Offline mapping on android

JimboM

Hi all

Can anyone recommend an android app that will allow me to see where I am on a map that is stored locally on my phone.
I'm not looking for route logging/planning or anything like that (I use endomondo) but something that I can simply use when I get lost to point me in the right direction. Has to be able to work offline though as I don't have a data service on my phone.

Thanks

Jim

andy46

I'm pretty sure you need to be online as GPS tracks where you are. I don't think this would work if the phone is offline.

prid

Gps grid reference will do what you want you just have to pre download the map before you go out but works well.

DLH1985

Mapdroyd, download maps and use them offline with GPS.

suzyb

Mapdroyd pointed me in the right direction when I got a bit lost in Edinburgh.

felix.london

If you've gotta fairly new Android phone and the latest version of Google Maps installed you can store some frequently visited places locally.

Or just get an unlimited data plan for £5 per month

upapole

Have a look at oruxmaps on the market it does everything you want.

Slow Loris

upapole wrote:

Have a look at oruxmaps on the market it does everything you want.

+1

I use Oruxmaps in offline mode as it saves battery, doesn't need a signal, and works quick as theres no waiting for tiles to download if you zoom in/out. Also it can use OS, google and many other maps straight off. You could even draw a map on bog roll, scan it in and use that (as long as you know the cooordinates of two corners). Simply the best bike mapping/GPS there is.

bluechair84

andy46 wrote:

I'm pretty sure you need to be online as GPS tracks where you are. I don't think this would work if the phone is offline.

Your GPS coordinates are collected by a GPS module in the phone, it does not use phone signal to give you a position. But Google maps need to be downloaded live, so it is this bit the OP wants to avoid.
Vewranger app is free to download and has a basic map of England free - but it probably isn't detailed enough for you to get back on track. Their 1:50k OS maps are cheap enough, but not free...

Slow Loris

Oruxmaps uses OS maps also, you just click 'new map' select OS, drag a square over the area you want to store and then choose how many levels of detail you want to download. Then when you're out choose 'map offline' and away you go, with your phone set in airplane mode it'll go all day.

I like using Google satellite view as you can see features that you just can't on any other type of map. Oruxmaps is the best free app of any kind I've used.

bluechair84

Do the maps come from Oruxmaps themselves or do you use maps from somewhere else - IE memory maps... and are the maps free to download? Sorry - Oruxmaps doesn't make it clear at first glance and I'm paying in teeth for 1:25k OS maps from viewranger... I'm might be a chump!

Slow Loris

bluechair84 wrote:

Do the maps come from Oruxmaps themselves or do you use maps from somewhere else - IE memory maps... and are the maps free to download? Sorry - Oruxmaps doesn't make it clear at first glance and I'm paying in teeth for 1:25k OS maps from viewranger... I'm might be a chump!

Oruxmaps uses an online source for OS, there's nothing stored on the phone unless you choose to create an offline map. I'm not sure what scale the OS maps are or if they are the most up to date, they're just there, free, and they work! Oruxmaps is free just give it a quick try, although it took me a good few hours to get it to do what I wanted as there's a lot in there.

bluechair84

:shock: I figured that one day, everything I'd spend on Viewranger would come back to bite me in the ass. Yeah I'll check out Oruxmaps but I'll be gutted. OS maps on your phone for free.... god damn it.

Slow Loris

bluechair84 wrote:

:shock: I figured that one day, everything I'd spend on Viewranger would come back to bite me in the ass. Yeah I'll check out Oruxmaps but I'll be gutted. OS maps on your phone for free.... god damn it.

Oh I expect the free version is 1:1000000000 or something, and Londinium is still on it. Give it a go though, and PM me if you need any advice, the manual isn't great and they don't publicise the inbuilt map creator much, perhaps for copyright reasons?

waby1234

I believe the OS are providing maps down to 1:10k just depends whether your chosen app can utilise them

dan_dejs

Maverick , can download the maps at home on wifi or whatever then use offline with just GPS to locate , has multi maps and OS explorer, plus many others , the free version is more than good enough

https://market.android.com/details?id=c ... lite&hl=en

andy46

bluechair84 wrote:

andy46 wrote:

I'm pretty sure you need to be online as GPS tracks where you are. I don't think this would work if the phone is offline.

Your GPS coordinates are collected by a GPS module in the phone, it does not use phone signal to give you a position. But Google maps need to be downloaded live, so it is this bit the OP wants to avoid.
Vewranger app is free to download and has a basic map of England free - but it probably isn't detailed enough for you to get back on track. Their 1:50k OS maps are cheap enough, but not free...

Ahh I see, I think

Does this mean even if I have used up my monthly data allowence I can still use endomondo?

waby1234

andy46 wrote:

bluechair84 wrote:

andy46 wrote:

I'm pretty sure you need to be online as GPS tracks where you are. I don't think this would work if the phone is offline.

Your GPS coordinates are collected by a GPS module in the phone, it does not use phone signal to give you a position. But Google maps need to be downloaded live, so it is this bit the OP wants to avoid.
Vewranger app is free to download and has a basic map of England free - but it probably isn't detailed enough for you to get back on track. Their 1:50k OS maps are cheap enough, but not free...

Ahh I see, I think

Does this mean even if I have used up my monthly data allowence I can still use endomondo?

Only if you are using wifi. If you are using the mobile network which is downloading the mapping for Endomondo then you'll be incurring data costs

bluechair84

The GPS module literally only collects your global position as as series of digits. This is then plotted on top of a map so you can see where you are - some programs d/l their maps over the phone contract (like google) so you have to have signal for it to work, others plot it ontop of a map stored on the phone (like viewranger) in which case you can have the phone in flight mode to save battery.

stelfc2005

do the above mentioned apps allow you to upload files to your mobile to follow using gps , hope that makes sense !!!!!! bit like a sat nav for your bike

Anonymous

felix.london wrote:

get an unlimited data plan for £5 per month

Another dead giveaway that you're a londoner

felix.london

Slow Loris

stelfc2005 wrote:

do the above mentioned apps allow you to upload files to your mobile to follow using gps , hope that makes sense !!!!!! bit like a sat nav for your bike

Oruxmaps allows you to add gpx files from the internet to follow, and you can create and export your own gpx files too. I download gpx from gpsies website and others to my sdcard so I know where I'm going when visiting a new area.

milko9000

There appears to be a GPSies app as well which can work with Oruxmaps... it says. I've not tried it.

lee96

I use sports tracker on my HTC, works brilliantly, shows speed, distance, pace and all that and just works of my phones GPS. You can buy a fancy bluetooth heart rate monitor too and it will give you all of your body stats. It's free off the Android Market.

Anonymous

lee96 wrote:

I use sports tracker on my HTC,

Which does not do offline mapping. :roll:

seataltea

Google Maps for Android does offline maps if you enable it in Labs.

You pre select the areas where you will be riding and cache them to the SD when you have 3g or wifi.

Mapped all my French rides a few months ago, no 3g but gps and mapping worked fine, easy.

the_moodster

seataltea wrote:

Google Maps for Android does offline maps if you enable it in Labs.

You pre select the areas where you will be riding and cache them to the SD when you have 3g or wifi.

Mapped all my French rides a few months ago, no 3g but gps and mapping worked fine, easy.

What he said, enable pre-caching and long press on the map and it will save a ten mile square of map. I did the SDW with this.

Anonymous

What kind of maps can you cache with Google?