explaingit

osmandapp/osmand

5,732JavaAudience · generalComplexity · 4/5Setup · hard

TLDR

OsmAnd is a free offline map and navigation app for Android and iOS built on OpenStreetMap data, letting you download maps for any country and navigate with voice guidance without any internet connection.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Offline navigation
      Voice turn-by-turn
      Place search
      GPX track recording
    Map Layers
      Wikipedia POIs
      Contour lines
      Bike and hiking paths
      Satellite imagery
    Platforms
      Android
      iOS
      F-Droid build
    Community
      OpenStreetMap edits
      Paid version funding
      Error reporting
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Download offline maps and navigate abroad without a cellular data plan

USE CASE 2

Log hiking or cycling routes using the built-in GPX track recorder

USE CASE 3

Explore a city with Wikipedia points of interest overlaid on the map

USE CASE 4

Get turn-by-turn voice directions for driving, cycling, or walking with multiple stops

Tech stack

JavaAndroidiOSOpenStreetMap

Getting it running

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1day+

Requires a full Android or iOS development environment with the correct SDK versions configured before you can build from source.

Open-source and free to use, a paid version unlocks extra features and funds continued development.

In plain English

OsmAnd is a map and navigation application for Android and iOS that runs entirely on OpenStreetMap data, a crowd-sourced global map project. The app is available on Google Play, the Apple App Store, F-Droid, Amazon, and the Huawei AppGallery. It is open-source and free to use, with a paid version that unlocks additional features. The main focus is offline use. You can download map files for any country or region directly from the app and store them on your device. Once downloaded, you can navigate, search for places, and browse the map without any internet connection. This makes it practical when traveling abroad or in areas with poor connectivity. The free version allows up to 16 map downloads, the paid version removes that limit. For navigation, the app provides turn-by-turn directions with voice guidance for driving, cycling, and walking. It supports multiple stops along a route, automatic rerouting when you go off course, lane guidance, street name display, and estimated arrival times. You can search for destinations by address, by category such as restaurants or gas stations, or by geographic coordinates. Beyond basic navigation, OsmAnd includes several additional layers of information. Wikipedia points of interest can be shown on the map as you explore, which is useful for sightseeing. You can display bike and hiking paths, public transit stops, contour lines, hill shading, and satellite imagery from Bing. The app also has a speed limit display with an optional alert if you exceed it, day and night map modes, and GPX track recording if you want to log a journey. Users can contribute directly to the OpenStreetMap project from within the app by reporting errors, adding points of interest, or uploading GPS tracks. The project relies on community involvement for both map data quality and software development. Those who want to support the project financially can purchase OsmAnd+ or subscribe to OsmAnd Pro, which funds continued development.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Using the OsmAnd Android codebase, show me how to add a new map layer that highlights electric vehicle charging stations from OpenStreetMap data.
Prompt 2
Help me write an OsmAnd plugin in Java that reads a GPX file from device storage and draws the route on the map with color-coded speed segments.
Prompt 3
In the OsmAnd source, where is voice guidance generated? Help me add an alert that reads out the current speed limit when I exceed it by 10 km/h.
Prompt 4
Show me how OsmAnd builds its offline search index so I can add a custom category of points of interest using a non-standard OpenStreetMap tag.
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