Locus Map CAN navigate offline

Michal, Locus team

Quite a few new users often ask us how come that Locus Map can’t navigate offline? That’s obviously important for outdoor activities. Just make a few steps behind the last barn of your city and you’re out of GSM signal. Especially in the mountains. The answer is, however, that Locus Map CAN navigate without internet. It just needs a little help.

Big BRouter

Locus Map in default settings offers navigation with help of YOURS online navigation service. Other online services like OSRM and MapQuest are also implemented. If you want offline navigation, you have to install cooperating routing app BRouter, available at Google Play Store >>. Locus Map identifies it in the system and adds it automatically into the routing services portfolio.

A couple of steps to make…

…so that BRouter works properly in Locus:

  • firstly, launch BRouter itself
  • select Download manager
  • zoom in and select the area you need for offline routing
  • set BRouter as default navigation data source in Locus menu > settings > navigation > navigation data source

And that’s all in a nutshell. When you need routing service during route planning or navigation from point to point, Locus will navigate you without internet connection.

Some geek stuff

Although BRouter user interface doesn’t look much like it, the app offers quite a lot of various settings, creating custom navigation profiles etc. A rich source of info and tips is this wiki-blog >>. BRouter provides also a web app, enabling route planning on a big PC screen and consequent export to GPS file and then to Locus Map.

What if I don’t want BRouter

An alternative to BRouter is routing software GraphHopper.  We’re working on a GH add-on and despite it’s still in development, considering its communication with Locus, it performs very well on the other hand. You won’t find it at Google Play yet – all necessary links and relevant information gather in this forum thread >>. May be in near future we’ll see much more…

9 Comments

  1. Peter
    19. 11. 2015

    Is it possible to define nogo points in this scenario?

    I found this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOBLKOst6Zs
    but it seems to integrate BRouter in some other (older) way.

    • Locus team
      19. 11. 2015

      Yes it is. This alternative method is still possible, detailed description is here: https://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=manual:user_guide:tracks:planning:brouter

  2. Herrero jesus
    12. 12. 2015

    Bonjour
    Il est bien domache davoir acheter locus pro et que l on doit être connecté pour naviger même avec des cartes acheté et que l on soit limité dans le chargement de cartes
    Sygic payement mais hors ligne et que dire de navigator hors ligne et des cartes gratuités du monde entier je suis déçu d avoir acheté locus pro ou tous est payant et devoir être connecté et être limité dans le chargement de carte

    • Locus team
      15. 12. 2015

      Hi,
      as you can read in the article above, Locus Map CAN navigate offline and not only in Pro version but also in its Free version. Some maps are paid because their producers or providers do not offer them for free - we just display those maps in our app. And Sygic? Try to go hiking in the mountains or search for geocaches with Sygic :) And the price difference between Locus and Sygic is not worth any comment. Have a nice day!

  3. Kamen
    3. 5. 2021

    Hi,
    Does Locus Map Pro work on Huawei P40 PRO? If yes, which app store to use? Does the App work with offline IMG-file maps, such as gmapsupp.img?

  4. ChrisR
    18. 8. 2021

    Trying to follow these instructions in Lotus Map Pro.

    Cant even get to step 1. No reference in app to "download manager" or Brouter.

    How on earth do I even get started?

    What am I doing wrong? Its like the instructions are for the wrong app.

    Please provide step 1 when I am looking at a screen with map on it.

    • Michal, Locus team
      18. 8. 2021

      Hi Chris, as is mentioned in the article, BRouter is a cooperating app that has to be installed from Google Play. Then set BRouter as default in Locus settings > NAvigation > Router (the article is almost 6 years old so the section is named differently now)

  5. Amber
    16. 12. 2024

    I'm trying to do the above in lotus map 4. Can it work? Thank you

    • Michal, Locus team
      16. 12. 2024

      Hi Amber, yes, of course. If you have any trouble setting the app up, contact us at help.locusmap.eu and describe in detail what you need.

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