Phone apps
Contents: Phone apps
Introduction
There are a bewildering number of navigation apps available. Many are useless for off-grid navigation as they don’t provide offline topo mapping. All of the following apps do offer GNSS navigation, far from any phone signal. All use topo mapping that can be stored on the phone. Some are better than others.
The brief descriptions below were correct when I wrote them. However, some of these apps will provide many more functions than I’ve mentioned here and are being improved all the time. Visit the websites and read recent reviews for up to date information.
Most apps look pretty good on paper but it’s only when you use them that you really learn how good they are. A review from someone who has actually spent time using the app is worth much more than a hundred articles listing the apps ‘features’.
App descriptions
AllTrails
OSM mapping only. No OS maps. Good for providing ready-made routes and for navigating benign terrain. It’s not good as a primary navigation aid for navigating craggy ground as the OSM mapping offers poor crag and contour detail. The OSM mapping doesn’t mark public rights of way or open access land in the UK.
It makes loading ready-made routes easy which is probably why it’s a popular platform. However, it doesn’t open to a map, can’t plot a route and it won’t import or export GPX files directly either. A computer is needed to import a GPX file into the web interface, which will then sync the route to the app. If you have a change of plan off-grid it’s not the best app to have.
A planned route must be loaded every time you open the app before you can see it. You can’t have multiple route options on screen at once. Tapping ‘Navigate > Start’ prompts a battery-flattening track recording. Following a route ‘manually’ will save a lot of battery.
It has a good syncing web-based route planner and provides a personal route library.
The platform can import/export activities to and from Garmin Connect.
BackCountry Navigator Pro (Android only)
OS, OSM and OS/OSM hybrid maps. This might be the cheapest way to get OS mapping. The whole UK is available to download. All included in the one-off app price.
This app will also import OS/OSM hybrid maps from OpenAndroMaps and John Thorn. Both include OS crag detail on the UK map.
A long-established nav app which can provide OS grid refs.
No accompanying web-based route planner.
BackCountry Navigator XE (BCN XE)
OS and OSM maps. Second cheapest way to get OS mapping? This comes from the long-established BackCountry Navigator developers.
It is the newer app from BCN that provides a syncing web-based route planner.
However, it doesn’t import vector OS/OSM hybrid maps like OpenAndroMaps or the JohnThornMap. The older BCN Pro does.
Cartograph Maps
OSM & OS/OSM hybrid maps. No OS maps. This app might be the only one that enables an iPhone to use OpenAndroMaps and the OS/OSM JohnThornMap of Britain. That is a good reason for iOS users to have this app.
It’s the work of a single enthusiastic developer. It isn’t the slickest of apps to use but it does all the navigation fundamentals. It also offers good features that are absent from much more popular and well known apps. eg Route visibility is controlled by a simple show/hide toggle.You can highlight many routes at once in different colours. Low/high options, escape routes, long/short days etc.
Unusually, this app is available across four major platforms. Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.
There is no accompanying web-based route planner.
GaiaGPS
No OS maps for the UK but OSM mapping is available for the world. Many international commercial maps are available too (eg America & Europe).
A great established app & map platform that requires an annual subscription. Easy to use and one of the few apps that will provide snap-to-path routing offline. Routes are made visible with a simple show/hide switch. Good.
An account comes with a good web-based planner and personal route library which can be organised to taste. A single account will sync user-created and imported routes across many devices.
The lack of OS mapping is probably why this app is better known in America than the UK. However, the OSM options will cover most UK jobs.
Hiiker
OS, Harvey and OSM mapping. IGN France, Swiss Topo, Italy USGS America, some Australia maps & New Zealand. Offers hikes from across the globe.
A refined app that’s described on the website “HiiKER helps you to find 1000s of the best backpacking and hiking adventures”. If you’re a multi-day hiker you’ll find plenty of longer-distance options on the platform as well as the usual day-long outings.
A single tap on the map icon will reveal the phone’s location on a map but like AllTrails, Komoot and others, a route must be loaded every time the app is opened to see it highlighted on the map.
OS grid refs are a settings option for UK mapping.
Komoot
OSM mapping only. No OS maps. This app is similar to AllTrails. It offers ready-made routes. It doesn’t open to a map. A planned route must be loaded every time you open the app before you can see it. You can’t have multiple route options on screen at once.
It also encourages users to ‘Navigate’ a route which requires the battery-flattening GNSS receiver to run non-stop.
Unusually it will calculate custom routes in-app based on user-defined criteria regarding the trail surface etc. Perhaps more useful for cyclists than hikers. However, it’s only as good as the trail data that’s been uploaded to OpenStreetMap.
Not ideal as a primary nav app for navigating craggy ground. The OSM mapping offers poor crag and contour detail.
It can import/export activities to and from Garmin Connect.
Locus Map 4 (Android only)
OS, OSM and OS/OSM hybrid maps for the world. One of the very best apps for phone navigation. A big map selection is available via the in-app Locus Store with a mix of government funded maps, other commercial mapping and OSM maps. It imports most common map formats too and even downloads web-based online mapping. It works well with OpenAndroMaps and the John Thorn OS/OSM map is available in-app from the Locus Store.
Although it’s not an Open Source project the app has undoubtedly been crafted by enthusiastic users. It’s powerful and customisable. The screen may be kept super-simple or covered in buttons. A double tap can toggle selected buttons on and off the map easily.
Route visibility is controlled with a simple show/hide toggle. Your routes will be permanently highlighted on the map until toggled to ‘Hide’. Very good.
The syncing web-based planner works but it isn’t as good as the best web-based tools.
A free Garmin add-on enables GPX files to be sent direct to compatible Garmins (including watches) via Bluetooth.
Mapy.cz
OSM mapping only. No OS maps. The Mapy rendering of OSM data looks good. Both the navigation app and offline mapping for the world are completely free. It’s simple to use and amazingly good for a freebie.
The route planner isn’t very intuitive to use and will only route along marked paths. The lack of manual plotting will prevent some routes being plotted. That might not be a huge issue as it will import GPX files. Import them to the web interface and they’ll sync to the app, or you can open a GPX file directly in the app.
This is a perfectly good app with which to navigate if you don’t need the best crag and contour detail provided by OS mapping. A great app with which to start learning about satellite-based navigation.
Memory Map & Memory Map for All
OS maps with a small selection of mapping for further afield too. OS maps are cheap to buy or they can be used on a subscription basis. It’s possible to buy offline OS mapping for the whole of Britain in a Memory Map sale for £100. That includes 1:25k, 1:50k and a 1:250k road map.
Memory Map is a competent, long-established app. It comes with good desktop planning software. Unusual these days as so much is online.
‘Memory Map for All’ is the latest incarnation of the app, intended to work across all the main platforms. iOS, Android, Windows, Mac & Linux.
‘Cloud sync’ allows routes to be stored and transferred between apps and devices.
Organic maps
This app and the OSM mapping for the world that it provides, is completely free (no OS maps). It’s simple to use. Contours are spaced at unusually large 50m vertical intervals in some areas (eg Everest region) but the app offers accurate offline navigation with a highlighted route, just like more expensive apps and platforms. It’s fast in use.
There isn’t a syncing web-based route planner.
The Organic Maps app can import a GPX file directly and display complex GPX files well. eg It can import a single GPX file that contains many routes, all in different colours with multiple standalone waypoints too. Many expensive and popular apps can’t do this. Mapy.cz is another great free option with better looking maps and a syncing web-based planner, but the Mapy phone app can’t handle complex GPX files like Organic Maps.
Oruxmaps (Android only)
OSM and OS/OSM hybrid maps. No OS maps. A powerful and customisable app that’s available for free from the Oruxmaps website or cheaply from the Google Play store. Populate the screen with buttons or keep it simple.
It imports most common map formats and works well with the free OpenAndroMaps and should be good with the JohnThornMap of Britain. These two would be good choices for Oruxmaps in Britain.
It is also the only app I know of that works well with Garmin .img format maps.
It will download online topo maps for use offline, but when I’ve tried this there were usually missing tiles, I would stick with downloading and importing pre-built maps, like those offered by OpenAndroMaps or John Thorn.
No accompanying web-based route planner.
The app offers so many options it’s harder to use than more simple designs but the official Spanish CNIG obviously liked it as their Mapas de España app is clearly a re-badged Oruxmaps.
OS Maps
OS maps are offered and the ‘standard’ map layer contains some OSM details. This is the official Ordnance Survey phone app. Easy to use. A subscription service. Ready-made routes are available via the app and web-based interface.
The web-based route planner automatically syncs plotted routes to the app. A very simple printing tool will produce custom maps to A4 or A3 paper.
Although not so well-featured as Outdooractive it’s a slightly easier app to use. It’s a good choice if you find navigation apps tricky to learn and don’t want to take it abroad.
New paper OS maps are sold with a mobile download code. This code enables the digital version to be added to the app. A subscription isn’t required for that to work.
OsmAnd
OSM mapping only. Available for the world. No OS maps.
A powerful OpenStreetMap specialist made by enthusiasts for enthusiasts. I don’t know of any other app which does so much with OpenStreetMap-based mapping. I’ve written more on the OsmAnd mapping.
Customise how the maps look to suit your activity. It has great GPX tools and offers snap-to-path plotting offline. That’s rare. Cheap to run. No accompanying web-based route planner.
If you find learning to use phone apps hard work then this isn’t a good first choice. The app is highly configurable and has many tools. That brings complexity. However most of the work is in the setting-up. It is easy to use when navigating and offers a lot, for not much money.
A good choice for an OpenStreetMap power-user. However, if you don’t persevere with this app, you might never learn to use it well.
Outdooractive
OS & Harvey maps for the UK. OSM and commercial maps for countries across the world on a subscription basis. The many map options mean this app travels well and it’s a good all-rounder.
A slick, well-funded app and global nav platform. It’s fairly easy to use and comes with a good web-based route planner and flexible route library system. Ready-made routes are available via the web interface and app.
At a similar price, this is an obvious rival to the ‘OS Maps’ app in the UK. Outdooractive is currently (2023) better featured than ‘OS Maps’.
Integration with Garmin Connect will transfer routes to Garmin devices.
Expect a lot of negative reviews about Outdooractive from disgruntled Viewranger app users which Outdooractive replaces. However, my experiences with this app have been good.
Outdoor Map Navigator
OS maps. A subscription service with OMN desktop software as part of the package. A respected and long established platform. No good outside of the UK as it’s an OS mapping specialist.
The latest incarnation works with Android, iOS, Windows PCs and macOS.
The desktop software offers good custom printouts of the high definition mapping.
I’ve not used this app but it’s a similar offer to Memory Map which offers desktop software too.
Strava
OSM mapping only. No OS maps.
It’s a popular app. It will download mapping for offline use. However, although it can be used for navigation it’s focus is more about recording and comparing sporting performances.
Strava say “Train, track & share”.
I wouldn’t choose this app as a primary navigation tool and include it here for completeness. However, if you have Strava on your phone already, it could be used to navigate with.
TopoGPS
OS maps and commercial mapping for many other countries including Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand.
The standard OpenStreetMap is offered but this isn’t any use for off-grid navigation in wilder terrain.
Maps can be downloaded on a subscription basis, or tiles can be bought to keep.
WalkHighlands app
This uses the John Thorn OS/OSM mapping and only covers Scotland. It’s purpose-built to find and download the routes on the excellent WalkHighlands website. A single button tap downloads the highlighted route and the mapping. Simple.
It’s free, has no advertising and you don’t need to register to use it.
It’s fast and easy to use. It provides a few extras. eg The route description and accompanying stats are included in the download.
If you are Munro bagging this is a good tool to keep on your phone. The John Thorn mapping has many high level mountain thoroughfares marked that are not shown on any OS mapping.
