A little history at the start

At the beginning of 2019, we began to think intensively about the future of Locus Map, and thus the future direction of our company. Our priorities were and are clear from the beginning – we want to continue to develop and improve Locus Map for you, on all platforms – Android, iOS and web. However, such development would no longer be possible without a fundamental change in the concept of our project.

The Locus Map Pro app, now Classic, was already technically very complex at the time and it was necessary to take into account the increasing costs of maintaining its functionality in the rapidly changing environment of the Android operating system and connected services.

That’s why, in the spring of that year, we first informed you about the launch of the next generation of Locus Map and our next steps:

• Our priority is the development of a single application, Locus Map 4, contingent on sustainable funding through subscriptions and other recurring payment options
• The emergence of our own web services to manage your data – web portal, cloud, and synchronisation and the associated reduction in dependency on third-party services and applications
• The decline in the development of Locus Map Pro, the renaming of the application to Locus Map 3 Classic, and the transition to maintenance mode with the end of support within a few years

Two years later, we launched the Locus Map 4 project, including the promised functionality and web services, which we have been developing, improving and expanding ever since. We have also introduced Premium Silver and Gold advanced feature packages, available by subscription and for one-time term payments.

For Locus Map 3 Classic users, we’ve offered 100% off Premium Silver and 50% off Premium Gold for one year. This exclusive offer, among other things, offsets the investment on the previous purchase of the Classic version. So it doesn’t matter if it was purchased a week ago or 10 years ago.

• Locus Map 4 has undergone several phases of redesign for better ergonomics and user-friendliness
• It is fully usable offline without relying on third-party applications and add-ons
• It is connected to a web portal with its own hiking/biking and satellite maps, route planner and library of user tracks, routes and points
• It automatically syncs your routes and points between multiple devices on all platforms
• It is also being developed for iOS devices, so far in a “Lite” version
• And much more…

Development continues apace, thanks to sustained funding from you, our users. Thank you! We have no other resources – we pride ourselves on being a small company with no outside capital, no investors, and a clear commitment to the sanctity of your data – we manage it for your benefit, not for resale. However, this gives us a tremendous amount of freedom and independence, so we can develop the application and services exactly to your imagination!

Locus Map 3 Classic enters its final phase

As time goes on, the development of the two variants of Locus Map has become increasingly divergent and it has become very costly for us to maintain both product branches.

So the time has come to announce that we will end support and maintenance of Locus Map 3 Classic in the spring of 2026.

The app will be pulled from Google Play and will continue to be available only as an APK file in our public archive.

We want to welcome you among the users of Locus Map 4!

What do you get by switching to Locus Map 4?

A modern navigation application

• Efficient UI – everything you need is at your fingertips, and you can adjust the layout of the controls to suit your preferences
• Save battery with dark display mode
• You can launch the app with a widget
• You can connect it with heart rate, cadence, power sensors and some e-bikes; it also works with Garmin bike radars
• It can connect to Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive for unlimited data import and export
• It is fully equipped with geocaching features without the need to connect to external add-ons

New maps, points of interest and router

• Online biking, hiking and winter LoMaps, worldwide FREE, updated daily
• Global satellite maps from HERE and Maxar
• Library of WMS and WMTS resources with hundreds of additional maps
• Points of interest on the map (LoPoints) with information and photos from Wikipedia and other users and full-text search
• Built-in LoRouter for route planning with a range of customisable options

Web services

• Route planner with a Library to conveniently plot your trips on a large PC screen
• Sync your routes, downloaded caches and favourite places between all your devices and the web library

Developer and user community support

• Continuous development of the application and associated services
• Fast support via helpdesk and social networks
• Source ideas, tips and tricks from users on the Locus forum

Some features are available in Premium packages. Locus Map 3 Classic users automatically get 100% off Premium Silver and 50% off Premium Gold for one year! The Premium Silver package builds on Locus Map 3 Classic (with many extra features). With the Premium Gold package, you get the ultimate selection of all the features and services in our current offer. 

What is the best way to switch to Locus Map 4?

Locus Map 3 Classic

• Make a backup using the Backup tool, save it either to the system folder “downloads” or to one of the supported clouds (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive)
• In Settings > Miscellaneous > Default directories, select “Unload app data“
• Create a directory “locus_data” in the system folder “Downloads” and store the application data in it

Locus Map 4

• Install the app from Google Play
• In settings > Backup & file system > App data transfer, select “Load app data“
• Retrieve the data from the “locus_data” folder in the “downloads” directory
• After restarting the application, restore the backup from the “downloads” folder or the cloud
• After another restart, you are ready

This guide is valid for the latest versions of the Android operating system. If you encounter the slightest problem, feel free to contact us at helpdesk. We are happy to help!

We hope you will find the transition to the next generation of Locus Map to be a rewarding and enjoyable experience on your outdoor adventures with family or friends.

Photo by Locus team and David Griffiths on Unsplash