Start and direction
You can walk from start to finish or the other way round. Round routes do not get an automatic recommendation; the direction is your choice.
Practice
Routes & Tracks
Use route, track, elevation profile, terrain and report export together.
Workflow
Suggested Flow
Use these steps to combine maps, data and tools for the task.
- Prepare route or trackPlan a route or import an existing GPX/KML track.
- Load terrainEnable HGT, DEM GeoTIFF, ASC or DTED for elevation profile and plausibility checks.
- RecordChoose GPS status, accuracy and power mode for the task.
- ExportUse GPX, KML, GeoJSON, CSV, .asmaps, ZIP or PDF depending on the target.
Track recording
Times, pauses and compact controls
Track recording stores timestamps, tour duration, pauses as track segments, pause positions and GPS accuracy. Track points show existing times, pauses and quality data in the info sheet, while the compact tracking bar keeps recording status visible without unnecessarily covering the map, menu or navigation.
Update
Edit routes later
Route points and segments can be refined later. Bearing, distances and direction angles help correct the planned line precisely on the map.
- Open the route through the object browser or route details and start editing.
- Move individual route points without rebuilding the entire route.
- Use segment distances, bearing and direction angles to check the path and connection points.
Follow route
Follow and monitor routes
When following a route, you deliberately choose the route, walking direction and guidance mode. The app does not change the stored route; it uses the existing geometry.
Start mid-route
When route following starts with an active GPS position, the app sets progress to the nearest point on the route instead of sending you back to the start. During guidance, you can show route points and choose one as the next point.
Instructions
The app derives relevant direction changes from the route line and shows only the next important cue with arrow, distance and optional estimated time.
Route monitoring
In quiet mode, the app only shows whether you are on the route. If you clearly leave the corridor, it can warn with sound, vibration or a silent alert.
Pause and continue
Route following can be paused, interrupted for today and continued later. Active sessions are stored internally, but are not exported with projects.
How the daylight forecast is produced
Route planning
Follow paths and extend routes
In Adjust route, routes remain accurately editable after zooming, panning or rotating the map and can be continued at either end.
Extend the start or end
Extend at start is on the left and Extend at end on the right. You can add several points in sequence; the stored route’s start and destination are updated correctly.
Follow path
This planning mode requires an active, compatible local Mapsforge vector map with usable path data. If no suitable path is available, the segment can only be stored as a direct or free connection.
Recalculate selectively
A stored free segment can be marked with Search path again for recalculation when saving. Other deliberately free-drawn segments remain unchanged.
Meaningful status
Geometrically equivalent internal candidates do not cause an ambiguity warning. Uncertain is reserved for genuinely competing path courses; unmatched segments are identified as direct connections.
Route planning and navigation
Longer sections, a clear preview and light transitions
Local path finding, route preview and the daylight forecast use the same rendered route course.
Up to 3 km per planning section
Two selected route points may be up to 3 km apart as the crow flies. This is a validation limit per section, not a guarantee that the active Mapsforge data contains a connected path. Only after strict path finding fails may the app bridge small gaps of up to 25 m between compatible open path ends with the same road or hiking-route reference; that section is marked Uncertain.
Whole route and light transitions on the map
Preview on map fits the centre and zoom to the bounding box of the complete route while preserving all inputs. During navigation, temporary markers identify the start of civil twilight and night. They update about every 15 minutes or after a distance appropriate to the pace and disappear when navigation ends. A warning lead time of 0 min means a warning at the relevant transition.
Track recording
Profiles or custom recording by time or distance
The Recording sheet has exactly one active mode: Automatic, High accuracy, Navigation, Balanced, Power saving or Custom.
Automatic: brief high-accuracy start, normally Balanced, Navigation for active guidance or stable faster movement, and Power saving for Eco or battery at 20% or less; return at 25%. Cold only warns.
Custom: either time (1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30 s; 1, 2, 5, 10 min) or distance (3, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 m). Quality and standstill protection remain active. Changes apply to the next usable fix; service and journal retain the setting in the background and after a process restart.
| Profile | Time | Movement | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| High accuracy | 1 s | 3 m | up to 10 m |
| Navigation | 2 s | 3 m | up to 20 m |
| Balanced | 5 s | 5 m | up to 25 m |
| Power saving | 15 s | 10 m | up to 40 m |
MapTools rules, not guaranteed GNSS times. Power saving is not an Android low-power provider.
Current functionality
Current functionality
The displayed base map and the offline routing source are separate. A suitable local Mapsforge map can be selected for automatic routing even while Google or OSM is displayed. Imported GPX tracks remain individually visible, manageable and removable.
Correct last saved track
Correct track end
Tap the track, use time, or select a point from the list. The muted section will be removed.
Selection
Choose the new end point
Track overview. Use the point list or time controls for an accessible exact selection.
Point list
Near track start · Near track end · No time information
Exact time (HH:MM:SS)
Tap the track, use time, or select a point from the list. The muted section will be removed.
−… min
Before and after
Points removed: … · affected sections: …
Media after the new end: … photos, … notes, … audio recordings. The media remains in the project.
Save corrected copy
Name of corrected copy
The original is linked to a search grid. Save a corrected copy instead.
Replace original
The original geometry will be shortened to the selected point. You can restore the previous version once, unless the track is edited again.
Restore version before correction
Start and stop a track safely
Track opens the recording controls. Starting and stopping require a long press until the progress indicator is full, followed by a confirmation.
Route opens route creation, editing and selection. Ending active guidance uses the same deliberate long press and confirmation as track recording.
The original is currently used for navigation. Stop navigation or save a copy.
Recording profile
Take and geotag a photo
Navigation → Recording contains the recording mode and the controls for starting, pausing, resuming and stopping a track. After stopping, the recording is saved as a track. Required permissions are requested when recording starts.
Take and geotag a photo
Record a geotagged audio note
A current location is required for quick capture.
Track draft restored
Each recording belongs to its own session. After an interruption, MapTools appends only the missing journal tail; pauses remain separate track segments on the map and in .asmaps, backups and GPX.
Automatic recovery snapshots store ongoing project work locally. They do not replace a manual full backup.
Recording profile
Automatic selects one of four GPS profiles according to battery level, battery temperature and Eco mode.
Values: minimum time · minimum movement · maximum accepted inaccuracy.
Include object attachments
Depending on the export selection, photos, PDFs and audio notes belonging to the project or selected objects are embedded in the project file.
Attachments can contain private images, documents, voices and location metadata. Include them only deliberately.
Each recording belongs to its own session. After an interruption, MapTools appends only the missing journal tail; pauses remain separate track segments on the map and in .asmaps, backups and GPX.