Best GPS app that also works with no cell service

[Calif Hunter]

What is the GPS app for an android phone to locate coordinates, see a route there and that works even when there is no cell service? It would not be used all that often, so cost should be reasonable.

[oktavist]

Cell phones don't have the hardware to talk to satellites. "GPS" in a phone is not "GPS". Such an app doesn't exist and cannot be made. You need a GPS receiver to talk to real GPS satellites.

[middleofnowhere]

Cell phones don't have the hardware to talk to satellites. "GPS" in a phone is not "GPS". Such an app doesn't exist and cannot be made. You need a GPS receiver to talk to real GPS satellites.

[Cuahitl]

I suspect that phones do have some type of gps receivers as I use Gaia gps on my phone for when in the backcountry with no cell service. I believe they are $30 ish a year. In order to work offline you would first need to download maps to the phone.

[Madpyro]

OnX hunting works without cell service. We use it for search and rescue . Used it Caribou hunting in the middle of nowhere Alaska last year. Just download the maps for the area you are going to be in while you have Wi-Fi before you go. It will still track you, but you won’t have a lot of map details. Great app. They also have onX off-road, but I prefer the hunting one.

[oktavist]

I was assuming SDR was a little out of scope since he was asking for an "app" and doing SDR right needs external hardware. Garmin is gps hardware. Airplane mode? Have you really tried it totally out of range of all towers? I would be really surprised if they had an sdr solution that works on all chipsets...

I need to check this out. Thanks for mentioning it.

[oktavist]

According to onX website, in "no cell mode" you only load pre-saved trips. You cannot start a new trip. So it is obviously not talking to actual GPS satellites. It wouldn't surprise me if they used the phones sensors for dead reckoning. And GPS is FREE! What's up with everyone charging membership fees to use something that's already free? I'll keep my garmin overlander thank you.

[SharedShots]

Cell phones don't have the hardware to talk to satellites. "GPS" in a phone is not "GPS". Such an app doesn't exist and cannot be made. You need a GPS receiver to talk to real GPS satellites.

Wrong, factually incorrect.

Most phones have dedicated GPS receiver tech built-in. Many can get GPS directly from GPS-Glonas-BeiDou. For phones with that hardware no subscription is needed to have GPS. In fact, you don't even need a mobile phone service to use those phones for GPS, they will work without any service, the hardware in the phones accesses the satellite data and the apps will work just fine. You don't need Wifi or any data connectivity, just the GPS built into the phone's hardware.

There is assisted GPS and dedicated hardware GPS in phones. Some cheap phones have only assisted GPS which uses towers and wifi and sometimes even Bluetooth as an augment to determining location. However, most better phones have GPS receivers has dedicated hardware that needs nothing can for which many apps can use the hardware directly as a true GPS device.

There are dozens of apps that can use the dedicated hardware GPS receivers in phones without a data connection or even a sim card inserted into the phone.

Where did you get the info you talk about? It's factually incorrect.

A very good GPS app that can use the dedicated GPS hardware in phones is OsmAnd. There are many others that also work.

Many Samsung phones have dedicated GPS hardware as do most of their tablets.

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[SharedShots]

OP, PM sent with detailed info.

For everyone else.

Its pretty easy to see if your phone or tablet has dedicated GPS receiver chipset built in.

Depending on the phone and version of the system it uses, on Android open settings and go to location or connectivity. Usually it's Location.

You'll see choices available and often they are called Enhanced or Precise Location (which is utter nonsense) and Device Only. When you choose Device Only the phone or tablet will use the built in GPS hardware in the phone and not the WiFi, Bluetooth or most important, the data. The device will access the satellites directly and then so long as the apps supports off-line mapping everything will work. Some apps don't allow for off-line use, stay away from them if at all possible.

The apps that do allow off-line use still need to be updated once in a while. You can do this at home or work by using wifi or data (almost always the wifi is no cost to you). Once updated, use the app in off-line mode. Each apps has a different way of going about it but it's generally not difficult.

What about Google Maps? Google Maps works just fine with your phones GPS receiver hardware. It has a feature called Off Line Maps. Basically you'll download the maps for the region you travel (you can download many regions and choose the area covered as well as naming them and once done they work without a data connection. They last only 30 days or so before they need to be updated but again, you can do that via WiFi at no cost. What you don't get is live traffic updates and things like that but for almost all needs it works just fine.

The big plus is it doesn't cost you anything to use off-line maps or the GPS hardware. The reason a lot of people don't know about this is because the carrier service providers make their money charging you for data and if you don't use their data they get less money. While you can get an unlimited data plan then you are also tied to places where you have a connection AND all the location data is going through their system.

Most phones of decent quality will access the US GPS, the European Galileo and the Russian Glonass systems. Some will also access the Chinese system. The Russian GLONASS system is often faster than the US GPS, just so happens. Yeah, some people will say screw the Russians but you can also cut your nose off to spite your face.

Using the GPS hardware in your phone you can be anywhere on the planet and use the satellites. You don't even need a service plan, take an old phone you have, check to see if it has the hardware built in and you can use it as a full fledged GPS receiver for ZERO cost. You don't need accounts or anything else.

Choose the Apps which let you use their maps off-line. I mentioned OsmAnd but there are other like HERE, Google Maps and many others. Some have limited downloads of regions for free and some are eat as much as you can. Google Maps is free and easy to use although it doesn't have all the features dedicated apps have. It still works well and is reliable.

So there you go. No need to buy a GPS receiver, you probably have one built right into your phone. If you are worried about accuracy, the phones are getting the same location data from the satellites as devices from Garmin or others. Dedicated devices might work a bit faster but almost all have their own maps that need updating and you need accounts or have to pay fees after a certain point. In any case, you are locked into their system.

Using your phone you can do lots of stuff like sharing your location with family/friends (at your discretion), copying maps, take screen shots, plan routes and all that for ZERO money.

I hope this helps some folks. Its not meant to be a super detailed guide but just some ideas on how to use the phones hardware and not pay everyone else to use GPS.





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[adamjay]

I’ve used OnX Hunt for many years. It is outstanding. There is a free trial.

[Tadich]

OP, I've used an app called All Trails. Works fine in the sticks when there is no cell service. Has lots of maps and puts you exactly where you are.

[WartHog]

I use an app called GPS Data from EXA Tools on my Galaxy S7. Driving around Mendocino NF with no cell service whatsoever, it works showing Lat/Lon, Altitude, Speed over Ground, etc.

[Foothills]

Try Guru Maps Pro and maps.me

It depends on what country you want to use them in. Typically you’ll want to download the maps for that country over Wi-Fi in advance.

[Satex]

Most cell phones have a built in GPS receiver.
If you want a basic GPS receiver get a Garmin Etrex

[Ishooter]

Op, follow Shareshots' instructions. You can also get a backup device such as
a used cheap handheld GPS for around $20-30 on Ebay. I used Magellan explorist 200 for hunting before, and now I use it fishing offshore.