Open a GPX file in any platform
Every major mapping and fitness platform takes a GPX file slightly differently. Some accept GPX directly (Strava, Garmin Connect, Komoot, Ride with GPS, AllTrails+); some need a KML or KMZ conversion first (Google Maps, Google Earth); some don't accept GPX at all (Apple Maps). The guides below cover the actual import workflow per platform — including what gets preserved, what gets stripped, and which path inside the platform you should choose for what you're trying to do.
Published platform guides
Open GPX in Google My Maps
Convert GPX to KMZ in your browser, import into Google My Maps, view in standard Google Maps under Saved → Maps.
Open GPX in Google Earth
Drop the KMZ onto Google Earth Web for 3D terrain visualization. Best for seeing climbs and valleys against real terrain.
Open GPX in Strava
Upload a GPX activity to Strava on the web. Strava recomputes elevation from its own dataset.
Open GPX in Komoot
Upload a GPX as a Komoot Tour. Komoot's free tier accepts uploads; offline maps require a region purchase or Premium.
Open GPX in Garmin Connect
Import GPX as a Garmin Connect Activity. For navigable Courses on Edge or fenix, use Training → Courses instead.
Open GPX in Ride with GPS
Upload to Ride with GPS as either an Activity (recorded) or Route (planned).
Open GPX in AllTrails
Import GPX as a Custom Map in AllTrails+ (paid). Saves to your account and syncs to the mobile app for offline use.
Open GPX in Apple Maps
Apple Maps does not natively import GPX. The realistic Apple-stack workflows use third-party apps (WorkOutDoors, Footpath, Komoot, Maps.me) that handle GPX themselves.
Format-acceptance matrix
Whether you need to convert your GPX before uploading depends entirely on the destination platform. The summary:
| Platform | GPX direct? | Format needed | Mobile import? | Free tier covers it? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strava | Yes | GPX, FIT, TCX | Web only | Yes |
| Garmin Connect | Yes | GPX, FIT, TCX | Web only | Yes |
| Komoot | Yes | GPX | Web only | Yes (offline maps gated) |
| Ride with GPS | Yes | GPX, TCX, FIT | Web (mobile read-only) | Yes (offline gated) |
| AllTrails | Yes | GPX, KML | Web only | No (AllTrails+ required) |
| Google My Maps | No | KML, KMZ, CSV | Desktop only | Yes |
| Google Earth Web | No | KML, KMZ | Desktop and mobile browser | Yes |
| Apple Maps | No | No first-class import | N/A | N/A |
For the no-direct-GPX platforms (Google Maps, Google Earth), viewmygpx's converter produces KMZ in your browser at the same time you preview the file. The Open in chips on the viewer push the right format to the right destination automatically.
Pick a platform by what you're trying to do
The right destination depends on the work the file needs to do. A quick decision tree:
- Follow on a Garmin Edge / Forerunner / fenix. Upload as a Course in Garmin Connect; the route pushes to the device for turn-by-turn following.
- Follow on a Wahoo ELEMNT / Bolt / Roam. Upload as a Route in Ride with GPS or as a Route in Strava; both push directly to Wahoo via the platform connection.
- Follow on a phone with voice navigation, on mapped roads or trails. Upload as a Tour in Komoot; voice cues are strong on mapped routes. For backcountry where the route leaves mapped trails, use Gaia GPS (guide pending).
- Log a recorded ride or hike to a fitness profile. Upload as an Activity in Strava or Garmin Connect. For activities split across both ecosystems, connect the two accounts under either platform's settings to mirror automatically.
- See the route in 3D over real terrain (climbs, valleys, alpine context). Google Earth Web is in a class of its own here. The same KMZ that goes to Google My Maps also opens in Earth.
- Edit the route, drop pins, or embed on a website. Google My Maps for editable polylines and shareable iframes. RWGPS for cycling-specific cue editing.
- Generate a printable cue sheet for handlebar instructions. Ride with GPS is the cue-sheet specialist; auto-generates from the polyline and lets you edit the cue text per turn.
- Save to a list of favorite trails with community photos and reviews. AllTrails (AllTrails+ subscription required for custom-route imports).
- Just look at the route, with stats. The viewer on viewmygpx.com renders the file without uploading anything. Drop the .gpx, see the route on a map with the elevation profile and stats panel — leave when done. Files stay on your device.
What every GPX import has in common
Different platforms, similar steps. Across the major destinations, the shape of every GPX import is roughly the same:
- Sign in. All major platforms require an account before accepting an upload. Free-tier accounts are fine for the upload itself; some platforms gate offline use, voice navigation, or premium features behind a subscription.
- Pick the right path inside the platform. Strava, Garmin Connect, RWGPS, and Komoot all have at least two import targets: an Activity (recording) versus a Route / Course / Tour (planned for following). The choice matters and isn't always reversible — pick before uploading.
- Drop the file or browse for it. Every platform's upload page accepts drag-and-drop or a file picker. Mobile uploads are restricted on most platforms; desktop is the safer choice.
- Wait for the platform to recompute distance and elevation. Most platforms run their own pass over the polyline against their elevation model. The displayed numbers may differ from your file's values; both are valid for different definitions of distance and elevation gain.
- Edit the title, type, and visibility. Platform defaults vary — Strava activities default to your followers, Komoot tours to private, Garmin to connections. Set per-upload privacy at this point.
- Save. The route is now in your account, ready for the platform's downstream tools — segment matching, head-unit sync, sharing, embedding, voice navigation, or whatever the platform's thing is.
What survives import across the ecosystem
A GPX file is more than coordinates. The track polyline, named waypoints, timestamps, elevation values, and Garmin extensions (heart rate, cadence, temperature on every trackpoint) are all in the file — but each platform interprets them differently.
- Polyline — preserved everywhere, sometimes snapped to the platform's road or trail database for cleaner display. The original line is what the platform stores; the displayed line may be the snapped version.
- Named waypoints — preserved by all major platforms but rendered differently. Strava: small map markers. Komoot: Highlights with descriptions and voice cues. Garmin: Course Points with vibration alerts. RWGPS: cue-sheet entries. Google My Maps: pins. Google Earth: 3D placemarks.
- Elevation — the file's values are preserved in storage but recomputed for display by Strava, Komoot, and AllTrails. Garmin Connect can use either. Displayed gain/loss differs from your file's; both are valid.
- Timestamps — preserved when present; their absence triggers different behavior per platform (Strava: virtual ride; Komoot: distance-based pacing; Garmin: zero moving time on Activities).
- Garmin TrackPointExtension (heart rate, cadence, temperature) — read by all major fitness platforms. Ignored by Google My Maps and Google Earth.
- Other extension namespaces — ClueTrust (geocaching), GPX 1.1 extensions for waypoint icons, Garmin GpxExtensions v3 — preserved by some platforms, dropped by most. Don't rely on niche extensions surviving the round trip.
Privacy considerations across platforms
A GPX file contains the exact coordinates of every step or pedal stroke. Once uploaded, those coordinates sit on the platform's servers. The privacy implications differ by platform but the patterns are similar.
- Default visibility varies. Strava: your followers (configurable). Komoot: private. Garmin Connect: your Connections. RWGPS: private. AllTrails: private. Google My Maps: private until you generate a share link. Always confirm the privacy setting at upload time, especially for the first upload of the day.
- Privacy zones for routes near home. Strava and Garmin Connect both let you define a circular zone around home, work, or other sensitive locations. Routes passing through those zones are masked on activity maps for everyone except you. Configure these before uploading routes that start or end at home.
- Aggregated heatmaps. Strava, Komoot, and other platforms publish anonymized heatmaps of routes uploaded to them. Even with private activity visibility, your route may contribute to the public heatmap unless you specifically opt out under the privacy settings. For routes you don't want surfacing in any aggregated view, the best option is to keep the file local and not upload at all.
- Third-party app access. Most platforms have an API; once authorized, third-party apps can read your activities. Review connected apps periodically under each platform's settings and revoke ones you don't recognize.
- Data retention. Activities and routes persist in your account until you delete them or close the account. Platforms vary on whether deletion purges the data from backups; consult each platform's privacy policy for the specifics.
For the most privacy-conservative path, keep the file local in the viewmygpx browser viewer — the route never reaches a server we operate, and there's no upload to manage. The full data picture is on the privacy policy.
Other platforms not yet covered
More per-platform pages are being written. Common requests we haven't yet built dedicated guides for:
- Wahoo ELEMNT, Bolt, Roam. The Wahoo companion app accepts GPX uploads from a phone; routes also push from Strava, RWGPS, and Komoot via the linked-services integrations. The Strava and RWGPS guides cover the push-to-Wahoo workflow.
- Hammerhead Karoo. Imports via the Karoo Sync app or directly via Strava / RWGPS connections.
- Suunto, COROS, Polar. All three accept GPX uploads via their respective companion apps for route following on the watch. The cross-platform mechanics are very similar to Garmin's — pick Activity for a recording, pick Route/Course for following.
- Gaia GPS, OS Maps, Outdooractive. Backcountry and trail-database platforms with GPX import. Gaia is the strongest for off-trail navigation; OS Maps is UK-focused; Outdooractive is Europe-focused.
For those, the universal walkthrough at /how-to-open-a-gpx-file/ covers the shortest reliable steps in one place. The viewer on the homepage also has an Open in chip row that downloads the right format and opens the destination's upload page in one click — handy when you just want to send a file across without reading a full guide.
Which platforms accept GPX uploads directly?
Strava, Komoot, Garmin Connect, Ride with GPS, AllTrails (paid tier), Wahoo, Suunto, COROS, Polar Flow, and most fitness platforms read GPX 1.0 and 1.1 directly with no conversion. Google Maps, Google Earth, and the regular Google Maps consumer app do not — they read KML and KMZ instead, so the GPX has to be converted first. Apple Maps does not import GPX at all; the realistic Apple workflow is to use a third-party app instead.
Why do platforms show different distance and elevation totals than my GPX file?
Most platforms recompute distance and elevation against their own data. Strava recomputes elevation against its SRTM-based model, Komoot recomputes against its DEM, Garmin Connect can use either its DEM or your file's values. Distance can differ slightly because some platforms snap the polyline to their road or trail database for cleaner display, which slightly changes the geometry. The number on each platform is what that platform's algorithm measures; both your file's value and the platform's value are 'right' for different definitions.
Will my heart rate, cadence, and temperature data survive the upload?
Yes on Strava, Garmin Connect, Ride with GPS, Komoot, AllTrails, and most fitness platforms — they all read Garmin's TrackPointExtension namespace inside GPX, which carries heart rate, cadence, and temperature on every trackpoint. Power data uses the same extension if your sensor wrote it. Google My Maps and Google Earth read the geometry but ignore the sensor data. For richer sensor metadata (left/right power balance, lap markers, training-load fields), upload the original FIT file from a Garmin head unit instead of GPX — FIT carries Garmin-specific fields GPX doesn't represent natively.
How do I send a route from one platform to another?
The viewmygpx viewer is the platform-neutral bridge. Drop the file in the browser, then use the Open in chips to push it to any supported destination. For platform-to-platform without a stop in between, most fitness platforms have direct connections in their settings: Strava ↔ Garmin Connect (mirrors activities both directions), RWGPS ↔ Garmin or Wahoo (push routes to head units), Komoot ↔ Garmin Connect (sync tours). The connections are configured under each platform's account settings; once authorized, files flow directly.
Can I follow a GPX route offline?
Yes on most platforms with caveats. Komoot needs an offline region (one free, more via region purchase or Premium). Gaia GPS needs the area pre-downloaded (free tier limited). Garmin head units (Edge, fenix, Forerunner with mapping) work fully offline once the Course is synced. Wahoo head units same. Strava on mobile requires Premium for offline routes. Ride with GPS offline maps are paid-tier. Generally, plan for offline use before leaving cell coverage; downloading routes on the trail isn't reliable.
What's the difference between an Activity, a Route, and a Course?
Terminology varies by platform but the underlying split is consistent. An Activity (Strava / Garmin / RWGPS / Komoot) is a record of something completed — it appears in your activity feed, contributes to fitness stats, and is permanent. A Route or Course (Strava Routes / Garmin Courses / RWGPS Routes / Komoot Tours used for following) is a planned line for navigation — it doesn't appear in feeds, doesn't affect fitness stats, and pushes to head units for turn-by-turn following. Same GPX can become either depending on which import path you choose. Picking the wrong one is the most common GPX-import mistake — a planned route uploaded as an Activity ends up as a virtual ride on your profile.
Are my GPX coordinates private after I upload?
It depends on platform default visibility and your privacy settings. Strava activities default to your followers; Komoot tours default to private; Garmin activities default to your connections only; RWGPS routes default to private. All four let you change per-activity. The bigger privacy concern is start/end points near home — Strava and Garmin both offer privacy zones that mask a circular area on activity maps, and these are worth configuring before uploading routes near sensitive locations. For maximum privacy, keep the file in the viewmygpx viewer and don't upload at all — files never leave your browser there.
Why do my named waypoints look different on each platform?
Each platform's waypoint rendering reflects its product priorities. Strava shows them as small markers on activity maps. Komoot upgrades them to Highlights with metadata and spoken cues during navigation. Garmin Connect renders them as Course Points with vibration alerts on capable head units. Google My Maps lists them as pins. Google Earth places them as 3D placemarks. The data is the same — the latitude, longitude, and name from your GPX — but the rendering differs because each platform has different conventions for what a labelled point along a route should do. For consistent waypoint behavior across platforms, keep names short (under 20 characters) and avoid special characters.
Which platform is best for following a route on a phone, no head unit?
Komoot for road/cycling/hiking on mapped trails — turn-by-turn voice cues are the strongest among the major platforms. Gaia GPS for backcountry where the route departs from mapped trails. Strava Routes (Premium) for fitness-focused following with Strava's segment overlay. AllTrails for established hiking trails with community photos and reviews along the way. Free-tier offline use is limited on most; budget for Premium on at least one if you frequently leave cell coverage.
Which platform is best for visualizing a route in 3D over real terrain?
Google Earth — by a wide margin. Earth drapes the route over its DEM and lets you tilt the camera to see climbs and valleys against the surrounding mountainsides. The browser version (earth.google.com/web/) handles most cases; Earth Pro adds movie recording and historical imagery for a heavier workflow. The other platforms render either flat 2D maps or the small phone-screen elevation profile chart, neither of which communicates terrain context the way Earth's perspective does.
Related guides
Open the viewer
Drop a .gpx file to see the route on a map with elevation profile and full stats. Browser-based, nothing uploaded.
How to open a GPX file (universal)
Platform-agnostic walkthrough — iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, and the major mapping apps in one page.
GPX file format reference
Annotated GPX 1.1 structure, required vs optional elements, and how it differs from KML at the schema level.
What is a GPX file?
Plain-language reference for the GPX format — what's inside, where it came from, and how it compares to other geographic-data formats.