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I got the files where do I add them?
Your files seem to be broken or not found.
the biggest problem I have with switching is that Google Maps is a business directory. open street maps is empty where i live. it works okay for navigation, but not so much for finding a coffee.
Yeah trying to find anything on any of the competing apps is basically impossible. I mean ffs OSMand literally couldn’t do address lookup!
I just recently learned this.
For OsmAnd, go to search, then the categories tab, and then hit “Online Search”.
Voila, address lookup.
I have found Organic Map’s search to be far better than OSMand. OSMand has far more features though.
You’ll need to first download the relevant section of the map downloaded to be able to search it, though.
Be the change your want to see in the world https://droidify.eu.org/app/?id=de.westnordost.streetcomplete&repo_address=https://f-droid.org/archive
It says “page not found”, maybe because I’m not in EU.
Same in EU
Very strange. It doesn’t work. I shared directly from the f-droid client droid-ify
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.westnordost.streetcomplete/index.html
I’m in the US, also says page not found for me.
Yea looks like they were linking to this: Street Complete
Link to fdroid next time
Oh weird. That’s shared from droid-ify which is an f-droid client.
Here’s the proper link https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.westnordost.streetcomplete/index.html
Same issue here. I really like their maps in general, but my local area in OSM is about a decade out of date
Yeah, it’s interesting to look through the edit history over the years. With StreetComplete I recently fixed ~8 stores that were many years out of date, during an hour walk.
It’s fun to find a real hole-in-the-wall that even google maps doesn’t have.
there are ways to make it easier; it’s been gamified:
https://github.com/streetcomplete/StreetComplete
Available on FDROID.
When my partner stops to play pokemon go, I complete some Open Street Map info quests…
Street Complete is a great app for quests regarding existing features, but also consider the feature might not exist at all yet in OSM.
Map Complete is great for adding new features. It also asks a bunch of optional simple questions about the feature which gets converted into the relevant OSM tags. It’s browser based but you can just add a shortcut to your home screen to have it quickly accessible.
I didn’t know about map complete, thanks!
@controlphreak @snrkl
Now that StreetComplete has overlay layers for places and things you can add most of the thing you’d want to add in person.
I’ve just installed this now, thanks for the tip!
So many quests right on my street!
I felt the same however Organic Maps did have many businesses. And with Street Complete I can correct any errors when I visit.
It may simply be my area, but I so recommend organic maps over Osmand for business and POI lookups
You can contribute them!
There’s a pretty barebones editor in Organic Maps, but you can also check out Street Complete and Every door (more advanced and less user friendly, though insanely efficient)
I use Vespucci, it’s advanced but still pretty easy if you just want to do basic editing. https://vespucci.io/
P.s. how do you link to an app on fdroid?
Thanks. I wish the link could be created from the f-droid automatically. I’m too lazy to try to paste the parts together
You can add the POIs and fill the gaps!
And then in the web app, you need to do this complicated hold-LMB-then-select-from-list to select something, making just browsing really difficult.
Or is there a better way of doing that? I lack a good way to just browse Openstreetmap.
openstreetmap.org is a mappers website, not a map users website. It works great for mappers, but is horrible for people who want to use the map to find their way around.
I think the openstreetmap ecosystem really needs a better website for map users.
That kind of contribution seems like a lower level of effort than making changes to source code.
And there are apps that make it very very easy and fun. Check out street complete.
As many have already told you, you can contribute to OSM, I have put in it almost all the establishments in my area (Not at Big area but…). Although soon I have to update them
im on board with the idea in general, but im not going to do this. it would be an endless effort to the benefit of almost nobody. places go up and down so fast here that google maps is often out of date too. it’s filled with stale information and im flagging missing places constantly. every digital community in this country is a garbage pile.
the ride share apps here do use open street maps though, and im making corrections to building addresses when i find something isn’t right. it’s great.
Umm…it benefits loads of people.
On OSM you don’t have to just flag something. You can edit it directly, so it leads to more accurate information.
But you can also just flag it if editing is not your cup of tea. Here’s a convenient, non-techy tool to add notes for others to use when editing: https://www.onosm.org/
Great point
i think openstreetmaps only works in big countries honestly
What does the size of the country have to do with it? Which good big and bad small countries are you talking about?
Most people don’t use openstreetmaps on these small countries like with low/medium population it feels like apple maps on there
Can you give an example? Because I’ve just looked at Luxembourg, Nepal, and Aruba, and they’re all littered with named buildings and landmarks. Pyongyang even has a fair bit filled in.
didnt rlly try it but might try tbh but idk since i see people here where i live use google maps
edit: tried it and it really is quite outdated my house does not show up and idk if waze is even privacy respecting
Waze is google these days. They bought it some time ago.
Ohh
Apple Maps uses OpenStreetMap data in some countries.
ohh makes sense
All it takes is you to fix this. Its even easier in a small country
oh okay
I keep businesses in my area up-to-date, doesn’t take much time at all.
Might I recommend Magic Earth?
Organic maps is great, but the search is really finnicky.
Magic Earth has amazing UI, search, it can acts as a dashcam as you travel and that video can pinpoint your place on the map. I’m loving it.
I’m not sure how or why, but Magic Earth has a FAR more complete address list than OSMand or Organic Maps where I live. It must be pulling from another data source as well, OSM doesn’t have addresses for several neighborhoods in the city but Magic Earth does.
Would anyone know why that would be?
OSM not having massive chunks of my home city really does leave me with either Google Maps or Magic Earth.
I’d like to know as well actually as I’ve found the same. Maybe I’m just using Organic Maps wrong? But if I am, then am I wrong or is Organic Maps as Magic Earth works so much more seamlessly. Magic Earth website clearly states it uses OSM.
If you use OSMAnd, definitely look at importing addresses from this repo: https://github.com/pnoll1/osmand_map_creation
It substantially improves the issue I think you are describing by collating address data from OpenAddresses and making that available in the OSMAnd search.
Dang it! Didn’t even think to check … Boo! Organic Maps it is!
Just installed and signed into my OSM account! Been meaning to update more of my area.
I am looking to try moving away from Waze too. Are there any good open projects that have support for reporting cops and the other stuff like Waze? When I was looking last year, I came across Navmii since it does have some level of reporting stuff. However the app itself is very glitchy and I don’t think it is really actively being worked on. Or is popular enough to even know if literally anyone around me is reporting things. When I have tried to report a cop being parked waiting for speeders, it doesn’t show anything even on my map.
They use OSM data which I think is also not being actively scraped, as I personally added my entire street’s addresses and doesn’t show on Navmii (but does show up on the main OSM site and on Organic Maps).
If you like to further improve your neighbourhood, check out https://streetcomplete.app/ Works well and is fun!
I was seeing that brought up in many of the other comments, and I had apparently installed it at some point. So I have finally signed into it and even added some info one some road types around me! Even if I don’t find a replacement for the community reporting of cops and hazards like Waze. I am jazzed to be helping OSM get just a bit closer to being a great option to recommend to friends and normies! Lots of them will only try other options as long as it is close enough to what they already use.
Wonderful to read and welcome to the team of contributors! I like to use StreetComplete when I am somewhere waiting for something and have some minutes to spare. In some regions the maps is already god enough for everyone, biggest challenge is still the quality of search results. One reason why Gmaps is so good is its search capabilities. Reporting like in Waze comes with constant running costs. OSM would need to have an income stream for these kind of features. I’d be willing to pay for it, although I don’t own a car as I live in a big European city.
Can OM accept GM link?
This page lists all links that OM is supposed to open, including GM.
I tried this for my hiking trip and it is really good for that. But when i tried to use it as a navigation tool with my motorcycle it lagged pretty much all the time and couldn’t keep up with my position and speed. I tried to change permissions for the app, but so far nothing worked.
I use Magic Earth for navigation (mainly through Europe). That works beautifully for me - even offline.
That’s a shame. I just want to say that this issue is definitely not universal as I use it for navigation while driving and it works very well for me, and I’ve heard the same from others too. I’m not sure why it isn’t working as well for you.
“My bike is too fast for GPS” :D
Organic maps is great and I wish I could use it more. I commute in a city and traffic data is very important to me when it comes to route planning. It can be the difference between an hour commute and a 15min commute. Due to this, I’m pulled back to using google maps as my default.
Is it not possible to anonymize traffic data so that it can be made available in google maps? I’d gladly contribute a bit of data in order to improve this app. I’d even pay a bit of money for a pro version.
Great app all the same.
There’s another free OSM based app that does have some traffic data, it’s called Magic Earth. Not open source though, as their business model is to sell adapted versions.
Awesome!
You seem pretty active with OSM, so I’ll propose this here since I don’t have time to make it.
OSM is very, very popular with hikers and cyclists, and I’d argue rhey drive a lot of it’s use, especially via third-party systems. However, it’s one failing is “gravel” roads. While they support many different gravel road types, they admit on their Wiki that use of the proper terms is low.
Given the heavy use of Garmin devices, especially among gravel cyclists, mountain bikers, and bikepackers, where terrain definition is important, it would be outstanding to have an app in the Garmin store for Edge devices that could report the exact terrain type (compacted, dirt, etc) with a button mash as you ride it.
Not sure if you’re the one to ask, but are there any good alternatives to Strava built on OSM? I don’t need all the fitness analysis and social features, I just want to track my walk route and get basic info like miles traveled, elevation change, average speed, etc
So for the tracking and planning part, you could use OSMAnd. It’s UI is a bit confusing but it does work welll. My typical setup is:
- Plan route in OSMAnd
- Record route with a garmin
- Upload GPX to self-hosted Fittrackee or Wanderer
However you may be asking for something more like RideWithGPS.com?
Check out StreetComplete (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.westnordost.streetcomplete)
It does more than just road surface type, and incorporates location-based OSM editing in a very user-friendly way!
F-Droid link: StreetComplete (OpenStreetMap surveyor app) https://f-droid.org/packages/de.westnordost.streetcomplete/
Yea, I’ve used that, but it’s a phone app. Riders need a one-touch solution on Garmin (or other bike computers, but Garmin dominates the market right now).
It also doesn’t seem to let you edit anything more then a mile away from your physical location. I get that they want accuracy but it’s preventing me from editing incorrect information to a place I have just been.
You can! Browse to the location, and then click menu button > “Download data here” and the questions will appear.
I already uninstalled it so can’t confirm but I didn’t see anything to that effect at the time. I could be wrong.
That said, I got Every Door and love it. It’s got an icon right on the main screen to download whatever area you’re looking at. The UI in general is more to my liking as a geek, whereas Street Complete sorta makes a game out of it (which is awesome if that’s what you’re after).
I will add as a narrowboater.
I found towpaths also have this issue with definition of surface.
I am legally blind. (Some vision but bad)
I have a few times tried to add more ditail to areas of towpath that will help the others like me know what to expect before mooring.
Seems anything that improves this will help in your issues as well.
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I’ve used OrganicMaps in the past, but for searching POIs and ahead route planning its just unusable.
Meanwhile i’ve found GraphHopper, an open source search, route and (experimental) navigation app from Germany. Great thing: its blazing fast! Check it out on F-Droid.
For the lazy: GraphHopper Maps (Online route planner and experimental GPS navigation) https://f-droid.org/packages/com.graphhopper.maps/
Also check out Adresilo which uses Maps api to find a location then can feed it to the app of your choice.
It’s only a matter of time until Google Maps will enshittify, too.
They already have. Have you noticed the number of ads shown on google maps?
And I’ve been increasing given directions like “turn right after paid promotion X, with tagline Y”
Enshittification truly is a shame, because my old school GPS actually does this already (Turn left past the McDonald’s) and while I have no idea whether it’s paid promotion or not on my device, I like that feature. If that feature is equally applied to any known business as a landmark (heck, even other services like police stations, fire stations, etc.) it would be appreciated by users.
Instead, and here we are beating this drum again, capitalism gets its grubby fingers in this pie too and uses it for further advertising, turning a good feature into a bad one.
That’s a good point actually, if it’s not paid-for, then assuming it’s accurate it’s actually a better way of describing to a driver what to do.
I remember a fair few years ago, when Google Maps was already a thing but smart phones were not, we were bewildered at how helpful this thing for printed Google Maps instructions was where it prints a little photograph of each turn you need to do, how it will look to you when you get there. This was the best feature ever, as it made it so easy for your second person checking the route to know when to actually take a turn or not.
It’s only a matter of time before Google doesn’t give you directions for the shortest and most efficient route, but rather plans your route to send you past the stores that pay the most in advertising.
“You could get to your destination by going down smith street fastest, but Glover Street has McDonald’s so we will send you down that road”
They already have. Have you noticed the number of ads shown on google maps?
No? I’ve never seen any ads on Google Maps, though this might be a local thing. I suspect this is different in the US where “consumer rights” gets you a fine for speaking such communist propaganda?
It shows little popup logos on the screen where the places are located, like a McDonald’s logo a few street over as you are driving by in your commute. I had it show me a Toyota logo for a Toyota dealership yesterday. Like, why do I need to know there’s a Toyota dealership there unless I’m specifically searching for it? Toyota probably paid them to show up a certain amount of times.
To illistrate this, I just typed “restaurants” in Google Maps in downtown Prague and the first result was an ad for KFC (it looked like a real result but it said “sponsored” on top). But I do have a US phone.
The play store itself is doing the same thing. Sponsorrd crappy apps above the one I actually entered
Oh hell, I have not had that one yet. I am already leaning away from it with just the random pins showing up on my nav that were not searched for.
Reminder: As long as you don’t get rid of “Google Play Services” running as “root” 24/7, removing/not using Google Maps doesn’t mean so much to Google.
I disagree. It’s a step in the right direction, even if there is still a long distance to go.
Additional reminder that Google not only records your location minute by minute, they also record your motion activity through your phone’s gyroscope and know exactly what you’re doing (walking, running, biking, driving, playing sports, etc). You can view all of this in your history. It’s genuinely infuriating that they can get away with this.
You can turn it off in your settings, but as with any proprietary software you can never be sure that they’re not still doing it (why wouldn’t they? that’s just leaving profit on the table)
The phone sensors are so advanced that tools like “Sleep as Android” can record a perfect sleep snapshot just by leaving the phone on the bed while sleeping. I think Google can also record “private encounters” too. Actually, everything with a good sensor (smart watch(!)) can record everything. I am saying don’t be afraid, be horrified :-)
The gyroscope can record your speech: https://crypto.stanford.edu/gyrophone/files/gyromic.pdf
And no OS requires permissions for apps to access your motion sensors.
Does the app have:
- Location sharing
- Live traffic updates
- Public transportation
Missing one of these is a deal breaker.
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Yes, you can share location, the widgets aren’t as fancy as Google integration with everything.
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Not feasible without the constant data harvesting in the background, which it doesn’t do. It doesn’t log your every move as Google does. Privacy vs surveillance, will always be at odds.
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Depending on the area. In my country public transportation is way better on OSM than on Gmaps. Oftentimes Gmaps won’t even have large structures like train stations or bus terminals. It depends on users and contributors.
- It would be cool if there was an opt-in libre database to which we could submit pseudonymous traffic data. It would be hard to prevent sybil attacks though.
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Can you also import saved maps from Avenza Maps for Android? I have it as my other maps app
