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Replay – A private, on-device Google Timeline replacement for iOS

Replay – A private, on-device Google Timeline replacement for iOS

by EnhancedJax·Mar 27, 2026·2 points·0 comments

AI Analysis

●●SolidSolve My ProblemCozy

Local-only Google Timeline replacement for iOS when OwnTracks feels too technical.

Strengths
  • No backend means zero breach surface for sensitive location data
  • Battery efficient using iOS significant-location-change API instead of constant polling
  • Clean timeline UI with automatic activity detection for walk, cycle, drive, transit
Weaknesses
  • iOS only with no Android support limits cross-platform users
  • Competes with free Google Timeline—harder sell as a one-time purchase
Category
Target Audience

Privacy-conscious iOS users who want location history without Google tracking

Similar To

Google Timeline · OwnTracks · Trace

Post Description

I got fed up with Google Timeline's awful location tracking and control, so I built my own.

Replay's a native app built entirely on Swift. It runs in the background, automatically saves your visits and routes, detects activity type (walk/cycle/drive/transit), and stores everything locally on your device.

No account. No subscription. No server ever touches your data. One-time purchase.

A few technical decisions I made that are worth calling out: - All processing happens on-device using CoreLocation and CoreMotion - No backend, which means no breach surface for your location data - Battery impact is minimal — same approach as iOS's own significant-location-change API, with minimal active location tracking to produce clean polylines - We use SwiftUI for most of the regular layout, but UIKit for the map & bottom sheet for fine control

What I mainly use it for is to know where I've been on my holidays, but it's also cool to see insights on my daily patterns so I just leave it on!

Check out the screenshots on the AppStore! https://replayapp.jaxtam.dev

Hope Replay would be useful for you. I'm open to any feedback. Thanks everyone!

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