OsmAnd - offline navigation for Android

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

We very quickly stopped being afraid of new countries and unfamiliar cities. We very quickly got used to the fact that at any time you can get your smartphone out of your pocket and see where you are, where to go and what is generally interesting nearby.

But all this is good only if your device can reach the worldwide network in some way. What if you find yourself in such a wilderness where there is no Internet connection at all? Back to paper maps and a compass again?

No, there is a more elegant solution. And it is called OsmAnd.

OsmAnd - open source software, the main source of cartographic data for which are OpenStreetMap vector maps. The program allows you to determine your location, search for various points of interest on the map and show information about them, get directions and give voice prompts. But the most remarkable thing is that the program can do all this without an Internet connection.

In order to use OsmAnd offline, you need to download the required maps first. This can be done in the program settings, which you will be informed about when you first start. Map files range in size from several tens to hundreds of megabytes, which, however, is not a big problem with modern memory card sizes. But, if you want to save space, you can only download road maps.

After downloading, you can return to the main screen, from where you can launch the actual map. OsmAnd will automatically determine your location using GPS. The general principles of the program work in general do not differ from other cartographic software, so you can easily get used to it here.

It is worth noting that although OsmAnd is free software, it has some limitations. For example, you cannot download more than 10 maps from the built-in data catalog, and descriptions of attractions from Wikipedia will not be available to you without a network connection. The restrictions are more than humane and most users, I am sure, will not even notice them. But if this is important for you, then you can fork out two hundred rubles and buy OsmAnd +. The money will go towards the development of the project.

This program can be useful in all cases when you need to navigate in space or go to the desired point, but the Internet is not available. Perhaps you are a traveler and have climbed into very remote corners, perhaps you simply have too expensive mobile traffic - in any case, OsmAnd will come to your aid.