OutDoors GPS – Offline OS Maps

I don’t know why this App gets so many poor reviews. I’ve been using it consistently for nearly 12 months and it has rarely let me down. In response to the negative reviews, learn how to use it properly and download the maps for the location you’re in or going to be in. You rarely get a signal in the mountains so why would you expect it to work without the maps already downloaded! It’s quick and easy to plot a route on your phone, iPad or computer. Plotting a route on the go or changing a route is simple, even for sausage fingers. The quality of the maps is sometimes criticised, rubbish those people should get their eyes tested. I’ve used this to navigate Snowdonia and the Lake District without any problem. Sure it will drain your battery, just get an Apple case with battery built in. I’ve never run out of battery using it for tracking my walks. The included AA and Rough Guide books are handy as well and have sent me on some good walks I wouldn’t have considered doing before. One addition would be welcome and that is a peak identifier like the OS Maps app but perhaps more reliable. I use Peak Scanner best t a built in version would be great. I consistently walk 70-90 miles each week and use the app on nearly every walk. I probably use it everyday for logging walks or browsing maps and planning my next adventure.

response required

I have 300 or so Apps and this was clearly my favourite - until two weeks ago that is when everything went wrong. The new “improved” version is anything but. All my walking colleagues who use the App have exactly the same problems. Basically the new version is useless. We’ve walked all over the UK and Europe with hardly an issue and now this. The problems are too numerous to list but here are a few of the big issues: firstly the app no longer plots our actual walking route. It takes the start point and end point and connects them with a straight line. Even after editing the route on each device (extremely laborious) saving to our account on your website just doesn’t happen even though the (edited) route is showing on our hand devices. Secondly the actual plot position is totally inaccurate, other tracking apps on the same hand held device are very precise, proving that the problem lies with this App. Thirdly the new layout is incomprehensible. What was wrong with the previous version? The instructions too are weird too - for instance we are invited by the guide to press the centre of the map display to centre the current position but it simply doesn’t work. I could go on but..... in summary the previous version was fantastic, this version is pure rubbish.

response required

Update is the final nail in the coffin. It was poor before but after investing in the maps you decide to stick with it rather than spend money to buy the same maps as they’re non transferable between apps. The new version though is awful. I used to use the app to track my route for two main reasons. One was just a man-thing of how far, how long, elevation gain etc. The second was a bit more pragmatic to track my my route so if visibility becomes poor you can get your location, take a compass baring and move on in the old fashioned way. The navigation screen is now cluttered with a poor layout that obscured the map. You will constantly press the ‘current location’ icon whole panning and re sizing the map display. However, the main issue for me is the app does not track your route accurately as your location stops updating. In the old version, it seemed to play up if you stopped for a wee or a sarnie but the ‘new’ version freezes while you’re moving. It suggests you are at a location from 5, 10, 15 minutes ago. It might find you if you open and close the app a few times but it may not. Similarly, I can no longer seem to locate NGR co-ordinates. They may be there but the lack of intuitiveness meant I gave up trying to find them. To summarise, wait for the bugs to get sorted or go elsewhere.

response required

I have used this app for a couple of years now with no issues. The previous version of the app was truly amazing, easy to use, track position beautifully. I used before the upgrade to cycle off road coast to coast in July 2019 and it worked like dream. I renewed my annual fee in September 2019 ready for a week walking in the Lake District. Used it last week or should I say tried to use it. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE GPS!!! It is now truly dreadful grrrrrr!!! 1. Now when you record a walk you cannot get rid of the recording data which pops up on the bottom of the screen overlaying part of the map which in effect reduces what you can see whilst using (iPhone 6s)...old app this info was a different screen. 2. Now when you are tracing a pre plotted walk the screen shows a straight red line from the last time you checked your phone to where you check it again and does not track the path you have taken whilst in use (and yes GPS I did change my settings use phone gps always). 3. Old app used to track actual route taken in blue....not any more. 4. The app now needs constant refreshing and reloading whilst in use. In essence the developers have taken a perfectly great app and ruined it.....GPS if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!! Sadly I will not not be using this once great app anymore and will be requesting a refund.

response required

I’ve been a premium subscriber for 3 years but have given up on this app. There are two reasons behind this. Firstly, I fired the app up recently and discovered an attractive looking upgrade. After lots of head-scratching and reading help files, I couldn’t figure out how to sync routes between the web site and app (I had done this many times with the old app). I submitted a support ticket and three weeks later still have not had a response. Annoying, but not serious. Much more seriously - I was out in a remote part of North Yorkshire. No signal. I had downloaded the maps in advance, anticipating the lack of connectivity. Mid-walk the downloaded map just stopped working and vanished from my screen. No warning. Restart of app and phone failed to fix the issue. Utterly infuriating. Fortunately I had a paper map with me. Based on the first failure in support, I didn’t bother submitting a ticket - I cancelled my subscription and am trying out the OS app.