Even though the occasional rain outside doesn’t look all that inviting, spring is in full swing, so we’ve prepared a few more updates for the season. In the latest version 4.34, we’ve connected the main search screen with the location picker, further improved route charts, and added a few neat touches to Android Auto.

All-in-one search

There are many ways to search for a location in Locus Map. And the app has over 30 features that require you to define one! That’s why we’ve now connected the main search screen for places and online addresses with the picker for other ways to define a location. On a single screen, you can now search LoPoints, postal addresses, coordinates, a location saved to the clipboard, your current location, a spot on the map, custom presets, user points, projections, and so on.

The location picker is integrated into a horizontal sliding bar:

You can arrange the order of the buttons however you like:

Clipboard contents and a predefined location appear right below the bar:

Search directly on Booking.com

For all points of interest related to accommodation, we’ve added the option to look them up on the global Booking.com portal. You’ll find the corresponding button in the details panel:

Charts communicate better with the map

The link between the chart and the route on the map has received another round of improvements:

• We’ve smoothed the charts, refined the time axis, and improved the visibility of the gradient chart.
• Via points now appear on the chart as well. Tap one to center and highlight that spot on the map.
• Tapping the route on the map shows the same point on the chart, and vice versa. By sliding your finger along the chart, you can animate movement along the route.

• On the detailed charts screen, we’ve added a button that displays the location selected on the chart on the map.

• You can zoom the charts not only with two fingers but also with zoom buttons, which you can activate from the screen menu:

Improved Android Auto

Using Locus Map in the car has been a huge hit, especially among off-roaders and geocachers, who need more than just roads and highway lanes on their in-car map. In today’s update, we’re bringing a few more tweaks that make the app easier to use for them.

Custom location definitions

In Locus Map, you can define your own places that you want to navigate to repeatedly — whether it’s your home, work, cottage, or favorite trailhead. These locations are now available on the in-car screen as well.

Full route preview

During active navigation, you now have the option to preview the entire route — on demand, the map zooms out and shows the complete route to your destination.

Little big improvements

Augmented reality

Locus Map was able to display points of interest through the camera in real time and space “before it was cool” — via the AR for Locus Map add-on. We hadn’t updated it for several years, so we’ve now integrated it directly into the main app.

• Highlight the selected category of points (LoPoints) above the map
• In the tools menu, tap “Augmented reality”

The feature will see further tuning so we can boldly stand up to our competitors :).

Control from the notification bar

Every Locus Map function that runs in the background — i.e., track recording, navigation, guidance, and live tracking — now has its own notification and STOP button. So there’s no need to open the app unnecessarily.

Full expert settings now available

Geek alert! If you want to have absolutely everything under control and love digging into the most hidden corners of Locus Map’s settings, we’ve made all expert parameters accessible directly in the app. Previously, they were only available through a special configuration file, config.cfg. We’ve now been able to ceremoniously retire it.

You can find out how to activate expert settings and what you’ll find inside here >>.

May is here in full swing, so get outside and try out all the new features! As always, you’ll find the complete list of changes and fixes in the news under the “About the app” section. And if something isn’t working as it should — or if there’s something you really like — let us know!