Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the urge to get outside—whether it’s for a bike ride, a hike in the mountains, or your first weekend trip with friends. And for everyone who loves to plan together, we’re introducing several important new features in the route planner web.locusmap.app. You can now share your planned route with anyone— simply, quickly, and without restrictions. We’ve replaced the map engine for faster and smoother performance. Plus, we’ve added login method management directly in your user profile. 

More major updates to our mobile apps are just around the corner, but we didn’t manage to release them before the start of spring, so you can look forward to them throughout April.

Share your planned route with a single click

You know how it goes—you plan a great route and want to quickly send it to your friends so they can take a look and tell you what they think. Until now, that meant exporting the route and forwarding the file. Now it’s much easier.

You can now share a link to a planned route directly from the web planner, even without saving it. Just plan the route and send the link. The recipient can open it in a browser or directly in the mobile app, view the route, elevation profile, and details—all completely free, with no Premium subscription required.

Important note: The shared link transfers the route points you’ve clicked on, as well as all router settings and selected profiles—including any custom adjustments. The recipient will thus see the route exactly as you planned it, with all parameters included.

Three ways to share

You can share your route in three ways — choose the one that works best for you:

• Shortened link — generate a short URL that’s perfect for sharing in chat, email, or on social media.
• QR code — Each planned route has its own unique QR code. Just scan it with your phone, and the route will open immediately in your browser or in the app.
• Full URL from the address bar — copy the link directly from your browser.

Who can benefit from this?

Route sharing is perfect for anyone planning group trips. All it takes is for one member of the group to plan the route—the others can simply open it via a link and view it, even if they don’t have a Premium subscription. No need to send files or deal with complicated settings.

Imagine a typical situation: you’re planning a weekend hike with friends. You open web.locusmap.app, plan your route, send the link to a group chat—and in no time, everyone is looking at the same map and sorting out the details. Simple.

Smoother map performance

A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes of the web planner—we’ve replaced the entire core of the map application and switched to the MapLibre platform. What does this mean for you, the users?

• Panning and zooming on the map is now much smoother and more responsive
• The app can handle much more user-generated content on the map—up to 100,000 points or 100 routes
• In the future, the system will allow for the addition of more maps—whether our own LoMaps or maps from other providers. We are currently developing a vector map and detailed terrain shading, and you may even see a 3D view in the future.

We've also adjusted the style of the planned route so that it's more visible on the map. Now you won't confuse it with the bike paths:

Manage login methods

The second update concerns your user account. You can now add or change your login method for your Locus Map account directly in your profile settings.

Do you sign in with Google and want to add email and password sign-in as well? Or would you like to add Apple sign-in to your existing account? Now you can—and it only takes a few clicks.

What exactly can you configure?

• Add a new login method — for example, link a Google or Apple account to your existing login.
• Change the email address for the account you're logging into using the email/password method.
• Manage existing methods — all in one convenient place.

You can find the login methods settings in user profile settings — click on your profile icon in the top right corner.

You'll especially appreciate this improvement when you switch phones, switch platforms, or want to be sure you can always access your account—no matter what service you're using at the moment.

Try out the new features today

Both new features are now available at web.locusmap.app. Open the route planner, plan your first spring route, and share it with your friends—either via a link or a QR code.

We’d love to hear your feedback—let us know what you think of the updates!

Článek Spring updates on the website – plan your routes and share them with anyone se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

The Locus Map application was created as purely "android" software for smartphones. However, our users have always wanted to use it on a desktop or laptop computer - the idea of browsing their favorite maps or planning a trip on a big screen is naturally appealing. Until recently, it was only possible to run Locus on a PC using the Android emulator, but now more options are available. Let's take a look at them in more detail.

Locus Map on the web

About two years ago we launched our new website www.locusmap.app, which includes a route planner with a route library. Although it is still labeled "Beta", as it is still under development, it can already do a lot:

• it displays summer and winter LoMap and satellite maps of the whole world including descriptions
• it can display your approximate location on the map
• it can search for places on the map, view, plan, import, export, and share routes
• you can browse your database of routes and points of interest on it
• it synchronizes with the Locus app on your phone or tablet

Now let's take a look at how to use it:

How to use the map?

Just like on other mapping sites, e.g. Google Maps, i.e. use the mouse wheel to zoom and the cursor to scroll. In addition, there are zoom buttons on the top right. Below them are the map selection button and the map legend:

The centering button below the map selection puts your position in the center of the screen (but you have to enable this action in the browser). The last button triggers the import of a GPX file.

The map also includes LoPoints - places of interest, accompanied by information and photos. Their descriptions and photos are taken from Wikipedia, and some photos are supplied by Locus users themselves, as we wrote about here >>.

How to plan a route?

Route planning is a major benefit of the big screen, providing ample space and context. It works similarly to the app - you choose an activity or mode of transport in the panel on the left, then click into the map on the places through which you want to take the route. The route is plotted along roads, paths, and footpaths according to the activity you've chosen. 

You can, of course, include LoPoints in your route as well as custom points of interest that you have previously activated on the map.

As already mentioned, the route is plotted between waypoints based on the activity or means of transport selected. You can change this freely, both when adding waypoints and subsequently when editing individual route segments. If you need to route off-road, you can choose to draw the route manually.

To check the elevation progression, a graph of the elevation and slope of the route is displayed at the bottom.

When you're done, you can export the route as a GPX file or share a link to it. GPX can be opened by any map service or application, and the URL will display the route on the Locus website in all known browsers. 

If you have purchased or subscribed to Premium Gold, you can save the route to your library and sync it with the Locus Map app on your smartphone or tablet.

Import

On the map, you can also view routes from elsewhere, from other sites or apps - just import them in GPX format. And not just routes, the imported file can also contain waypoints, such as caches you're going to hunt for during your trip.

Library of routes and points

If you have activated the Premium Gold package, you can see in the web library all your routes and points that you have created, recorded, or imported. All your devices that use Locus Map under the same account are synchronized with the library.

In the web planner, you can browse the library in the panel on the left. Route and point categories are placed on top of each other and show the same group and folder structure as in the app. Routes are sorted in the folders by creation date, however, we'll introduce more sorting options shortly. You can view the routes individually on the map. Each route is provided with length, time, elevation gain, and other statistics, a map preview, and an elevation graph.

The points are alphabetized in the folders and you can display the entire folders on the map. Each point detail contains basic information about the location, elevation, and date created. In addition, cachers will enjoy the basic attributes of geocaches - size, difficulty, terrain, etc.

Search

The web planner can search for interesting places on the map, both by category and full text in the names. As soon as you enter the first few letters in the search box, the categories and nearest points pop up according to the selected map area. 

Click on a category to highlight all the places on the map that fall within it:

Clicking on a specific point or location will open the details panel and center the object on the map. 

"Full" Locus Map on your computer

Although the "web Locus" can do a lot, it only provides a fraction of what the full Locus Map app is able to do. So if you want more on PC, you need to wade into the waters of emulated Android environments or use screen sharing or remote management systems. 

Try it with an emulator

From our user feedback, we know that Locus Map can run on the latest Windows 11 directly using their virtual subsystem. However, this is fully accessible in some countries only. The app also works without a problem on Google's Chromebook, but again, it can't be compared to a PC in terms of versatility. 

On other PCs and laptops, you have to use a third-party Android emulator. With this software, you can embed an Android-operated window in a Windows environment. There are a variety of emulators, from variants for experts and developers to game fans.

As an example, we choose the NOX emulator with which we currently have the most personal experience. It has several advantages:

• easy installation
• it includes Google services including Google Play, where Locus Map can be downloaded and installed
• Locus Map can also be installed using an .APK file
• it runs quite well even on an average computer
• it supports the ADB plug-in for Total Commander, which makes it easy to get to the Locus working directory where you can copy maps and other files

Samsung DeX - a solution for some

If you have one of Samsung's higher-end smartphone or tablet models (S or Z series), the manufacturer offers the DeX desktop interface. You connect your phone to a PC or smart TV via a USB cable or wifi and the communication is taken care of by the DeX client application. It also comes with a special DeX base that offers a wide variety of connectors, HDMI, USB, etc. for connecting to other peripherals.

The Samsung DeX interface can then be used to run Locus Map stretched across a large screen and it has to be said that it works very briskly. Everything is easily operated with the mouse and keyboard (you can even "swipe" from the PC screen to the mobile display with the mouse). Perhaps the only downside is that you are still using "only" Locus on your mobile, and not a separate application on the PC.

Summary

If you make do with planning routes for your trips on your PC, the web-based planner at web.locusmap.app will serve you well. The Android emulator solution will run the full app, but it requires the installation of ancillary software that will cut into your PC's performance. DeX is again only for those who have a better Samsung in their pocket. So take your pick, it's up to you. Anyway, Locus Map is primarily an outdoor app, so turn off your computer and head out :).

Článek How to use Locus Map on a PC? se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

A year has just passed since we introduced our new project - Locus Map 4. And since we are not really into those classic anniversary parties, we want to celebrate this event with you in a somewhat unconventional way - by introducing some major new features:

• Import and satellite maps on the web
• New options for purchasing Premium features
• Locus Map Pro is now Locus Map 3 Classic

News on the web

Import routes and points

Finally, for many of you, there’s a crucial piece of functionality. It took a long time, as it was not easy for us - you are used to importing not only routes, but also points or combinations of them from the mobile app. All this also in multiple numbers. All of this is now possible in the web planner as well.

You can start the import using the button, or by simply dragging the GPX file directly onto the map (you need to be logged in for this to work):

The web application then gives you a choice of what you want to save from the imported file to the library:

Then click "Save", select the folders for routes and points separately and you're done (but you can only save with the Premium Gold package activated).

LoMap or aerial view?

We recently introduced global satellite maps to Locus Map on mobile. Now we've done the same on the web. You can now choose between cycling/touring LoMap or aerial/satellite imagery to plan your routes or view your trips.

Dynamic LoPoints are of course displayed over both. This takes the comfort of trip planning one step further again.

The maps show data from Here and Maxar and can be zoomed down to level 18.

In addition to subscriptions - the one-time payments

You all probably understand that all the gadgets and new services we have been throwing at you for a year now cost a lot of money.

Still, we know that paying for premium features as a subscription is not popular with some of you.

That's why we have prepared one-time payments for you. You pay for a specific period of time, the Premium Services are activated, the period expires, and the app returns to the basic state. No automatic payment renewal, you are in full control:

Premium for 3 months

If you're a fan of summer-only outdoor activities, this plan is for you. On this plan, you'll only pay for Premium features for the peak outdoor season of the year, when you're guaranteed the best weather and longest daylight hours. So ideal for hiking and biking.

Of course, you can use the same plan in winter, when the cross-country skiing and skialp season is in full swing. Anyway, it's up to you, you can start the 3-month Premium at any time.

Premium for 1 year

This is the plan of choice for die-hard outdoorsmen who want to be in full control of the payments for their hobby. Just pay once, you're set for a year and you don't have to deal with automatic renewal.

Try Premium for 14 days for free

So you don't buy into the hype, you can try the premium app for FREE. You have a full 14 days to do so, so if you time it right, you'll be able to make it through two weekends. The trial is included with annual Silver and Gold subscriptions. If you cancel your subscription before the end of the trial period, it won't cost you a cent.

Can I switch from a subscription to a one-time purchase and vice versa?

Yes, we have several transition scenarios, all of which have one thing in common - they are always fair to you.

For example, if you have an annual Silver subscription and want a three-month one-time Gold for the summer, your subscription will not be deactivated, but instead extended by the three months you use Gold. So you won't lose a day of the subscribed features.

Or, if you are switching from an unfinished three-month one-time Silver to an annual Gold subscription, the remaining unused funds will be used to extend the annual period pro-rata.

All options for one-off purchases, subscriptions, and transitions between them can be found directly in the app under the "Go Premium" menu.

Locus Map Pro changes to Locus Map 3 Classic

Throughout the year we’ve been explaining to our users that Locus Map 4 and Locus Map Pro are developed and maintained in two different projects. However, we are aware that the name of the older application containing the word "Pro" may evoke the opposite impression, especially for new users, that Locus Map 4 is an older or lower-end application.

That's why we decided to rename the original Locus Map Pro application to Locus Map 3 Classic.

The number 3 in the title refers to the number series of the original "Pro" application, which we are now releasing in version 3.59. The word "Classic" conveys the feeling of "good old", reliable, and time-tested software.

Some of our users are rejecting the novelty of the 4th series of the app. For example, they are used to the original user interface. Locus Map 3 Classic is primarily for them, and we will continue to maintain and update it so that it works seamlessly on the latest versions of the Android operating system.

For those who want to take advantage of our latest gadgets, there's Locus Map 4, which in Premium Silver includes the same features as Locus Map 3 Classic, plus a lot more. 

Článek Check out the presents for the first anniversary of Locus Map 4! se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.

Custom points, geocaches, displaying several routes at once… Finally, this massively expected functionality, which we call the ugly word "multicontent" in the office, is fully available in our web planner-library at web.locusmap.app.

Sync

To get your user content on the web, you need to sync your Locus Map with the cloud. As we wrote here, here and here, a Premium Gold subscription is required for this and you have to start the first synchronization manually. Then just log in to web.locusmap.app with the same account as in the application and you can browse your routes and points.

Show points on the map

The Points category has been added to your web library, displaying all your user points of interest, caches, etc .:

You can add your points on the map in whole folders:

You can "activate" as many points as you want, but they may not all appear above the map at once (there’s a limit against browser congestion). In addition, where points overlap, the browser concentrates the points into groups. So in order to see a specific point on the map, you need to zoom in on the map.

You can find a specific point in a folder and click on it to display it on the map. At the same time, the details of the point will show on the left:

When you move the cursor to a point, a popup opens offering to add the point to the planned route, view details or the entire folder:

A geocaching trip

Geocaching players quite often use Locus Map, in which they have a lot of caches downloaded. Thanks to the new functionality of the web library, it can now display these caches in the web route planner and plan the fun for the whole day.

Just select the appropriate activity (on foot, by bike, by car, it can also be combined) and gradually add caches to the route:

The panel on the left shows an itinerary with distances, estimated time on the route and other statistics, below the map is a graph of elevation with marked stops:

Now you just need to save the route, automatic synchronization will take care of moving it to the mobile application. And you can go.

More routes on the map

In order to be able to plan a route that you have not yet taken, it is good to know where you have already traveled. So show on the map all the trips you have already been on. In the web library, select all the routes you need. They will be highlighted above the map and you can start planning:

What else can you look forward to

We're still working hard on the web planner, so you can expect more tweaks in the future. For example:

• more options for sharing routes and points
• filtering, sorting routes, points and searching for them
• graphs with additional route information
• display of road types and surfaces
• summary statistics of routes in folders
• import and more variants of export of routes and points, etc.

So what do you say about the new library and planning options? Let us know in the comments.

Článek Finally, you can plan routes between caches on the web se nejdříve objevil na Locus Map - mobile outdoor navigation app.