Adding custom background maps to Mapeo Mobile

By default, Mapeo Mobile uses a background map that shows some geographic elements such as rivers and mountains, as well as some political and urban elements such as borders, cities, roads, etc.

If you have a custom background map prepared, you can add it and use it in Mapeo Mobile without affecting the data you have collected. (For more on creating custom background maps, see Custom background maps.)

November 2022 update: We have just added a new experimental feature to manage multiple background maps, as part of a greater effort to simplify the process of generating and adding custom background maps to Mapeo. For more on how to test this feature, see: Background Maps.

Adding a background map to Mapeo currently requires navigating the File Manager on your smartphone and copy-pasting elements in the internal file system. A mistake in this process could cause irreversible undesired effects.

• Using a computer, a USB cable, and your smartphone

Adding a background map using a computer

Connect your smartphone to a computer

Unlock the screen of the smartphone and connect the device to a computer using a USB cable. Tap the Charging this device via USB notification. Under "Use USB for," select File Transfer.

On Mac computers, you will need to have Android File Transfer installed to view and transfer files to your Android phone.

For troubleshooting with transferring files to your Android device from a computer, see the Android Help page here.

On your computer, locate and copy the contents of the Mapeo background map package

Mapeo background maps will often be shared as a compressed file(.zip). If your background map is a .zip file, double-click the file to unzip it.

A Mapeo background map consists of several folders and files that need to be copied into the file system of Mapeo Mobile. Standard vector background maps for Mapeo will contain the file elements listed below - 3 folders and 2 files.

Raster background maps will contain different files and folders than those pictured above. Raster tile background maps for Mapeo consist of one folder (tiles) and one file (style.json).

Select and copy all of the elements found inside your background map folder.

Paste the background map elements onto your smartphone

Once you have copied the contents of the background map folder, use the computer to browse through your smartphone to the correct folder within the Mapeo Mobile file system.

Click on Internal Shared Storage, then on Android, data, com.mapeo. Then click on files, then on styles, and finally on default. Paste the background map elements into the default folder.

The complete path of the default folder where you will paste the map elements is Internal Shared Storage/Android/data/com.mapeo/files/styles/default

Restart Mapeo Mobile

Restart the Mapeo Mobile app. The new background map will appear on the home Map screen.

Loading a new background map for the first time in Mapeo Mobile can take several minutes.