• GeneralPixel 6a

  • Users based in Europe preferrably: What OFFLINE GPS app(s) do you use?

Organic maps works great. In your case though I'd use paper maps. You can check the map, when you stop for coffee. Every man should be able to navigate with a simple map.

I've tried all of the options discussed above and Sygic worked the best for me. I also use paper maps on occasion. :)

Note: I'm not based in EMEA but spend enough time there.

I use magic earth. Download the map for the area your in, turn off mobile data in the app. Never had a problem

2 years later

Magic Earth for car navigation and Mapy.cz for hiking+bicycle. The latter needs a registration to store GPX tracks e.g., but the OSM map rendering is absolutely outstanding in Mapy.cz. Tags are persistent while zooming/scrolling - it's the only app I know which can be used for human map reading.
For track recording I use trekarta.

I am using OsmAnd and Organic maps, both installed from Playstore.

Works great for my use case. search function is a little better on Organic Maps then on OsmAnd but once you your OsmAnds quirks it works great

That's interesting. OP might actually have the best answer lol.

Osmand, Organic Maps, Magic Earth are all clients that use Openstreetmap.org data. That's illusion of choice.

OSM might greatly benefit from being adopted by Big Tech as a way to oppose Big Tech (research Overture Maps), but as of now OSM absolutely sucks and is firmly determined to stay that way (just read the discussion on OSM forum about Overture Maps and you'll want to cry).

On, the other hand, Sygic is closed source but works offline and based on TomTom maps, which should be closer to Google Maps quality than to OSM lack of quality.

So you can download Sygic, (sign in with some temp email if you must,) download the offline maps, remove network permission and voila. Good quality offline maps!

In a year you clear the app's cache and storage, give network permission, update the maps, revoke network permission and voila. Updated maps without forking out your data!

    Hb1hf On, the other hand, Sygic is closed source but works offline and based on TomTom maps, which should be closer to Google Maps quality than to OSM lack of quality.

    I guess it depends on where you are. I have found OSM based maps like Organic Maps to be vastly more complete and high quality where I live, including having every single bench and waste basket correctly placed. But in other areas in the same country you have to use a proprietary map apps to even get basic information like house numbers. It all depends on how many and how motivated mappers there are in the area, and how much information is released by authorities as open data for that area.

        Used Osmand for many years and switched to OrganicMaps a while ago because of the better UI. Both work very well offline.

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        • Post #15

        Hb1hf So you can download Sygic, (sign in with some temp email if you must,) download the offline maps, remove network permission and voila. Good quality offline maps!

        In my Sygic there's no permissions toggle to change Network (WiFi or mobile). The only network toggle is for map download of either WiFi or WiFi /mobile.

        So you can't isolate sygic from using your network WiFi or mobile other than sim removal and turn off WiFi. Harder as I'm using an esim.

            ryrona I guess it depends on where you are

            Yeah, but it's not like "depends on where you are, in Germany it's good, but in the US it isn't". It's more like "OSM is good within a 200m radius from a mapper's home or work and completely useless outside of it" wherever you go.

            But that's how OSM is committed to stay, and to be, so no hopes in it getting better. Ever. I mean, they even block efforts to bulk import street numbers. Because you know, it may not have 90% of POIs, but at least it also doesn't have street numbers.

            Meanwhile, Sygic reads the clipboard everytime you open the app. Lol, what a joke our society has become.

              Hb1hf you can download Sygic, (sign in with some temp email if you must,) download the offline maps, remove network permission and voila. Good quality offline maps!

              Well, if anyone is interested, this....works.
              It is possible to open the app without an account and download the maps.
              Only then I removed network permissions and allowed to ask me for location. It's able to find places and create routes.
              It says my "PREMIUM+" expires in 7 days. Not sure what will happen after that.

              Pro: it is quite complete. Has street numbers and a lot of POIs.

              Con: asked it to plan a route to a specific place to check and it has the same map error as OSM. Do they use OSM maps? This shouldn't be possible by OSM license, but looks like it. I expected better.

              Con: the map has an option to show satellite image and 3D buildings, but not an option to show street names? That's bizarre UX choice.

              Also: it copies GPS coordinates with POI name and a link to Sygic's Play Store page, but you can get coordinates from it and search in Organic Maps & similar.

              TL,DR: it's not perfect and just as bad as OSM for route planning, but it can be an offline replacement for searching POIs/street numbers in maps.evil-corp.com and I'll be keeping it for now.