Locus Map can hold far more than a list of cafes or trailheads: routes, recorded tracks, geocaches, offline maps, and carefully organized point folders all live in the same app. That flexibility is useful, but it also makes one distinction important.
A Google Maps saved list is a set of points. It is not a route and it is not a track.
For Locus Map 4 on Android, the clean workflow is:
Google Maps → GPX waypoints → Locus Map points folder
This guide is deliberately scoped to Locus Map 4 on Android. Locus Map Lite on iOS is a separate product, and its menus and file capabilities should not be inferred from the Android documentation.
Why GPX works well here
Locus Map's current points import documentation supports both GPX and KML. ExportMyMap's GPX gives each place its own waypoint with:
- latitude and longitude;
- the place name;
- the address in the description;
- an optional personal note;
- a Google Maps link when available.
There are no route or track elements. That matters because a list of independent destinations should not produce a line zigzagging from one continent to another.
KML is also valid. Use it when you want one file that opens easily in Google Earth, My Maps, MAPS.ME, or other KML-oriented software. Use GPX when Locus Map or another GPS app is the main destination and waypoint descriptions matter. The GPX export guide shows the exact structure.
Step 1: Create the GPX file
Open Google Maps on a computer in Chrome, Edge, Brave, or Arc.
- Install ExportMyMap.
- Go to Saved and open the source list.
- Start ExportMyMap and let the scan finish.
- Review the selected places.
- Choose GPX.
- Leave notes included only if they belong on the outdoor device.
- Download the file.
For a list that has been growing for years, remove confirmed duplicates and exclude obsolete businesses before import. The clean export guide shows how to do that without pretending duplicate detection is automatic.
Export 5 lists free — up to 5 places per list. Unlimited exports require a paid plan. GPX requires coordinates, so an unusual place without latitude and longitude will be skipped. Keep an Excel copy if every row matters, including entries that cannot become waypoints.
Step 2: Move GPX to Android
Copy the file to Downloads or another directory that Android's system file manager can access. A USB cable, Quick Share, email, or a downloaded cloud attachment all work.
Locus Map's official documentation also lists Dropbox and OneDrive. It specifically notes that its direct Google Drive integration has been unavailable since September 2025. If the file sits in Google Drive, download it through Android's file picker first instead of looking for an old Drive button inside Locus.
Step 3: Choose the destination folder before import
Open My Library in Locus Map 4. Create or select a folder for the imported points, then open the folder action menu and choose Import.
Naming the folder first prevents a large library from turning into one anonymous pile. Dolomites huts – Google Maps import is better than New folder 7.
Choose System File Manager, Dropbox, OneDrive, or another source shown by your version. Find the .gpx file and open it.
Locus analyses the content and should show the point import dialog. If it offers only track options, stop and inspect the file: the original ExportMyMap GPX contains waypoints, not tracks.
Step 4: Read the import options carefully
The point dialog contains useful choices, including:
- the destination folder;
- Display only (not save);
- Show on the map after import;
- Update elevation;
- Delete other points in folder.
For a permanent migration, do not choose Display only. Use it only for a temporary preview.
Leave Delete other points in folder off unless you intentionally want to replace everything already stored there. It is a destructive option, not a deduplication tool.
Turn on Show on the map after import, confirm the folder, and import.
Step 5: Verify the result
Do not judge a large import from one familiar point near home. Check:
- a distant waypoint;
- a place with a long name;
- a name containing an accent or another alphabet;
- a place with an address;
- a point with a personal note, if notes were included.
The coordinates are the reliable identity. Locus uses its own maps and point display, so the surrounding business information may not match Google's place card.
What is portable and what is not
Names and coordinates are portable. Address and note text can travel in the GPX description, but how prominently Locus displays that description depends on its interface.
Google ratings, reviews, photos, current opening hours, popularity, and category labels are not standard waypoint fields. Keep a spreadsheet archive when those details matter.
If personal notes matter most, read the notes preservation guide. A good migration keeps two files: GPX for navigation and Excel or JSON as the complete record.
Common problems
The file is greyed out. Confirm that its extension is .gpx or .kml and that it was downloaded locally. A cloud preview or HTML download page is not an importable map file.
The points are visible but disappear later. You probably used Display only (not save). Import again into a real My Library folder.
Existing points vanished. The Delete other points in folder option was enabled. Restore from a backup or reimport the earlier file, then use a separate folder for the Google Maps list.
Notes are missing. Confirm that Include notes was enabled during export. Then inspect the GPX in the GPX validator or a text editor. If the description is present in the file, the remaining question is how the app displays imported descriptions.
Some saved places are absent. GPX cannot contain a waypoint without coordinates. Compare the result with the missing coordinates guide.
Keep app libraries separate until the test is done
Do not import a new list directly into a carefully maintained folder on the first attempt. Use a temporary folder, check the result, and move or reimport only after you trust it.
That same GPX can also be tested in Gaia GPS. If you need a simpler bookmark-oriented app rather than an outdoor data library, the MAPS.ME guide uses KML instead.