2025-08-03 – added new error “GPS timestamps do not overlap with Video timestamps.”
2025-09-03 – added “GPS data contains gaps greater than 5 seconds in between GPS points.”
This is another research article which I am posting so others may find it in the search engines.
Uploading to Google Street View involves uploading a video file with embedded GPS, or a non-GPS enabled video file and a separate .gpx file containing the GPS data.
Here are some of the errors I have been getting:
GPS data contains gaps greater than 5 seconds in between GPS points. 32 sec gap found after 0 seconds
This was from two separate recording where the Insta360 GPS Remote did not embed GPS data. Instead, I used a .KML file generated by an iPhone app (Geotag Photos 2) I was using for my digital camera photos. I tried to use the KML file as a backup, but apparently there are data problems in it that Google will not accept.
Video does not contain more than 10 GPS points. Only 0 GPS points found
This one is problematic because the GPX file contains hundreds of GPS points. I had converted my video file down to 1 frame per second, per Google recommendations. One theory was that the points in the GPX file did not line up enough times with a specific frame in the video, and thus the file gets rejected. Google Gemini says this should not matter, but a different file I uploaded at 1 fps did not have any issue, and resubmitting the same erroring file converted to 5 fps did not receive this error.
GPS time range (9/12/24, 8:35 AM to 9/12/24, 8:39 AM) does not overlap with Video time range (7/20/25, 6:49 PM to 7/20/25, 6:53 PM)
This was caused when I converted a video file to 1 fps using Apple Compressor. The resulting file had a different creation date, and thus did not match the GPX file. It looks like Apple Compressor cannot be used by itself to get the requested 1 fps, 5fps or other frame rates to Street View.
GPS data jumps around a lot
This one puzzles me the most. If I convert the GPX file to a KML file for uploading to Google Maps…
…that file displays on the map and looks quite accurate to the trail on the map:
GPS timestamps do not overlap with Video timestamps. GPS time range: (6:00:00 PM UTC-6 to 6:00:00 PM UTC-6). Video time range: (6:00:00 PM UTC-6 to 6:00:00 PM UTC-6).
This one happened after I used Apple Compressor to reduce the video file down to 5 fps. There are some settings I was told about on Reddit that should allow the metadata to pass through to the converted file. That helped get past an earlier error, but now this one shows up.
Can you help?
Please leave a comment with any solutions to these errors, and I will update this page.
This is one of my research pages, which means it will be edited and updated as I learn more.
Street View
You can use an Insta360 X5 (or other camera) to record 360 video and upload it to Google Street View. After some processing (mine seem to take 3-7 days each) it will appear in Google Street View as a blue line that others can view. Your account name will show up as the uploader. Here is one of my first contributions, documenting some of the bike/walking trails here in Des Moines, Iowa:
According to the Google pages, if you upload footage of a “blue line” that is newer than what Google has, they may show your contribution first and previous Google (or user) contributions will show up in the “See other dates” selection:
Google requires and requests a few things:
GPS data is required. It should either be embedded in the video file (the Insta360 cameras do not do this), or provided as a separate GPX text file that can be uploaded separately (the Insta360 Studio has a checkbox for exporting this separate GPX file when exporting the video). Since the X5 does not have a GPS receiver, you must use an external source such as the Insta360 App on a phone or one of the GPS Remotes they sell. If you use the phone all, you have to connect to the camera then start recording from the phone app. The app must remain active the entire recording. Or, you can use the GPS Remote and start recording from that remote. I have tested both, and they both worked for me.
Turn off gyroscopic calibration. This is the FlowState Calibration feature in the Insta360 app or desktop studio. Just uncheck this before expiring your 360 video to an .mp4.
Reduced frame rate. While Google can handle an 8K 30fps video file, if you export with high quality, a short video of a few minutes could still be several gigabytes in size. This takes much longer to upload, and muck longer for Google to process (and potentially reject if there was an issue). There is no way to record lower than 24 fps with the X5, so this requires an extra step. Free tools like ffmpeg can be used to convert an .mp4 file to a lower frame rate, or commercial software such as Apple Compressor can achieve the same thing. Google has these guidelines for which frame rates to use:
Under 5 mph or 8 km/h for 1 FPS. (I use this for walking.)
Under 30 mph or 45 km/h for 5 FPS. (I use this for biking or scootering.)
Under 45 mph or 70 km/h for 7 FPS.
Image quality guidelines. There are also note about the quality level they will accept, and notes on what can be in the video. For example, if the camera is mounted to the top of a car, it should be in the center and not out a window on the side. Google does allow using a nadir logo image, but the size of that image (or the visible car roof or bike or whatever) has to be under a certain size to be allowed in Street View.
My workflow using an electric scooter is this:
X5 is mounted to a fully extended selfie stick, connected to my Best360 backpack behind me. This gives a third-person view that looks like a drone was flying above and behind me.
I record in 8K 30fps mode, using the phone app or GPS remote to start the video and begin capturing GPS data.
In Insta360 Studio I trim the video as needed and then export it out with:
FlowState Stabilization OFF.
Color Plus ON (you may or may not want this, but I like the brighter colors).
Add Watermark ON set to my logo.
Export as a 360 Video using a high bitrate as h.265 and Export GPX File ON.
Once the file is exported to mp4, you can then upload it to Google Street View. It will complain that there is no embedded GPS data, then you can click the “three dot” menu in the upload window and upload the corresponding GPX file (same filename as the video file, with .gpx as the extension).
That has worked for me over the past half dozen attempts, but to save time, converting the mp4 down to 1 fps or 5 fps can be done. I will discuss my steps to do this as soon as I get them working reliably. I converted three files the same way, and Google accepted one, and gave me “Video does not contain more than 10 GPS points. Only 0 GPS points found” errors on the other two. From searching, it seems others are having the same problem — including having Google reject the video a few times, then suddenly accept it later with no changes.
TODO: I will update this with steps using ffmpeg (and a script that helps automate it a bit) and Apple Compressor.
PhotoSpheres
This one is easy, with no special processing or steps needed.
You can also upload 360 photos to any place in Google Maps, such as a business or park. These photos will appear in that entry’s listing under “Photos & videos” in the “Street View & 360” category:
Google used to have a way to upload a PhotoSphere (360 photo) to any location. It would appear as a small blue circle. These could appears inside or outside of a building:
…but I believe this was done through their Street View App which has been discontinued.
You can still upload PhotoSpheres associated with a specific map location by using third party tools, such as this website:
You must log in to your Google account, then you can browse to a 360 photo and upload it. If that photo contains GPS data, the map will show that location. If the photo does not contain GPS data, or the image location was inaccurate, you can manually click to change the location, or type in the LAT and LON to set it.
These will show up quickly, but the blue circles either do not appear any longer, or just take a really long time. A test photo I uploaded can be seen when I look through images of a nearby business, but no blue circle is showing up for me yet.
Per a request, I went back and shot more comparison video of the Insta360 camera in low light conditions. This three minute video contains three sequences, comparing:
0:00 – Video Modes (8K, 5.7K+, 5.7K, 4K)
1:00 – Video (8K) versus PureVideo (8K, 5.7K, 4K)
2:00 – Video (8K, 5.7K, 4K) versus PureVideo (8K, 5.7K, 4K)
The local government is about to tear down some intersection fountain displays, so I have been capturing them in photos and VR. I was hoping to get some night video as well, with the lights on, but the lights may no longer work.
Anyway, here is a recording using fully automatic 360 “Video” mode, versus fully automatic 360 “PureVideo” mode. The 360 video was then exported as a flat video in 4K, then combined as a split screen using Final Cut Pro. The video is shown in horizontal split screen, then again in vertical split.
A feature I have only played with a few times (on any camera) is timelapse. The first time I did it with an Insta360 camera was when I got my first one – a ONE X2 – and tested it while visiting Universal Studios Florida. While having a meal, I let the camera run . This video is on my Park Hopping YouTube channel:
Later, when I upgraded to an X3, I stuck it on the top of my car with a magnet mount and just let it record the sky.
I did a few tests like this, and they are somewhere on my Sub-Etha Software YouTube channel.
By the time I had an X4, I think I only used this feature one time — and that was just a few weeks ago. I let it record while folks where leaving Silver Dollar City at the end of the day. That video is posted on my DisneyFans.com/ParkHopping.com Facebook page, I think.
And that was the end of my experiments with timelapse…
But recently, I saw an interesting “day to night” timelapse posted by Best360:
This motivated me to began experimenting again. I used an external battery pack handle, attached to the top of my tripod, and set up my camera to record from 7:30pm until it was dark at 8:30pm.
My first attempt failed. Apparently I did not hit the button properly…
My second attempt went much better, but at the end of the timelapse, everything was still pretty bright due to the new X5 producing a brighter image. I am unsure if the camera is doing something to change modes as it gets dark — I just used the “Timelapse” mode and let it do whatever it wanted to do.
My third attempt I ran from 7:30pm to 9pm. It was even more dark, but you can see it still does not look dark in the timelapse:
It is an interesting feature, but quite boring unless you actually reframe it to pan the video and give it a bit more motion.
Have you done much with this mode? If you know of a good use for it, leave a comment.
I have had a variety of 360 camera systems since I first purchased one in 2005. My first Insta360 camera was the ONE X2 which was released in October 2020. Next came the X3 in September 2022, then the X4 in April 2024. Now, with the release of the X5 in April 2025, many are wondering why they have gone from “every two years” to “every year.”
Online camera ramblers(tm) suggest it is due to the impending release of 360 cameras from competitors DJI and GoPro.
However, if you search for “GoPro bankrupt” you will find many (many!) videos talking about the impending end of that company. Here is one that was posted to YouTube about a week ago:
…however, you should be aware that the above video is sponsored by Insta360, and videos about the “impending bankruptcy” of GoPro have been showing up the past few years.
Still, a new 360 camera from a well-stablished camera company would get my attention. I’d certainly switch to it if it were better than what I am using.
The same goes for DJI which has slowly been becoming a camera (and wireless microphone) company as much as it is a drone company.
Competition is good, and there is as much praise for the DJI microphone and camera offerings as there is for their drones (i.e. “flying cameras”).
And I find it sad that RICOH, which was one of the first affordable consumer 360 cameras, doesn’t seem to ever pop up in 360 camera discussions any more.
What do you think will be “the next big thing?” Leave a comment…
