each app behaves differently when GPS fields are empty, but the result is the same: your photos do not appear on any map.
Apple Photos
Apple Photos has a map view in the sidebar that only populates when EXIF GPS fields are present in the file. If your exported Snapchat photos have no GPS, they will not appear on the map at all. You can manually add a location to an individual photo by selecting it and editing the info panel. That is not practical for hundreds or thousands of files.
Google Photos
Google Photos has a map view under the Explore tab. Photos without GPS are excluded from it. According to Google Photos support, the app can sometimes infer a location from nearby geotagged photos taken around the same time. But Snapchat exports typically span different years and locations without consistent overlap with your other photos. This inference rarely helps in practice.
Windows Photos
Windows Photos does not have a built-in map view. Missing GPS does not affect the viewing experience directly. But if you later import those files into Google Photos or Apple Photos, the location will still be missing. Restoring GPS before that migration saves work later.
The root cause is identical across all three: the GPS fields inside each file are empty, and no gallery app writes those fields for you automatically.
The fix is straightforward: read the coordinates from memories_history.json and write them into the EXIF fields of the matching photo file. The data already exists — it just needs to move from the JSON into each file.
ExportSnaps does this automatically. It reads memories_history.json, matches each entry to its file, and writes the GPS coordinates, altitude, and timezone into the EXIF fields before saving. All processing happens locally on your computer. Your photos never leave your device.
Here is how to use it:
memories_history.json into the app OR Select the local processingAfter processing, the GPS fields are populated in each file. Google Photos and Apple Photos will place them on the map immediately after import.
ExportSnaps also handles captions and overlays that Snapchat still does not embed into exports. The add location to Snapchat export feature page explains exactly which EXIF fields get written to each file.
The free tier covers up to 200 files. For larger libraries, it is a one-time payment of $15. The how it works page has a full walkthrough if you want to see the process before downloading.
For broader context on what else gets stripped from Snapchat exports, the fix Snapchat export EXIF data guide covers the full picture.
