
Maps.me goes open source - mzehrer
https://github.com/mapsme/omim
======
pwelch
Wow this is awesome. I used Maps.me in Europe because I didn't have data and
it can give you directions without data. Great app for traveling.

~~~
conradfr
We used it as well some weeks ago in New Zealand for the same reasons. Very
useful, even if the paths were sometimes a bit ... alternative.

"natural=bare_rock" as a POI became a bit of a private joke in our van, as it
seems rocks are well mapped in OSM and displayed with that bare tag in
Maps.me.

~~~
maxerickson
Hopefully it was marking exposed bedrock.

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wingerlang
As with many of the responses here, I have nothing but good things to say
about this app. I've used it in Australia, all over SE Asia and Sweden and it
always feels reliable. As long as you can handle the occasional lack of data
in remoter areas you'll be fine with it (GPS still works though).

~~~
exodust
Yes it's my go-to map when I need just a map, quick and reliable.

Google maps "offline regions" is a joke. Too limited and awkward. Google
doesn't want anyone using their products without signing in or connecting to
their endless "do you want fries with your maps" online offerings. This slows
thing down on mobile.

Often I just want to refer to a map without even needing my location to be
known, and definitely not the Internet. That's where maps.me is so good.

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TuringTest
Great, I've been waiting for this to happen before recommending it to my
acquaintances. It's the only FLOSS app that I have been able to find with all
the following:

\- a sane user interface,

\- offline mapping and navigation,

\- and a good search engine that doesn't force "Country/City/Street" fields to
find streets and POIs.

It's a bit slim, but now that's under the Apache license it will surely grow
features faster.

I wonder what the company's monetization strategy will be?

~~~
lcswi
You've got to try osmand!

~~~
maxerickson
The sane interface and friendly search are pretty direct contrasts with
OSMAnd.

I do think the new interface in OSMAnd is headed in the right direction
though.

~~~
lcswi
I love the new interface but you are right about the search. Somehow I thought
they had reworked that terrible address 'browser' into a free form search. :-(

~~~
ClashTheBunny
If you're online, it does do free form search with a geolocation API. Offline,
you still need to have all of your destinations saved as favorites.

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devit
How does this compare to Osmand?

~~~
TuringTest
The search engine is much better. You can do google-like searches, just type
what you're looking for, and select the best match from the results list. In
Osmand and all other open source apps, you have to first type the country and
region where you think your target is located.

Also, it's very easy to start downloading an offline map for any region - just
zoom in on a new area, and it provides the link for that region. Right now
it's free, unlimited and it works all over the world (though of course that
can change in the future). I haven't figured out how to do the same thing in
Osmand, and it says the free version is limited to 10 maps.

~~~
mkesper
You can use the version from f-droid.

~~~
TuringTest
Does it have easy direct download of maps from within the app?

The official Osmand can sideload any number of maps too, the limit is only for
direct downloads; but common users won't know how to get their own maps
without support from the app.

~~~
maxerickson
It's the full version.

~~~
TuringTest
Thanks, I'll give it a try for myself. In Maps.me I miss the capability to
take OSM notes from within the app.

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zbuf
MAPS.ME is a great app, very slick and has all the signs of something that's
very well developed. It's almost entirely replaced Google Maps for me,
justified by the speed of its UI alone.

I'd be fascinated to know how it justifies being given away in source form
like this and any business model around it.

Wishing the best of luck to the guys!

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halosghost
I'd love to see this make it into F-Droid! Fingers crossed!

~~~
orblivion
I don't know how the F-Droid community works, but it sounds like this is where
we can follow it? [https://f-droid.org/forums/topic/maps-
me/](https://f-droid.org/forums/topic/maps-me/)

EDIT: And here
[https://github.com/mapsme/omim/issues/85](https://github.com/mapsme/omim/issues/85)

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zeisss
I really like maps.me. My only annoyance so far was last week when it was
keeping my phone awake for 8h and draining my battery rather quickly w/o
actually having the phone open or the app in the foreground (or any navigation
going on).

~~~
pwelch
I did not have that problem, though navigation apps in general kill my
battery.

I think the only feature I wish it had, which might be in there now, is to
export the places I marked as a favorite to something such as CSV or JSON.

~~~
TuringTest
It can, it exports compressed kmz files, and imports kml and kmz. I used it to
import bookmarks from a custom-made personal Google map.

~~~
pwelch
Awesome. Thanks for the info!

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3327
Thank you, I think mapping applications are generally still weak despite
google maps etc.

I think opensource is the way to go with maps.

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Splines
Are there data sources for traffic? Google maps is my go-to commuting app
because it gives me alternatives to get around traffic congestion. Is there
any sort of aggregation or service alternative to Google maps (and Waze)?

~~~
ClashTheBunny
[https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-
us/library/hh441725](https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh441725) and
possibly the same thing: [https://developer.here.com/rest-
apis/documentation/traffic/t...](https://developer.here.com/rest-
apis/documentation/traffic/topics/coverage-information.html)

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N0RMAN
Despite that Maps.me is now open-source, how does it compare to Here (Maps)?

~~~
Nux
I don't think Maps.me has voice navigation or online live traffic alerts like
Here does.

