What is a GPX file?
GPX (GPS Exchange Format) is an XML text file describing a track: a sequence of GPS points with latitude, longitude, elevation and often a timestamp. It's the most universal exchange format for routes and sport activities — nearly every sport, hiking and mapping app reads it.
Since it's text, you can technically open it in an editor… but you'll only see coordinates. To see the track on a map, you need a tool that displays it visually.
The simplest method: your browser
No need to install anything. An online viewer decodes the GPX and shows the route on a map, on desktop and mobile alike.
- 1
Open the viewer
Head to the visualizer tool from your browser.
- 2
Drop in your .gpx file
Drag it into the zone or click to select it.
- 3
Explore the track
The map, elevation profile and stats (distance, elevation gain, duration) appear right away.
The file is read in your browser: nothing is sent to a server, no account required.
Opening a GPX by device
- Windows — no default app for .gpx; the easiest is the browser, or a mapping app like Google Earth.
- Mac — same: open it in the browser, or import it into Maps / Google Earth to see the track.
- iPhone / iPad — open the file from Files through a web viewer, or an app like Komoot, Strava or Gaia GPS.
- Android — same idea: a web viewer in Chrome, or a hiking/cycling app that imports the GPX.
Opening a GPX in an app
To go beyond plain viewing, you can import the GPX into Google Earth (to fly over the track in 3D), Garmin Connect or Strava (to add it to your history), or Komoot (to follow it in navigation).
Convert the GPX if needed
Does your watch or app want a different format? You can convert the GPX to TCX (to keep training data) or to FIT (for some Garmin watches), right in your browser.