Android

Explore with confidence using Gaia GPS—trusted by overlanders, hikers, campers, skiers, and thru-hikers. Scan the QR code to download the app on your phone. Access offline topo maps, weather layers, and route planning for iOS or Android. Plan, navigate, and explore the backcountry—anywhere.

Download Gaia GPS– iOS & Android App

by Tricia Speziale Edwards January 1, 2025

Discover the backcountry with confidence using the Gaia GPS mobile app, the ultimate navigation tool for overlanders, hikers, backcountry explorers, campers, and skiers. Whether planning a multi-day backpacking trip, finding dispersed campsites, or navigating off-road trails and snowy terrain, Gaia GPS gives you access to the most trusted offline topo maps, weather overlays, and route planning tools.

If you’re viewing this page from a desktop, scan the QR code below with your mobile device. You’ll be instantly directed to the right app store to download Gaia GPS for iOS or Android.

Millions of outdoor adventurers rely on Gaia GPS for:

Offline maps for hiking, camping, and backcountry skiing
Detailed trail data for overlanding and off-grid travel
Navigation tools built for thru-hikes and alpine touring

Get Gaia GPS on your phone and turn your next adventure into a well-planned expedition.

Download The App

January 1, 2025

Android App Updates Gaia GPS iOS New Features New Maps

Gaia GPS Year in Review: Best New Maps and Features of 2021

by Mary Cochenour December 28, 2021

written by Mary Cochenour

The pandemic roared on in 2021 but that didn’t stop the Gaia GPS community from exploring outside. Collectively, you all recorded more tracks and climbed more vertical than ever before. And it showed as the number of you navigating with Gaia GPS maps soared through the roof in 2021.

Whether climbing Colorado’s lofty 14ers or day hiking on your neighborhood trails, your drive to get outside inspired the Gaia GPS team to create nifty new maps and innovative features this year. From our brand new Gaia Winter map to offline snap-to-trail route planning, we hope our newest updates have made your adventuring a little bit easier and a whole lot safer.

Read on to learn more about Gaia GPS’s development highlights from 2021.

Navigate in Winter Mode with the Brand New Gaia Winter Map

This year, our in-house cartographers designed this frosty new base map specifically for your favorite winter activities. Ride the lifts, tour the backcountry, and explore nordic, fat bike, and snowshoe trails with confidence thanks to the all-new Gaia Winter topographic map.

The new Gaia Winter map is designed with a stronger emphasis on terrain, tree cover, and contours, making it easier than ever to navigate in an endless world of white. It’s special “winter” color palette pairs perfectly with other commonly used winter maps, such as the Avalanche Forecast and Slope Angle maps. Plus, see every run at the ski resort, along with nordic, snowshoe, fat bike, and uphill trails.

Just like our flagship Gaia Topo map, our new Gaia Winter map comes with industry-leading download efficiency. A tiny file size and lightning-quick download speeds let you save your entire state so you can always have a map on hand, even when you lose cell service. Whether you’re riding the lifts, sliding into the side country, or touring untouched terrain, bring Gaia Winter along with you so that you can always find your location in the thickest of tree glades and whiteout conditions. Available with a Gaia GPS Premium or Outside+ Membership.

Introducing Gaia GPS + Android Auto

Our users wanted Android Auto, and we heard you loud and clear! Gaia GPS now connects with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, bringing all of your favorite trail maps directly to your vehicle’s navigation screen. Now you can pull up MVUMs, satellite imagery, National Geographic Trails Illustrated, and more, all on the dash. View waypoints and follow turn-by-turn directions with any saved route on backcountry dirt roads and front-country pavement — worldwide. No cell service needed.

CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are available for free to anyone using the Gaia GPS app. However you will need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or Outside+ Membership to access the entire map catalog and to download maps for offline navigation.

Visualize the Landscape with 3D Maps on the Web

Scope out new terrain, plan perfect routes, or dream the day away discovering the world’s natural wonders in 3D mode on Gaia GPS. Every map in Gaia GPS can now be viewed in 3D mode on the web. Just click the 3D button on the bottom right side of the map screen, and watch the canyons plunge and the mountains pop into three dimensions that beg you to explore. Whether you’re backpacking, overlanding, or backcountry skiing, 3D maps will revolutionize the way you research and plan your next adventure.

Everyone can view a limited number of maps in 3D mode on the Gaia GPS website. However if you want to view our entire map catalog in 3D mode, you’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or Outside+ Membership. Premium Members and Outside+ Members have access to hundreds of maps, including National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps, high resolution satellite imagery, USGS quadrangle maps, worldwide topo maps, and more — all of which can be viewed in 3D mode on the web.

Discover Millions of New Routes with the New Public Tracks Overlay

Public tracks have long been visible on the Gaia GPS website. But this year, we added public tracks to the app, making it easier than ever to see if a route goes. The Public Tracks overlay shows the two million public tracks Gaia GPS users have recorded all over the world. Click on any green public track to see exactly where others have gone before you. Turn on this layer to discover new hiking routes, connect 4×4 roads, and plan backcountry trips with on-the-ground information.

Public Tracks also show you details of the trips recorded in this overlay. Discover who recorded the track, when they recorded it whether they were hiking, skiing, or driving in an offroad vehicle if they selected the activity type when they recorded the track. You can save any public track to your account and follow it on your own adventure.

Anyone can access public tracks in the app and on the web. But you’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership to download them for use in areas without cell service. Want to contribute to the database of public tracks? You can choose to make your tracks public and make them available for others to access, too.

Send Thousands of Trails Offroad Routes to Gaia GPS

Thanks to a brand new partnership with Trails Offroad you can now send thousands of detailed offroad trail guides directly to your Gaia GPS account. This integration brought to you in February of 2021 lets you reap all the benefits of Trails Offroad’s hand curated trail guides on Gaia GPS. On the Trails Offroad site, get difficulty ratings for each trail, campsite locations, and waypoints for those must-see viewpoints and attractions along the way. When you’ve found the perfect route, simply press a button to deliver the route in a neat little folder to your Gaia GPS account.

All you need to make this happen is a $25 Trails Offroad Membership plus a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or Outside+ Membership. Join both platforms today and get the best trail guides for your car camping adventures in 2022.

Plan Routes on the Fly with New Offline Snap-to-Trail Trip Planning Tool

Straight-line route creation is so 2020. Jump into 2021 with our brand new offline snap-to-trail route planning tool. This means you can now create accurate routes on the fly, modify your plans from the road, and see the exact distance to the end of the trip while on the trail — even when you don’t have cell service.

The gold standard for route planning, snap-to-trail mapping does all the heavy lifting for you. Choose your activity type and let our intelligent planning tool build the route in a matter of seconds. If you want to build a snap-to-trail route without cell service, just make sure you’ve downloaded the map and the offline routing data ahead of time. To access offline snap-to-trail planning and other offline navigation tools and maps, you’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership.

Avoid Wildfire Smoke with these New Smoke Forecast Maps

Nothing ruins an awesome weekend adventure like smoky, gray skies. Now you can steer clear of wildfire smoke with our new Smoke Forecast maps. Smoke Forecast (today), Smoke Forecast (24h), and Smoke Forecast (48h) give you a sense of smoke levels all over the continental US for today, tomorrow, and an entire weekend.

Whether you’re backpacking near a wildfire-ravaged area or overlanding thousands of miles away, get a quick and accurate sense of how much smoke blows over so you can circumvent the bad air and enjoy clear views. Access the Smoke Forecast maps with a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership.

Navigate Trails with Gaia GPS on your Apple Watch

Record a track, drop waypoints, and get turn-by-turn directions using Gaia GPS on your Apple Watch. In 2021, we totally redesigned the Gaia GPS Apple Watch app. Now you can turn your watch into a convenient backcountry navigation tool that works offline and independently of your phone. Use your Apple Watch to experience Gaia GPS’s signature navigation features even when you’re off the grid and far beyond the reach of cell service.

With Gaia GPS on your Apple Watch you can also collect trip details and health stats without having to interact with your phone. The watch will record your moving speed, elevation gain, distance travelled, and more when you use Gaia GPS to record your track. Gaia GPS also integrates with Apple Health to keep tabs on your heart rate, steps, and how many calories you burned on your latest adventure.

Whether heading out on a long trek or squeezing in an afternoon trail run, use your Apple Watch to navigate and record your adventure with Gaia GPS conveniently on your wrist. You’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership to navigate routes offline.

Gaia Topo: The World’s Best Adventure Map Got Even Better

Our cartographers rolled out a whole new version of our flagship map Gaia Topo, chock-full of ground-breaking updates. Gaia Topo now includes more than 150,000 miles of additional National Forest 4×4 roads and trails, brand new worldwide tree cover and relief shading, and point-to-point mileage markers that show distances between trail segments. Dovetailed with a complete overhaul to the map’s style and design, these improvements make Gaia Topo the best map for planning and navigating on your next backcountry adventure.

Best of all, these updates won’t compromise Gaia Topo’s bedrock feature — downloading efficiency. You can expect the same industry-leading download speeds and tiny sizes that you’re used to seeing from Gaia Topo’s revolutionary design. Whether you’re overlanding across multiple states, sightseeing in a vast national park, or backpacking across hundreds of miles of wilderness, you can still download one huge section of the Gaia Topo map to cover your entire journey.

Everyone can access Gaia Topo on the web and in the app. But you’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership to download Gaia Topo for offline navigation in areas without cell service.

Discover Old Homesteads and Ghost Towns with our New Historical Topo Maps

Unlock the mystery of the past with our suite of historical topo maps in Gaia GPS. In 2021, we added the official USGS topographic maps from 1895 through 1990 so you can scout for old homesteads and find little known ghost towns by studying these old , historic maps. You’ll need a Gaia GPS Premium Membership or an Outside+ Membership to access our entire collection of historic topo maps.

You can also go deeper into the history of an area by viewing the Native Lands map. Available for free in the Gaia GPS app and web map, the Native Lands map marks traditional Indigenous territories across the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and, increasingly, worldwide. Learn more about the past, present, and future of Indigenous territories while planning a trip to a new area or adventuring near your backyard.

Gaia GPS Joined Forces with Outside in 2021

Perhaps the biggest news of the year is that Gaia GPS joined the Outside family in February 2021! This match made in heaven combines Gaia GPS’s best backcountry navigation features with leading outdoor journalism from our award-winning titles like Outside magazine, BACKPACKER, Trail Runner, SKI, Climbing, and more. Plus, our Outside+ membership get you unlimited access to adventure films from Outside TV and the complete Warren Miller collection.

What does this mean as a Gaia GPS user? You can continue to use Gaia GPS just as you are now. Or you can access all the benefits of Gaia GPS Premium and Outside+ in one membership. Compare membership plans to decide which one works best for you.

December 28, 2021

Android App Updates Gaia GPS iOS New Features

Offline Snap-to-Trail Route Planning Now Available on Gaia GPS

by Abby Levene August 5, 2021

written by Abby Levene

You can now modify your plans on the road, create new routes from your tent late at night, and see the exact distance to the summit while on the trail. Snap-to-trail route planning is available without cell service!

Create Snap-to-Trail Routes on the Fly

Gaia GPS users know and love our quick and easy snap-to-trail route planning function. Snap-to-trail automatically follows the contours of the trail for you. This gives you the most accurate distance and elevation metrics available, and builds your route quickly and precisely. You can now enjoy this seamless route planning tool with your Android and iOS devices, from anywhere at any time. No wifi or cell service needed.

Our intelligent route planning tool connects the dots on the map to create the best route for you. If you’re on a hike and wondering how far you have to go to reach the summit, just drop a line from your position to your destination. Snap-to-trail will create a precise route, complete with all the stats you want like how far you still have to go, and how much more you have to climb.

How to Access Offline Snap-to-Trail Routing

iPhone screenshots of downloading a map on Gaia GPS, including offline routing data.

Creating snap-to-trail routes offline requires that you download the map and its offline route data. Here’s how to do so in both iOS and Android.

When you download a new map, the route data will automatically also be downloaded as the default setting. If you don’t want to download this additional data, untoggle “Include data to create and navigate routes offline.”

Once you’ve downloaded route data for an area, you can create snap-to-trail routes offline with any map source in your library. Make and modify routes regardless of whether you have cell signal.

To access offline snap-to-trail routing over areas for which you’ve already downloaded the map, you will need to delete those downloads. Make sure your Gaia GPS app is up to date. Then you so you can download the maps plus the offline route data.

Get Offline Routing with a Premium Membership

Offline snap-to-trail routing is available with a Gaia GPS Premium membership. Premium also lets you download maps for offline use so you can always find your way in the field. Going Premium comes with the ability to layer maps on top of each other, so you can look at incoming weather over your route, view today’s air quality, or look at public and private land boundaries to ensure you’re not trespassing. You also get Gaia GPS’s entire map catalog. Download hundreds of maps, including National Geographic Trails Illustrated, high-resolution satellite maps, weather overlays, and government-issued topo maps like USFS topo, all the USGS quad maps, and MVUMs.

August 5, 2021

Android Gaia GPS New Features Offroading

Gaia GPS on Android Auto: Put the Best Backcountry Maps on Your Dashboard

by Mary Cochenour July 28, 2021

written by Mary Cochenour

Android Auto is here! Gaia GPS now connects with Android Auto, bringing all of your favorite trail maps directly to your vehicle’s navigation screen. Pull up the MVUMs, satellite imagery, National Geographic Trails Illustrated, and more, all
on the dash. View waypoints and follow turn-by-turn directions with any saved route on backcountry dirt roads and front-country pavement — worldwide. No cell service needed.

Whether you are overlanding across an entire state or navigating to a remote trailhead to escape the crowds, Gaia GPS delivers seamless, hands-free navigation on unmarked dirt roads, scenic byways, and unmaintained trails. Access hundreds of specialized maps in Gaia GPS’s map catalog and find hidden routes in places where other in-car navigation maps, like Apple or Google, are blank. And with a Premium Membership, you can download your maps so you can pull them up anywhere you go on Android Auto.

With connectivity to both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Gaia GPS is the only backcountry navigation app in the world that lets you navigate with hundreds of outdoor adventure maps on the dash. Tuck your phone away in your center console, pull up your maps in Android Auto, and navigate dirt roads and 4WD trails without distraction.

Display Your Favorite Gaia GPS Map in Android Auto

There’s a map for every activity in Gaia GPS and now you can display them all on your auto’s dashboard touchscreen with Android Auto. Get access to our entire map catalog with a Premium Membership and choose from hundreds of map sources to navigate backcountry offroad routes.

When in a National Forest, try out the USFS 2016 map. Bring up National Geographic Trails Illustrated maps for sightseeing trips in America’s National Parks. Catch a bird’s-eye view of the terrain ahead with high-resolution satellite imagery. Customize your base maps with weather overlays like our precipitation, wildfire, and smoke maps to get detailed information about the places you plan to visit.

Switching map sources on the fly is a snap. Android Auto mirrors the map source on your’s phone’s screen. Any map source you select from your phone will appear on your vehicle’s dashboard navigation screen.

Once you start driving, Gaia GPS’s location arrow will follow your progress. Whether on unmaintained forest roads or cruising along a scenic highway, you’ll always be able to see your exact location on the map. Find land features, trailheads, campsite, restrooms, and places you’ve marked with waypoints conveniently from the dashboard screen in your car.

Navigate with Turn-by-Turn Directions on Dirt Roads

Get turn-by-turn directions on all your saved routes. Android Auto will access all your saved drivable routes in the area, no matter how far off the grid you plan to go. Select any route and get notifications for upcoming trail junctions and turns in the road. See your speed, distance and time traveled as you move across the map. Notifications will also let you know any time you’ve veered off the planned route

Turn-by-turn navigation on saved routes works even when you’re out of range of cell service. Never get lost on a maze of unmarked, unmaintained backroads again.

Zoom, Navigate, and Record Your Tracks From the Dash

From the touch screen controls in your vehicle, you can zoom in and out on the map, preview and select saved routes in the area around you, and change your navigation mode between “north up” and “course up” on the map. Use the settings button to choose to view or hide routes, tracks, or waypoints on the map and switch the map in dark mode for navigating at night.

Press the +/- buttons to choose from three different zoom levels on the map. Zoom in to to see the finer details of the terrain around you and back out on the map to get a bigger picture of how you fit in the landscape.

Select between two navigation modes: “course up” or “north up.” “Course up” mode keeps the location arrow static and pointed to the top of the screen while the map rotates and moves underneath the location arrow as you drive across the landscape. “North up” mode keeps the map steady on the screen while the location arrow rotates to reflect your change in direction.

Android Auto Limitations

Navigation apps are limited to a set of development guidelines provided by Google due to the danger of distracted driving. In line with Google’s rules for third-party app integration, you will not be able to create routes or switch map sources on your vehicle touchscreen.

You can still get to all of Gaia GPS’s comprehensive backcountry navigation features while connected to Android Auto. Simply use your phone to change map layers and create and save routes while you are in the field. Android Auto will display any map source, drivable routes, and waypoints that you have saved on your phone.

How to Get Android Auto

Getting your Gaia GPS account connected to Android Auto is easy. First, make sure you download or have the most up-to-date version of Gaia GPS for Android by visiting the Google Play Store. Plug in your Android device to an Android Auto compatible vehicle and the Gaia GPS app will appear as an option on your dashboard navigation screen when you turn the car on. Select the app and start driving. Note that if you have Android 9 or below, you must get the Android Auto app on your phone. Android Auto is built into Android 10 and later. For more information on setting up Android Auto on your device or vehicle visit android.com/auto.

Everyone can connect Gaia GPS to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with the free version of Gaia GPS. The free version of the app allows you to navigate with a limited amount of maps in areas with cell service. Unlock the entire Gaia GPS map catalog and be able to download maps for offline use with a Gaia GPS Premium Membership.

July 28, 2021

two mobile phones showing public tracks on the Gaia GPS map on the screen

Android App Updates Gaia GPS iOS New Features New Maps

Discover Millions of Routes with the New Public Tracks Overlay

by Mary Cochenour March 24, 2021

written by Mary Cochenour

Wondering if a route goes? See if anyone’s blazed the trail before you with the Public Tracks layer in Gaia GPS. Available on both gaiagps.com and in the app, the Public Tracks layer shows the two million public tracks Gaia GPS users have recorded all over the world. You can choose to make your tracks public and make them available for others to access, too. Turn on this layer to discover new hiking routes, connect 4×4 roads, and plan backcountry trips with information from people who made the journey before you.

Use public tracks to enhance your own creative route planning. Whether linking up remote roads for your next overlanding adventure or connecting trails for a new loop to hike, the new public tracks overlay offers deep insights on what’s humanly possible in the outdoors.

Public tracks can be viewed online in any Gaia GPS map, including Gaia Topo, USGS quad maps, MVUMS, satellite maps, and more. Click on any public track on the map to see the distance traveled, elevation gain and loss during the trip, and the total time it took that user to complete the journey. When you’ve found the track you want to explore, save it to your account and follow it in the field — even when you are miles away from cell service.

Get Detailed Trip Stats from Any Public Track

Public Tracks give you all the information you need to get ideas for new routes and to plan a successful backcountry trip. Click on any track on the map to see the total distance traveled. Check the track’s time so you can estimate how long it will take you to complete the same journey. See the total elevation gain and loss on a track to know how much climbing to expect if you follow the same path.

Trip stats also show the date and time the track was recorded so you can account for varying weather conditions when viewing the track. For example, if someone recorded the track in the winter months, you can consider whether the track was likely recorded in snowy conditions. If the user selected the mode of travel, you will be able to see whether they recorded their track on foot, bike, skis, or motorized vehicle. Also, keep an eye out for trip notes, giving you personalized, first-hand information from the user who recorded the track.

Save, Share, Follow, and Get Turn-by-Turn Directions to Any Public Track

Once you find the perfect public track for your next adventure, you can save it to your account and pull it up on your map even when you’re offline. Share the track with your adventure partners and the people who are staying home so they know your backcountry plan. Use the “Get Directions” button within the app to get turn-by-turn directions to the beginning of the track. When you’re set to begin the journey, press the “Guide Me” button to stay on course.

To access these features, click on the public track and tap the “i” icon to get more information. A new screen will open, showing all the stats of the track and all the buttons to save, share, follow, and get directions to the track.

How to Turn On Public Tracks in the App

Public tracks have always been a key planning tool on the web. Now you can access the same public tracks layer in the field on your iOS and Android devices online. To add public tracks in the app, tap the layers icon on the top right of your screen and select “Map Overlay” at the top of the list of options. Toggle on “Public Tracks” and public tracks will appear on the map in light green.

Make Your Own Public Tracks to Contribute to the Map

You can contribute to the bank of information on the map by simply recording tracks on your own adventures and sharing them with the public. When you record a track on Gaia GPS, your track is set, by default, as a private track. You can choose to manually set your track to public to share it to the map. Making your track public allows other outdoor enthusiasts to access your trip data to enhance their own trip planning.

The Public Tracks Overlay is Available to Everyone on Gaia GPS

Everyone can view public tracks in the app on iOS and Android and on the web at www.gaiagps.com/map/. However, you will need an account to save public tracks for use offline. Visit www.gaiagps.com to create a free account or purchase the premium membership to see all the public tracks on your favorite maps in Gaia GPS’s expansive catalog.

March 24, 2021

Android App Updates Backcountry Skiing Gaia GPS iOS New Features

Know Before You Go with the Avalanche Forecast Layer

by Mary Cochenour January 20, 2021

written by Mary Cochenour

Gaia GPS is proud to partner with the experts at Avalanche.org to bring you the Avalanche Forecast layer. Now, you can get official, up-to-date avalanche forecasts for mountain zones in the U.S. directly from the map on your phone.

Plan safer winter backcountry travel with quick and easy access to avalanche danger ratings from the National Avalanche Center and the American Avalanche Association. Link to complete avalanche reports from professional snow safety scientists in your region.

Whether you’re backcountry skiing the couloirs or snowmobiling into the back bowls, add this must-have feature to your avalanche safety toolkit. Updated every 30 minutes, this map is available online only. Be sure to check the map before you head out the door or leave cell service.

Avalanche Danger Ratings and Daily Forecasts

The Avalanche Forecast overlays on top of your favorite backcountry map to show you the color-coded North American Avalanche Danger Scale for your region. Crafted by avalanche forecasting experts, the danger scale spans five categories, from low to moderate and all the way through extreme danger, letting you know the risk of potential avalanches on your planned route.

Look for a time and date stamp on the map, showing exactly when the region’s danger rating expires. Tap the shaded areas on the map to access more information, including travel advice and a link to the official forecast from the snow safety scientists at the local avalanche center.

Regions with a daily forecast will show “no rating” until the forecasting center issues the rating for the day. Because winter backcountry conditions change constantly, this layer updates every 30 minutes and is available for online use only. This layer is only active during the avalanche forecast reporting season set by the avalanche centers in the mountain west.

Use the Avalanche Forecast Layer with your Favorite Maps

I computer monitor displaying the avalanche danger rating for an area on the topo map.

Add the Avalanche Forecast layer to your quiver of backcountry ski maps for a more complete picture of winter conditions in the backcountry. Use the layer in conjunction with the newly updated Gaia Topo, the USGS topo map, satellite imagery, Snow Stations (Daily), Snow Depth, and Snow Forecast layers to gather more information and make safer decisions in avalanche terrain.

How to Get the Avalanche Forecast Layer

The new Avalanche Forecast layer is available with a premium membership. To add the layer to your maps, open the Gaia GPS app, tap the layers icon, and select “Add map layers.” Go to “Feature/Weather Overlays” and select Avalanche Forecast.

This feature is available on the Gaia GPS website and both Android and iOS. Download the Gaia GPS app today and start planning your next winter trip to the backcountry.

January 20, 2021

Android App Updates Gaia GPS New Features

Android 2020.11: Improved Map Navigation on Your Phone and Tablet

by Julien Friedland December 9, 2020

written by Julien Friedland

The release of Android 2020.11 includes fresh updates to improve map viewing and navigation on your tablet and phone. Now you can navigate with all your trip details visible on your tablet, quickly view map legends across devices, and save photos from the app to your phone.

Learn about these new updates below and make sure you have the newest version of Gaia GPS by updating to 2020.11 in the Google Play Store.

Tablet Update: View Trip Details Right on the Map While You Navigate

Now you can view your trip, routes, and saved data on your Android tablet without losing your place on the map. When you’re headed offroad, view your distance, average speed, elevation and more alongside the map while you drive. Planning at home? You can also browse local trails and revisit old routes, all while viewing the map.

Try out this new map experience by holding your Android tablet in landscape mode (horizontally) to see the new sidebar on the left. This is where your trips, discover, saved and setting tabs now live. Navigate between the tabs to select a public track, view a saved route, check on your current trip details, or change your settings while you look at the map.

USGS map image on tablet with route and route stats showing

Easy to Use, Clutter-Free Map View

View Map Legends With a Few Taps

Now you can quickly identify a symbol, trail or any other icon on the map by viewing the map legend. Just tap the “i” icon on the bottom right corner of your screen then tap “view legend” for any active map source.

View Waypoint Clusters

Get a cleaner view of your map with new waypoint clusters. This new update gives you the option to group waypoints together, so you don’t have a mess of icons scattered across the map. Groups of waypoints appear as one waypoint as you zoom out to keep your map view clutter-free. Zoom in again to discover the individual waypoints in each area.

To turn on clustered waypoints, tap the settings icon in the bottom right corner of your device, select “map controls,” and then toggle on “clustered waypoints.”

Save Your Photos on the Trail Right to Your Phone

Gaia GPS for Android allows you to take photos in the app while you follow a route or record a track. Find a great spot for a campsite? Drop a waypoint, snap a photo, and remember it for your next visit. Now, Gaia GPS will automatically save the image to your phone’s photo gallery and in the app. This makes it easier to store, edit, and share your photos outside of the app so you can have a safe backup of any images you snap along your journey.

person holding there arms up to take a phone picture of a mountain range

How to Update to Version 2020.11

To update to version 2020.11, search for Gaia GPS in the Google Play Store. Tap the update button next to the app listing. If your app is up to date, you can open the app from here and explore by following along with the videos above.

December 9, 2020

Adventures Android Gaia GPS iOS

Discover the Best Trails and Find Public Lands with Gaia Topo Updates

by Julien Friedland May 15, 2020

written by Julien Friedland

Discover new trails and routes and find campsites off the beaten path with two new updates on Gaia Topo. The first update lets you plan ahead at home and save known hikes and other routes for the field on gaiagps.com. Additionally, now you can find national forests, state parks, national parks, and any other public lands quickly with new color-coded public land shading.

Each new improvement on Gaia Topo makes this map a better one-stop shop for all of your planning and traveling needs.

Find Routes Near Your Campsite or Any Point of Interest on gaiagps.com

New nearby route suggestions make it easy to find hikes, offroading routes, bike trails, or other public tracks close to the places you want to visit. While you plan on gaiagps.com, select a trail, campsite, or any natural feature to see a quick list of nearby routes.

How to Use Nearby Route Suggestions

Start by selecting a trailhead, campsite, viewpoint or natural feature, to see nearby routes. A list of routes will appear, including the distance and difficulty rating of each route so you can quickly assess which ones fit your needs. The list includes routes within 500 meters of the selected point of interest and 1000 meters of selected trails. While you browse the list of routes, hover over them to see the tracks appear on the map.

Once you find a route you’d like to explore, you can either select the route name to view even more details or quickly save it by clicking the green “plus” button. If you want to save multiple routes, click the “plus” buttons for all your favorites. Unsave any route by clicking the red “-” button. Find all of your saved routes in the saved folder on your iOS or Android device.

Nearby route suggestions are now available on gaiagps.com. To access your saved routes open the Gaia GPS app on your iOS or Android device, and visit the saved folder. Download any saved route to your device for the field with a Premium membership.

Identify Public Lands With New Map Shading

New color-coded public land ownership on Gaia Topo helps you discover areas to hike, camp, and explore. Now you can identify all of America’s public lands by designated colors on the map. Use this new feature to seek out campsites on BLM land (yellow) or National Forest land (light green), view nearby state parks (red), or safely travel through any public land across the United States.

Color designations appear for National Forests, National Parks/Recreation Areas, State Parks, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Wildlife Areas, Marine Protection Areas, Wilderness/Wilderness Study Areas and Other Parks/Protected areas. You can find each designation under the Gaia Topo map legend by clicking the layer on gaiagps.com or tapping the “i” icon on the lower righthand corner of your map on iOS and Android.

Map legend for Gaia Topo showing color-coded public lands

With fast map downloads that take up a small amount of space, Gaia Topo is easy to save and take with you on the road. Download National Parks and State Parks in seconds or entire states in minutes, and always have the information you need about the wild spaces you plan to visit.

May 15, 2020

Android App Updates Gaia GPS

Android 2020.5: Faster Deletion and Smoother Planning

by Julien Friedland May 9, 2020

written by Julien Friedland

The latest Android 2020.5 release includes a number of usability updates, making actions in the app more efficient and visuals more detailed. A refreshed stats bar and a number of fixes, like better deletion, add up to a smoother experience when using your Android device. After listening to your feedback, we’re excited to deliver Android 2020.5.

Update to version 2020.5 in the Play Store. Open the Play Store and check Gaia GPS has updated on your phone.

Save Time with Improved Deletion

After deleting an item, move on to your next task or close out of the app completely while the app works to delete the item. You’ll no longer have to wait for your item to delete or wonder if it deleted. Just tap delete and move on to your next task.

Completely Customize Your Stats Bar

The recently improved Stats Bar gives you the power to completely customize your map home screen. With a cleaner design and more versatility, the stats bar lets you decide exactly what trip details you want to see when you pull up the app. Choose from elevation, current speed, moving speed, average speed, ascent, sunrise/sunset, and more.

Quickly Find Campsites and Trails

Android users now have access to ‘tap to zoom’ so you can quickly zoom in on a recreation area of interest. Tap any group of amenities on Gaia Topo and discover campsites, trails, viewpoints, and other places you don’t want to miss.

View More Details for Your Saved Items and National Parks

Detail pages for saved items and national parks include more information with updated visuals. National parks and forests now display boundary lines so you can easily see where the parks begin and end. The newly designed waypoints and track detail pages provide more detail about the item, including coordinate points, elevation, and a view of your current map layer.

Android display of Yosemite National Park on Gaia GPS

Next Up for Gaia GPS on Android

Coming soon, Android users will be able to draw and measure areas on the map, by creating polygons. The polygon tool allows you to outline and save irregular shaped items on the map, and measure the perimeter. For example, you could trace the park boundaries pictured above and save the map data from just Yosemite National Park.

May 9, 2020

Android App Updates Gaia GPS

The Next Generation of Gaia GPS for Android

by Ashli Baldwin January 29, 2020

written by Ashli Baldwin

We built the Android release everyone has been waiting for, and it’s been a year in the making. The next generation of Gaia GPS for Android features crisp maps, fast downloads, smooth panning/scrolling, and the ability to interact with features on the map.

We consider this release foundational. It’s both a dramatic improvement the community will feel to the bones of the app, and it sets the stage for a longer laundry list of accumulated UX improvements, bugs, and new features that we’re going to deliver in 2020.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the huge round of beta testing leading up to this release. If you’d like to participate in future beta testing, sign up to be a beta tester.

Beautiful Map Display, Faster Downloads

Gaia Topo and several other sources now display as ‘vector’ maps. This improvement means labels stay crisp as you zoom in/out and enables faster scrolling, panning, zooming, and tilting.

The switch to vector maps also allows for drastically smaller map download sizes at impressive speeds. In testing Gaia Topo, we found that the state of Washington can be downloaded in fewer than 1000MB (perhaps as small as 500MB) and completes in less than 10 minutes — 10x smaller and faster than some other non-vector maps.

Interactive Map Icons

Tap icons directly on the map to get information about them. Learn about hikes, natural features, property boundaries, and other important landmarks.

Gaia Topo Gets a Slick Redesign

Perhaps the most visual change you’ll notice, the new Gaia Topo features a cleaner look and smarter labeling. You can read all about the newly updated Gaia Topo here.

Automatic Map Updates

Now, you’ll have the option to automatically update all of your map downloads for a particular source when it receives an update. No more deleting and re-downloading your public land maps every year. Anytime a map update is available, you’ll get a notification as soon as it’s live.

What’s Next for Gaia GPS Android

We’re excited about this update not only for the new maps, but also because it sets the stage for faster feature development in the future.

The Gaia GPS Android developer team remains small, but we’re still on the hunt for great software developers to join Gaia GPS. Check out our open job listings here: gaiagps.com/company/jobs

January 29, 2020

Load More Posts