How to make a travel map video with your route and photos

Updated September 26, 2026

Step by step

Make sure your photos have a location
On iPhone, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Camera and choose "While Using the App". Photos taken without a location don't appear on the map.
Create the trip
In Backtrack, tap Automatic trip discovery to let the app find the trip in your library, or Choose dates manually and mark the first and last day. Geotagged photos from that period join the trip.
Choose the period
In the trip, tap Create animation, pick one day (the entire trip is part of Premium) and tap Prepare story. The app works out the route between stops.
Pick the photos
Select the photos for each stop; with Premium, the app already suggests the best ones. Tap Generate animation.
Review the route
In the animation, tap Segments to fix the transport of each leg: on foot, car, public transport, boat or plane. Legs without a known route show as an approximate route.
Export and share
Tap Export and choose the format (9:16, 3:4, 1:1, 4:3 or 16:9) and quality. The MP4 is saved to Photos and kept in Your animations so you can share it anytime.

Stories, Reels and TikTok: 9:16, vertical. Videos of 15 to 30 seconds hold attention best.
Instagram feed: 3:4 portrait takes up more of the feed.
Square feed and messages: 1:1 works on any screen.