Google Maps Device Tracking Setup?

I was trying to do this from an ubuntu live USB and had the same issue. It wasn’t until I came across @clabos detailed guide did this work. I think this needs to be added to the docs as the brief instruction on there is no help at all.

I am afraid that the tool is deprecated since there are reports of google blocking it. I have refactored locationsharinglib to accept text cookies exported by a browser extension and that version will be in the next HA release with the appropriate documentation update.

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I saw those posts but mine seemed to work just fine so far. Obviously if it’s all going to change again then there’s no point updating the docs. Thanks for your work on this anyway :slight_smile:

0.99 broken again. Which url we suppose to extract the cookies.txt.

Using Chrome
I navigate to Google Maps then export the cookie.
To download cookies for this tab click here

Download the file cookie.txt. This seems to be invalid

2019-09-20 03:02:01 ERROR (SyncWorker_0) [homeassistant.components.google_maps.device_tracker] The cookie file provided does not provide a valid session. Please create another one and try again.

I am go back to custom_component using 0.98.5 google maps and old cookie still works.

Which version of locationsharinglib are you running?

locationsharinglib==4.1.0

Fresh from home-assistant 0.99


On this page, is STEP 2 correct ? what url to use when export the cookie file ?

I notice google asking for captcha… Probably not issue on ur locationlib.

By the way what is the correct url to export the cookie file?

The version is the latest so that is correct. You need to be logged in your maps account with the credentials of the account where all others are shared. I suggest you visit maps.google.com and login from there with your sharing account credentials and expiry the cookies after the page has finished loading.

I’ve generated a cookie file as per the instructions and I’m also receiving the same error:-

2019-09-19 22:29:28 ERROR (SyncWorker_15) [homeassistant.components.google_maps.device_tracker] The cookie file provided does not provide a valid session. Please create another one and try again.
2019-09-19 22:29:28 ERROR (MainThread) [homeassistant.components.device_tracker] Error setting up platform legacy`

Tried generating with both Firefox and Chrome and I get the same error? Any advice?

It’s working perfectly over here on 0.99.

I’ve tried on Firefox and Chrome, Chromium under Win10 and Ubuntu without any succes.
The old cookie was a binary file but the new One is downloaded as a text file. Is it right?

Are you using HASSIO?

Correct. I wasn’t convinced it was going to work when I first did it but it was fine first time!

Yes… now the cookie is a txt file

I’ve just tried it on my Linux desktop, still no joy. Please can you post the exact URL you were on when you downloaded cookies.txt? Also did you have a list of cookies in the downloaded text file?

Thanks in advance.

I was just on Google Maps, no specific special URL, logged in as the account used for sharing. Downloaded ‘just cookies for this tab/site’. Cookies downloaded as .txt file. I was using a Mac so had to enable View Hidden Files in order to rename the cookie to .google_maps_location_sharing.cookies.my_google_username (the preceding . is important). Uploaded to /config using Configurator. Restarted - works.

I’m on Hass.io 0.99.2

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Thanks for the response that’s exactly what I did, except I’ve tried it on Windows and Linux. I don’t have access to a Mac. Very strange.

Edit - Updated to 0.99.2 still not working :frowning:

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How does your device tracker section of config.yaml look?

Other things to try:

Log out of all devices from your Google Account, then try to regenerate the cookie
Disable the device_tracker and delete the cookie, restart, then re-upload and re-enable
Make sure you’re not logged into Maps with two different accounts simultaneously

I’ve managed to start the service. I made it on Firefox with same way as yesterday that was done lot of times. The only difference is that Google asked a verification when I signed up.
It’s looks like a lottery, a little bit strange method.

same here on .99.2