We all lean on map apps to find our way. But what if you could have a powerful navigation tool that didn’t track your every move? Or one that worked perfectly even when your phone signal died? Say hello to CoMaps, a brand new option shaking up the mapping world. This free app just landed on iOS, Android, and F-Droid, offering a truly private and offline experience.
CoMaps promises to be your trustworthy travel companion, especially with summer trips around the corner. It’s built with user privacy at its heart, meaning no nosy data collection or unwanted ads. Plus, it’s open source, so anyone can peek at its code and contribute. You can grab it right now from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or the F-Droid open-source app store.
This isn’t just a random new app; it has a bit of history. CoMaps started as a “fork” from another open-source project called Organic Maps. Some developers felt the original project was losing its way, so they branched off to create CoMaps. They wanted to bring back the original idea: free, open, and private navigation built by a community. Organic Maps itself grew from an older app called MapsWithMe, which became Maps.me and had its code opened up in 2015. Even though CoMaps is fresh, it builds on years of work, so it feels very complete right out of the gate.
Imagine navigating without worrying about your internet connection. CoMaps makes this a reality. Once you allow it to see your location, it smartly downloads the map data for your area. The developers did a great job making these maps small. For example, the map for northern Portugal is only about 145.7 MB. This means you can plan routes for hikes, bike rides, or car trips, both near home or abroad, even if your phone has no signal. The app also looks good, letting you pick between light or dark screen modes.
CoMaps isn’t just for driving; it truly shines when you’re exploring on foot or by bike. It has a special outdoor mode that shows hiking trails, cool spots, campsites, and even places to find fresh water. No more getting lost in the woods because your signal vanished! It also offers voice guidance for walking, cycling, or driving. You can easily search for places, save your favorite spots, and even sync your data using iCloud on an iPhone. Plus, it lets you check out Wikipedia articles offline and view subway maps, which is super handy in big cities. You can also save your past routes, making it easy to retrace your steps.
What CoMaps Offers
- It’s open source, meaning its code is public for anyone to see.
- Works completely offline, no internet needed once maps are downloaded.
- Offers voice-guided directions for walking, cycling, and driving.
- No personal data is collected, no tracking, and absolutely no ads.
- Features a clean and easy-to-use interface, with light or dark modes.
- You can search for places by name, address, or type of business.
- Sync your favorite spots and data using iCloud if you have an iPhone.
- Access offline Wikipedia articles and subway maps for major cities.
- Mark and save your most-loved locations.
- Easily export and import your data in KML, KMZ, and GPX formats.
- Comes with a built-in map editor to help improve OpenStreetMap data.
Beyond just using the maps, CoMaps invites you to be part of making them better. Its built-in editor lets you add new places to OpenStreetMap, helping the whole community. The team behind CoMaps is very clear about their promise: your data is yours. They don’t collect personal information, track your location for ads, or show you any advertising at all. This commitment to transparency and privacy makes CoMaps a strong contender for anyone looking to ditch big tech mapping services.