Although summer is primarily a time for holidays, which we of course also indulged in, we have not slacked off in developing and further pushing the app for the better:

• We have unified the online and offline search for points of interest
• We have made working with geotagged media faster and easier
• We implemented the possibility of a general backup of all data

And of course, the traditional package of dozens of minor fixes and improvements is included.

Search without switching

In the last version of the application, the online and offline databases of LoPoints, i.e., points of interest on the map, were merged for the first time. So far, only in the map content panel, with the possibility to highlight selected point categories above the map. Now this unification is also reflected in the search.

It is no longer necessary to switch between online and offline modes in the search menu, as was the case in the past. You just select one item - Places and addresses.

The application automatically searches from the available data, whether you are connected or not. Online mode is primary, and if no connection is available, it searches the downloaded data. You also no longer have to choose between downloaded LoMaps; the application searches across all of them, and the user interface is uniform for all. However, the latest LoMaps (June 2025) must be downloaded for the offline search to work properly.

Postal addresses, cities, and states are still searched online only in this function. For offline address searches, you need to switch the search to "offline addresses" mode. Linking online and offline, similarly to points of interest, is not yet technically possible due to the use of two independent sources.

Photos over the map faster and better

We have improved the system for finding and displaying your photos above the map. Your memories of holidays or trips will now appear much faster above the map. The app can display photos not only from the default system camera folder, but also from social networking folders such as Facebook or Instagram. Of course, the choice of folders is up to you.

And since we all have thousands of photos on our phones, we've made an effective time filter for you. By a simple selection, you can view photos from today, yesterday, this month, or last month. For a more precise definition, you can set an interval from - to or even select a period from the calendar. Showing only photos from a specific holiday above the map is now a breeze.

The application for working with geotagged media needs your permission to access it. The data is then only loaded locally for display purposes and not sent anywhere.

Easier application data transfer

Moving your app to another device is sometimes a necessity. Mostly this is due to buying a new mobile. Most of you don't have to deal with anything complicated - you install Locus Map from Google Play on your new phone, re-download your maps from the Locus Store, and if you use the Premium Gold package, you download your routes and waypoints from the cloud.

However, more advanced users often need to transfer their own app settings, attachments, custom maps, and other data as well. Users switching from the old Locus Map Classic to Locus Map 4 don't have the option to sync data to the cloud.

That's why we've developed a solution using a general backup of all the data you use in Locus Map - the application migration backup can pack your entire database of routes and waypoints, including attachments, downloaded maps, and all configuration files and settings, into one large file in one click:

This is then moved to the new mobile and restored in the Locus backup manager. However, this has its pitfalls, especially for "power users," where the file size can reach tens of gigabytes. Migration backups should therefore really only be used if absolutely necessary. The feature will soon be implemented in the new version of Locus Map Classic, too.

Saying goodbye to Google Drive

Unfortunately, we also have some unpleasant news for you. As of September 1, 2025, we have been forced to disconnect Locus Map and all of our other apps from Google Drive because we have been denied full access to the service. The alternate solution using Google File Picker or Android Picker is not sufficient for our usage - it doesn't allow for backups, bulk import or export, or the automation you're used to. New users and all those who were not signed in to Google Drive via Locus Map will no longer see this service offered.

Importing individual files from Google Drive will only be possible through the system file manager (if you have Google Drive installed on your phone), and you will be able to share the exported files on Google Drive.

Connectivity with Dropbox and OneDrive remains unchanged.

Summer is slowly coming to an end, but we hope you'll check out the new Locus Map in the field. Let us know how you like it!

Článek Locus Map 4.31 – unified search, photos above the map, and general backup se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

The need to back up data is as old as the history of computing. The reason is obvious - digital data is quite vulnerable. Notably, when we're talking about data on mobile devices - smartphones or tablets - especially when used for sports and outdoor activities.

Locus Map works with several types of data. These are maps, user tracks, routes, and waypoints, and various settings. Maps downloaded to the app are, with a few exceptions, backed up directly with the provider or on our servers - if you accidentally lose the map on your mobile, you can download it again via the Locus Store. Your own tracks, routes, waypoints, and settings need to be backed up in case you lose them, either through your own fault or due to poor hardware. In the case of a mobile phone or tablet, anything can happen - loss, theft, malfunction, accident, factory reset... Or you just need a new phone and your data transferred to it.

Locus Map offers two ways to protect your data: backup and cloud sync. Let's discuss the details of both solutions, their pros and cons, and how best to use them.

Backup

Locus Map can back up:

• tracks and routes - all your recorded, planned, and imported trips and workouts
• points - all your downloaded caches, created or imported points of interest
• settings - general app settings, dashboards, preferences, cache drafts, map themes, and custom online map configurations

Everything is handled by the Backup Manager, which you can launch from Settings > Backup & File System. Setting it up is easy, but if you need help, you'll find everything in the user manual.

The backup file (ZIP containing everything mentioned above) is primarily saved in the Locus/backup folder in the root of the application (can be moved elsewhere, for example, to the SD card). However, we strongly recommend saving copies of it outside of your smartphone - to Dropbox or OneDrive. That way, you can access your backup from anywhere in the world.

If you don't have it yet, set up a regular automatic backup after a few days so that your backup is always up to date and you don't have to worry about a thing. We recommend doing a manual backup whenever you have a major task to do with your phone - data cleanup, factory reset, etc. 

• Maps - as we mentioned above, some providers' maps need to be backed up, too. This applies to Outdooractive, OpenCycleMaps, and AccuTerra maps.

Unfortunately, these providers do not allow you to re-download your already purchased maps, nor have they allowed us to keep a backup of the purchased maps. Since you must re-purchase such a map if you lose it, we recommend that you back it up. You can start backing up your map from the offline map manager:

Pros

• It's FREE - backup is included in all versions of Locus Map 4 and in Locus Classic
• Wide choice of storage for backups - you can store backups on an external SD card as well as on cloud services like Dropbox or OneDrive.

Cons

• Restoring from a backup overwrites the current app data - if you have a three-day-old backup and need to restore your data, you may lose the tracks you've recorded in the last three days
• Media taken with Locus Map - photos, videos, or audio recordings - are not backed up

Sync

Unlike simple backups, synchronization is a dynamic process that allows you to maintain identical and up-to-date data on multiple devices at the same time. Locus Map 4 with the Premium Gold package allows you to sync your data with the cloud, respectively with your web library and all other mobile devices using your Locus account. What syncs:

• tracks and routes - all your recorded trips and workouts, planned and imported routes
• points - all your downloaded caches, created or imported points of interest

The sync happens automatically whenever there is any change on any of your synced devices - after recording a track, after planning a trip, after downloading caches, etc. However, the first sync needs to be started manually, either from the top bar of the track manager or from the settings. See the manual for details.

Pros

• You keep data up-to-date on all connected devices
• Only the change is always synchronized, not the complete database, as in the case of a backup
• You can conveniently plan or edit routes on the big screen of your PC, using your smartphone just to record the track and navigate

Cons

• Sync is only available in Locus Map 4 with the Premium Gold package
• media (photos or videos as attachments to routes or waypoints) are not synchronized, yet
• Settings do not sync - this is not necessarily a negative, as we may need different settings for each connected device

Ideal solution - a combination of both

As each functionality has its pros and cons, the best solution is to use both. Synchronization keeps all your devices up to date, and you can use your computer to plan trips or entire vacations. Backing up ensures that you don't lose your favorite settings, and when you buy a new phone, you don't have to laboriously set everything up in Locus. And you know that Locus Map has a lot of settings!

Anyway, one recommendation is clear - back it up!

Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

Článek Backup or sync? Both! se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

This question has been nagging us and our users since Android Kitkat 4.4.2. arrival on scene and our phones or tablets. And as many of you still need the answer to it, we'll dedicate today's blog post to it. Hope it'll help to find peace in our souls and calm many still upset users.

It worked very well until...

Before we get to the core of the topic, let me write a few words about Locus Map history. Locus Map since almost the very beginning coexisted in tranquil harmony with Android OS. It could completely migrate to SD card external memory without issues, store downloaded maps there, import points of interest, tracks and so on. This perfect partnership was breached upon the Nestlé candy update. It brought something nobody had expected - restrictions of writing to SD card for all applications. Reasons - security issues. Locus Map couldn't write on SD card which was in case of downloading SQLitedb raster maps quite crucial, it couldn't store even geocaches, vector maps or SRTM data, not even backup files. Out of the blue, SD card was read-only medium.

...we got into a real mess.

The consequences were almost catastrophic, until-then stable and fully functional Locus Map kept crashing, in some cases couldn't even start. Locus Team went through several dreamless nights until the situation calmed down. We had to find solution quickly and soothe our enraged users - we offered a few ways how to start living with Kitkat again and wrote about it here and there. Fortunately, users could still store data manually on SD cards - therefore large map data packages could be moved via a filemanager and the path to them defined manually in Locus Map settings.

Android 5.0 - a flash of hope

Android 4.4.4. didn't come up with anything solving the SD card read-only trouble. Only Android 5.0 brought a fresh wind of change:

It allowed us to return the SD card writing permission to Locus Map at least partially. Since then the folders with vector maps (MapsVector), SRTM data (elevation data useful for e.g. map shading – data/srtm) and backups (backup) can be transferred to SD card in Locus Map settings. Unfortunately, that’s all, more is not possible so far. All the same, we spent a whole week by looking for workarounds outwitting this peculiar idea of Google. Therefore, we still recommend to keep Locus root directory in internal memory as well as the main map directory Maps where Locus stores downloaded maps from online (the downloaded maps can be moved manually to SD card afterwards and then added as “external” maps back to Locus).

[caption id="attachment_8699" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Menu > Settings > Miscellaneous > Default directories[/caption]

Článek Does Locus Map work on SD card or not? se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.