KMZ viewer

Open a KMZ file without Google Earth. The file is unpacked and read in your browser and never uploaded.

How to use

  1. Drop a KMZ file on the box above or choose one.
  2. The tracks and points of the KML document inside appear on the drawing, with the elevation profile below.
  3. Read the distance, ascent and, for recorded tracks, the time and speed in the fields below the profile.
  4. To see the tracks on a map, select Show base map.

What a KMZ file is

A KMZ file is a ZIP archive that holds a KML document, often with images or icons. The viewer opens the first KML document at the top level of the archive, or the first one in any folder if there is none at the top. Other files in the archive are not read, and a note says how many other KML documents were left out.

To protect your device, a KMZ whose KML would take more than 300 MB once unpacked is refused.

How the numbers are calculated

Distance adds the straight lines between consecutive points on the Earth’s surface. Ascent and descent count a change once it reaches 5 metres, to leave out GPS noise. Time and moving time need timestamps, which only recorded tracks hold.

The base map

The drawing uses no map service. When you select Show base map, the map comes from OpenFreeMap, with data from OpenStreetMap. Your browser then asks OpenFreeMap for the tiles of the area shown, which tells it roughly where your tracks are, along with your IP address. The file and its points are never sent.

Your file stays on your device

TrackLoupe unpacks and reads the file with JavaScript in your browser. No part of the file, its name or its coordinates is sent to a server. To check, open the page, turn on airplane mode, and then open a file: it works the same.

Questions

How do I open a KMZ file?

Drop it on this page. It is unpacked in your browser, and its tracks and points appear with the elevation profile and statistics.

Can I see what is inside a KMZ file?

A KMZ file is a ZIP archive. Copy it, change the extension of the copy to .zip, and open it with any archive tool to see the KML document and the images inside.

Why does my KMZ file open only part of its content?

The archive may hold several KML documents. The viewer opens the first one and says how many it left out.

Is my file uploaded?

No. It is unpacked and read in your browser and stays on your device.

About the formats