How to see dashcam GPS data on a map
Most dashcams with GPS hide the position and speed inside the video file. Here is where it is stored, which brands use which format, and how to see the route next to the video.
A dashcam with GPS records where you were and how fast you drove, every second. That can matter a lot after an incident: it shows your speed was within the limit, or exactly where something happened. But you will not find a separate GPS file on the card. The data is hidden inside the videos.
Where the GPS data is stored
| Brand | How GPS is stored |
|---|---|
| Viofo and other Novatek-based cameras | Inside the MP4 file, in a block often called "freeGPS" |
| BlackVue | NMEA sentences inside the MP4 file |
| Thinkware | Inside the file, in Thinkware's own format |
| Nextbase | Inside the file, in Nextbase's own format |
| Garmin | Inside the file, in Garmin's own format |
| GoPro | A separate telemetry track (GPMF) in the file, with altitude and the accelerometer |
| Tesla | Not stored in the dashcam files |
A normal video player ignores this data completely. You need software that knows where to look.
See the route next to the video
Tripframe reads GPS from Viofo / Novatek, BlackVue and GoPro files.
- Open the card in Tripframe.
- Open a clip and press
G, or click Map.
A map appears next to the video with the route of the clip. An arrow follows the car as the video plays, with the speed, heading and distance below the map, in km/h or mph. Switch between map, satellite and hybrid view, and colour the route by speed. Press R to record the video and the map together into one file.
Below the map, graphs show speed, distance, heading and, when the camera records them, altitude, gradient, G-force and satellites. Click a graph to jump to that moment. Press T to put a marker on the route, and H to show the driving data on the video itself.
The map pictures come from OpenStreetMap and, for the satellite views, from Esri. Weather and street addresses are only looked up if you switch that on. Your footage and GPS data stay on your computer.
Exporting GPS data
Need the route as a file? Under the map in Tripframe, choose GPX (for most mapping and sports apps), KML (for Google Earth), CSV (a spreadsheet with time, position, speed, heading and altitude for every point) or GeoJSON (for GIS tools). For brands Tripframe cannot read yet, use a desktop program such as Dashcam Viewer or Registrator Viewer. See the best dashcam software.
No GPS showing up?
- Check that GPS is turned on in the camera settings and that the GPS mount or module is connected.
- The first minutes after starting can lack GPS while the camera finds satellites.
- Your brand may use a format Tripframe does not read yet; the video still plays normally.