Sorry about that! I mistakenly assumed the settings UI would be the same between Android and iOS. I don't have an Android device handy, but will try to hunt one down and get the instructions updated.
> you can be sure your data stays secure and private.
By using the Google Maps API you grant Google the rights to your data to use as they see fit. You cannot have private or secure data if you use the Google Maps API.
(edits: however, I think if you pay Google for the premium or business access to the Google Maps API, then Google does not claim their rights to your data)
creator of the Owntracks Android app here. I'm absolutely with you that you cannot have private and secure location data when using any Google services.
Indeed, Owntracks does use Google Maps and the Google Play Services location APIs and your location data is likely sent to Google when using the app and we're very clear that this is the case.
However, when using Android, it's almost impossible to not send any personal data to Google when using an Android phone (or to Apple if you're using an iPhone). Hence, we decided to not use any third party location or APIs and for several reasons:
1) Google likely has your location data anyway because you're using their operating system
2) I personally would trust my data to Google than any third party that's not that closely monitored by others. We tried to integrate Mapbox as Mapping provider for the 0.5.x release until they likewise started gathering user data. Thus the next version switches back to Google Maps.
3) The offered location APIs are much easier on the battery life than any third party solution
4) We develop Owntracks in our spare time and receive no funding whatsoever. Hence, the time that we can invest into the integration of other Maps or location providers is very limited.
Besides that, Owntracks does allow you to store your location data on your own infrastructure. You are free to choose whatever you want with that data and you're not trusting a third party (besides Google) with your data.
Personally I think that this isn't a perfect solution, but it is as good as it gets for the majority of smartphones.
If that isn't good enough with you that's fine and I totally understand that. In that case, simply don't use the app and build something that you can trust entirely. E.g. some people from our development team are happily tracking their cars with a hardware appliance that is Owntracks compatible [1]
Would prefer it if it used OSM anyway, which I can also run my own version of if I am little twisted.
Basically, with a bit of work, you could produce a completely-self-hosted solution where there are no calls going out anywhere to anything you don't host yourself.
That's progress to my mind. Just needs a little more work to get there. If I didn't have family over this weekend...
Thank you for thinking about this.
I'm starting to think that self-hosted is the open source of today - the web is increasingly *aaS-centric, and users don't even have the idea it's not the only way.
That's an excellent documentation, in my opinion. Extensive and complete.
As an example: It doesn't just say: 'Can use MQTT.'. Instead it details the usage of MQTT by the appplication and even how to set up an MQTT service on a Rasperry Pi.
I've used it a bit on Android. It's important to note that OwnTracks only takes care of publishing your location to an MQTT server (and also subscribing to and displaying other published locations). If you want to save historical location data, and display it on a map, you'll need to hook up some more software, likely this: https://github.com/owntracks/recorder
As far as the Android app goes, I had no complaints. I didn't notice any significant battery drain issues or anything like that.
Thanks for the link. Do you happen to know what the behaviour is when there's no network connection? I'm going to be going to a lot of countries, and I doubt I'll have a SIM card everywhere (plus I'll be off-the-grid hiking and exploring a bunch).
> When the device determines that it's moved a significant distance, it contacts a server via 3G or WiFi (hopefully one of those is available, but we queue messages many thousands on the app until connectivity can be established) and says "hey, I'm here", whereby "here" is specified with a bit more precision.
> When the device determines that it's moved a significant distance, it contacts a server via 3G or WiFi (hopefully one of those is available, but we queue messages many thousands on the app until connectivity can be established)
I think that'll be a problem. Since you'd be recording your historical data off of the MQTT server, and your phone wont be updating the MQTT server, you'd have gaps in your data. Sounds like you want to record data right on your phone. Some other commenters have mentioned possible alternatives that probably would work better for you.
Fellow traveller here - going to try it in my solo bike tour from Lisbon to Istanbul that starts in a few days, let me know if there is any aspect of the software that you want reviewed
I'm most interested in presentation on the travel blog I'm working on (getting the most recent location onto a Google Map) and generating a track of where I've been - I thought it'd be fun to be able to plot the major waypoints on a globe.
I'm not really interested in every single movement - eg going out to get ice cream - but more moves between cities, towns etc... I guess if it's sending all the events to a server I can work that out for myself somehow...
You can use owntracks-recorder to keep the data and ocat to get them out again. I'm just playing with that right now to generate a page for my blog showing the cities I've traveled to each year in real-time.
Yeah it's a GPS module, it reports an "angle" and I guess it calculates that by comparing the previous position to the current one.
Not very accurate while standing still but works pretty well while on the move.
Don't try to add a Let's Encrypt certificate, you need to add the CA anyway. Just use OwnTracks' own generateCA.sh script and you'll be up and running in a minute. Stick the CA and p12 file in your phone and you're done.
Here's my modified script that produces the p12 file in the end:
Have been using Where have I been for the past year and it works flawlessly. Most important is that I can export all locations as CSV which I convert to KML and all is good.
Will give OwnTracks a try but privacy wise Where Have I Been also is phone only.
The Google Maps timeline doesn't have an API, so while you can see what data Google have there's no way to get it out and make use of it in other ways.
It's trivial (~2 lines) to write a script that will get your location every minute and HTTP POST it to the OwnTracks recorder, if I'm understanding the docs correctly.
It's a position reporting/tracking system from the 80s (but still going strong) that uses amateur radio repeaters instead of the internet. On one hand it doesn't have the privacy controls that you get with owntracks. On the other it doesn't require an internet connection and would survive the zombie apocalypse.
As a fairly frequent (at least formerly) APRS user and extra-class licensed radio amateur (W9TCJ), ehh, maybe. Pretty easy to find yourself in a 140-MHz-dead-zone.
https://apps.sandstorm.io/app/cjv3p2a970vrm729x9x0v54k0nff6x...