6 ms·

Maps.me goes open source

115 points by mzehrer 11y ago

pwelch 11y ago
Wow this is awesome. I used Maps.me in Europe because I didn't have data and it can give you directions without data. Great app for traveling.
- conradfr 11y ago
  We used it as well some weeks ago in New Zealand for the same reasons. Very useful, even if the paths were sometimes a bit ... alternative. "natural=bare_rock" as a POI became a bit of a private joke in our van, as it seems rocks are well mapped in OSM and displayed with that bare tag in Maps.me.
  - maxerickson 11y ago
    Hopefully it was marking exposed bedrock.
TuringTest 11y ago
Great, I've been waiting for this to happen before recommending it to my acquaintances. It's the only FLOSS app that I have been able to find with all the following: - a sane user interface, - offline mapping and navigation, - and a good search engine that doesn't force "Country/City/Street" fields to find streets and POIs. It's a bit slim, but now that's under the Apache license it will surely grow features faster. I wonder what the company's monetization strategy will be?
- TuringTest 11y ago
  Ah, found it. [1] They plan to integrate it with hotel and taxi booking services. [1] http://blog.maps.me/2015/09/mapsme-launched-its-walking-directons.html http://blog.maps.me/2015/09/mapsme-launched-its-walking-dire...
- lcswi 11y ago
  You've got to try osmand!
  - maxerickson 11y ago
    The sane interface and friendly search are pretty direct contrasts with OSMAnd. I do think the new interface in OSMAnd is headed in the right direction though.
    - lcswi 11y ago
      I love the new interface but you are right about the search. Somehow I thought they had reworked that terrible address 'browser' into a free form search. :-(
      - ClashTheBunny 11y ago
        If you're online, it does do free form search with a geolocation API. Offline, you still need to have all of your destinations saved as favorites.
  - TuringTest 11y ago
    I did, but the 10 maps limit and terrible search format held me back.
devit 11y ago
How does this compare to Osmand?
- TuringTest 11y ago
  The search engine is much better. You can do google-like searches, just type what you're looking for, and select the best match from the results list. In Osmand and all other open source apps, you have to first type the country and region where you think your target is located. Also, it's very easy to start downloading an offline map for any region - just zoom in on a new area, and it provides the link for that region. Right now it's free, unlimited and it works all over the world (though of course that can change in the future). I haven't figured out how to do the same thing in Osmand, and it says the free version is limited to 10 maps.
  - mkesper 11y ago
    You can use the version from f-droid.
    - TuringTest 11y ago
      Does it have easy direct download of maps from within the app? The official Osmand can sideload any number of maps too, the limit is only for direct downloads; but common users won't know how to get their own maps without support from the app.
      - maxerickson 11y ago
        It's the full version.
        TuringTest 11y ago
        Thanks, I'll give it a try for myself. In Maps.me I miss the capability to take OSM notes from within the app.
  - 11y ago
zeisss 11y ago
I really like maps.me. My only annoyance so far was last week when it was keeping my phone awake for 8h and draining my battery rather quickly w/o actually having the phone open or the app in the foreground (or any navigation going on).
- pwelch 11y ago
  I did not have that problem, though navigation apps in general kill my battery. I think the only feature I wish it had, which might be in there now, is to export the places I marked as a favorite to something such as CSV or JSON.
  - TuringTest 11y ago
    It can, it exports compressed kmz files, and imports kml and kmz. I used it to import bookmarks from a custom-made personal Google map.
    - pwelch 11y ago
      Awesome. Thanks for the info!
- breischl 11y ago
  I noticed that it will keep the location services/GPS running even if the app is backgrounded, at least on Android. If you kill the app that helps.
wingerlang 11y ago
As with many of the responses here, I have nothing but good things to say about this app. I've used it in Australia, all over SE Asia and Sweden and it always feels reliable. As long as you can handle the occasional lack of data in remoter areas you'll be fine with it (GPS still works though).
- exodust 11y ago
  Yes it's my go-to map when I need just a map, quick and reliable. Google maps "offline regions" is a joke. Too limited and awkward. Google doesn't want anyone using their products without signing in or connecting to their endless "do you want fries with your maps" online offerings. This slows thing down on mobile. Often I just want to refer to a map without even needing my location to be known, and definitely not the Internet. That's where maps.me is so good.
halosghost 11y ago
I'd love to see this make it into F-Droid! Fingers crossed!
- orblivion 11y ago
  I don't know how the F-Droid community works, but it sounds like this is where we can follow it? https://f-droid.org/forums/topic/maps-me/ https://f-droid.org/forums/topic/maps-me/ EDIT: And here https://github.com/mapsme/omim/issues/85 https://github.com/mapsme/omim/issues/85
3327 11y ago
Thank you, I think mapping applications are generally still weak despite google maps etc. I think opensource is the way to go with maps.
N0RMAN 11y ago
Despite that Maps.me is now open-source, how does it compare to Here (Maps)?
- Nux 11y ago
  I don't think Maps.me has voice navigation or online live traffic alerts like Here does.
Splines 11y ago
Are there data sources for traffic? Google maps is my go-to commuting app because it gives me alternatives to get around traffic congestion. Is there any sort of aggregation or service alternative to Google maps (and Waze)?
- ClashTheBunny 11y ago
  https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh441725 https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh441725 and possibly the same thing: https://developer.here.com/rest-apis/documentation/traffic/topics/coverage-information.html https://developer.here.com/rest-apis/documentation/traffic/t...
zbuf 11y ago
MAPS.ME is a great app, very slick and has all the signs of something that's very well developed. It's almost entirely replaced Google Maps for me, justified by the speed of its UI alone. I'd be fascinated to know how it justifies being given away in source form like this and any business model around it. Wishing the best of luck to the guys!

115 points by mzehrer 11y ago

Wow this is awesome. I used Maps.me in Europe because I didn't have data and it can give you directions without data. Great app for traveling.

conradfr 11y ago
We used it as well some weeks ago in New Zealand for the same reasons. Very useful, even if the paths were sometimes a bit ... alternative. "natural=bare_rock" as a POI became a bit of a private joke in our van, as it seems rocks are well mapped in OSM and displayed with that bare tag in Maps.me.
- maxerickson 11y ago
  Hopefully it was marking exposed bedrock.

TuringTest 11y ago

Great, I've been waiting for this to happen before recommending it to my acquaintances. It's the only FLOSS app that I have been able to find with all the following: - a sane user interface, - offline mapping and navigation, - and a good search engine that doesn't force "Country/City/Street" fields to find streets and POIs. It's a bit slim, but now that's under the Apache license it will surely grow features faster. I wonder what the company's monetization strategy will be?

TuringTest 11y ago
Ah, found it. [1] They plan to integrate it with hotel and taxi booking services. [1] http://blog.maps.me/2015/09/mapsme-launched-its-walking-directons.html http://blog.maps.me/2015/09/mapsme-launched-its-walking-dire...
lcswi 11y ago
You've got to try osmand!
- maxerickson 11y ago
  The sane interface and friendly search are pretty direct contrasts with OSMAnd. I do think the new interface in OSMAnd is headed in the right direction though.
  - lcswi 11y ago
    I love the new interface but you are right about the search. Somehow I thought they had reworked that terrible address 'browser' into a free form search. :-(
    - ClashTheBunny 11y ago
      If you're online, it does do free form search with a geolocation API. Offline, you still need to have all of your destinations saved as favorites.
- TuringTest 11y ago
  I did, but the 10 maps limit and terrible search format held me back.

devit 11y ago

How does this compare to Osmand?

TuringTest 11y ago
The search engine is much better. You can do google-like searches, just type what you're looking for, and select the best match from the results list. In Osmand and all other open source apps, you have to first type the country and region where you think your target is located. Also, it's very easy to start downloading an offline map for any region - just zoom in on a new area, and it provides the link for that region. Right now it's free, unlimited and it works all over the world (though of course that can change in the future). I haven't figured out how to do the same thing in Osmand, and it says the free version is limited to 10 maps.
- mkesper 11y ago
  You can use the version from f-droid.
  - TuringTest 11y ago
    Does it have easy direct download of maps from within the app? The official Osmand can sideload any number of maps too, the limit is only for direct downloads; but common users won't know how to get their own maps without support from the app.
    - maxerickson 11y ago
      It's the full version.
      - TuringTest 11y ago
        Thanks, I'll give it a try for myself. In Maps.me I miss the capability to take OSM notes from within the app.
- 11y ago

zeisss 11y ago

I really like maps.me. My only annoyance so far was last week when it was keeping my phone awake for 8h and draining my battery rather quickly w/o actually having the phone open or the app in the foreground (or any navigation going on).

pwelch 11y ago
I did not have that problem, though navigation apps in general kill my battery. I think the only feature I wish it had, which might be in there now, is to export the places I marked as a favorite to something such as CSV or JSON.
- TuringTest 11y ago
  It can, it exports compressed kmz files, and imports kml and kmz. I used it to import bookmarks from a custom-made personal Google map.
  - pwelch 11y ago
    Awesome. Thanks for the info!
breischl 11y ago
I noticed that it will keep the location services/GPS running even if the app is backgrounded, at least on Android. If you kill the app that helps.

wingerlang 11y ago

As with many of the responses here, I have nothing but good things to say about this app. I've used it in Australia, all over SE Asia and Sweden and it always feels reliable. As long as you can handle the occasional lack of data in remoter areas you'll be fine with it (GPS still works though).

exodust 11y ago
Yes it's my go-to map when I need just a map, quick and reliable. Google maps "offline regions" is a joke. Too limited and awkward. Google doesn't want anyone using their products without signing in or connecting to their endless "do you want fries with your maps" online offerings. This slows thing down on mobile. Often I just want to refer to a map without even needing my location to be known, and definitely not the Internet. That's where maps.me is so good.

halosghost 11y ago

I'd love to see this make it into F-Droid! Fingers crossed!

orblivion 11y ago
I don't know how the F-Droid community works, but it sounds like this is where we can follow it? https://f-droid.org/forums/topic/maps-me/ https://f-droid.org/forums/topic/maps-me/ EDIT: And here https://github.com/mapsme/omim/issues/85 https://github.com/mapsme/omim/issues/85

3327 11y ago

Thank you, I think mapping applications are generally still weak despite google maps etc. I think opensource is the way to go with maps.

N0RMAN 11y ago

Despite that Maps.me is now open-source, how does it compare to Here (Maps)?

Nux 11y ago
I don't think Maps.me has voice navigation or online live traffic alerts like Here does.

Splines 11y ago

Are there data sources for traffic? Google maps is my go-to commuting app because it gives me alternatives to get around traffic congestion. Is there any sort of aggregation or service alternative to Google maps (and Waze)?

ClashTheBunny 11y ago
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh441725 https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh441725 and possibly the same thing: https://developer.here.com/rest-apis/documentation/traffic/topics/coverage-information.html https://developer.here.com/rest-apis/documentation/traffic/t...

zbuf 11y ago

MAPS.ME is a great app, very slick and has all the signs of something that's very well developed. It's almost entirely replaced Google Maps for me, justified by the speed of its UI alone. I'd be fascinated to know how it justifies being given away in source form like this and any business model around it. Wishing the best of luck to the guys!