Mapeo Support Materials
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English
  • Introduction
  • Overview
    • About Mapeo
      • Mapeo tools
      • Peer-to-peer & Mapeo sync
      • How Mapeo is being used
    • Is Mapeo right for me?
    • FAQs
  • Quick start guide
    • Getting started
    • Mapeo Mobile
    • Mapeo Desktop
  • Complete Reference guide
    • Welcome – Introduction
    • 🗒️Essentials for a successful Mapeo project
      • Planning a Mapeo project
        • What is the project goal?
        • What outputs do you want?
        • What information to collect?
          • Data types within Mapeo
        • Who should be involved and how?
        • What are the parameters?
      • Security & risk assessment
      • Creating user protocols
    • ✔️Will Mapeo work out-of-the-box for me?
      • Default configuration
      • Default background map
    • ⚙️Customization options
      • Translating Mapeo & default configurations
      • Custom configurations
        • Creating custom configurations
          • Planning configuration & data structure
            • Categories
            • Icons
            • Details fields
          • Coding configuration
            • Adding icon files
              • Creating and exporting SVG files using Adobe Illustrator
              • Creating and exporting SVG files using Inkscape
            • Creating details fields
            • Creating categories
            • Defining geometry defaults
            • Adding a project key
            • Adding project name and version
            • Building configuration file
              • Via the command line
              • Using GitHub Actions
          • Testing and iterating
      • Custom background maps
        • Creating custom background maps
          • Generating map files in .mbtiles format for the experimental Background Maps feature
    • 📱Mapeo Mobile installation & setup
      • Installing Mapeo Mobile
      • Choosing Mapeo Mobile settings
      • Experiments: Turning on experimental features
        • Directional Arrow
        • P2P (peer-to-peer) App Updates
        • Background Maps
        • Security
          • App Passcode
          • Obscure Passcode
      • Importing configurations into Mapeo Mobile
      • Adding custom background maps to Mapeo Mobile
      • Updating Mapeo Mobile
    • 📱Mapeo Mobile use
      • Activating GPS and viewing current location
      • Creating observations
      • Viewing observations
      • Editing and deleting observations
      • Sharing data externally
      • Syncing data via Wi-Fi
    • 💻Mapeo Desktop installation & setup
      • Installing Mapeo Desktop
      • Choosing Mapeo Desktop language
      • Importing configurations to Mapeo Desktop
      • Adding custom background maps to Mapeo Desktop
      • Updating Mapeo Desktop
    • 💻Mapeo Desktop use
      • Mapeo Desktop for managing Mapeo Mobile data (Observations mode)
        • Synchronizing data
          • Synchronizing via Wi-Fi
          • Synchronizing with a file
        • Viewing observations
        • Editing and deleting observations
        • Exporting data & sharing externally
      • Mapeo Desktop for creating territory data (Territory mode)
        • Navigating around the map
        • Creating and editing territory data
        • Changing background maps in Territory mode
        • Importing and using external geospatial data
        • Exporting and syncing data
      • Synchronizing data with Mapeo Desktop
    • 💡Mapeo trainings
      • Defining goals and format
      • Structuring a training
        • Best practices for planning a training
        • Structuring the agenda, content and activities
          • Suggestions for the different sections of a training event
          • Tips and suggested activities for training key features of Mapeo
          • Materials and resources available for the training event
      • Preparing equipment and supplies for a training
        • Recommended equipment and supplies
        • Tech preparation before doing in-person training
    • 🔧Troubleshooting
      • I can't start Mapeo
      • Mapeo closes automatically
      • I have problems with the GPS in Mapeo
        • GPS is not activated in Mapeo
        • My GPS signal is very weak
      • I have problems with the camera in Mapeo
        • I get a black screen when using the camera
      • I want to update Mapeo Mobile permissions
      • I have sync issues
        • I want to connect to Wi-Fi
        • I want to create local Wi-Fi networks
          • With a portable router
          • With a smartphone
        • The device I want to sync with does not show up on my Synchronize screen
        • I get an error when I try to sync with another device
        • I can't sync with the sync file
        • The person I want to sync with has deleted valuable data
      • Sharing files between devices
      • Saving and printing Mapeo reference materials
      • How do I back up Mapeo Desktop data?
    • Glossary & quick reference sheets
      • Glossary of Mapeo related terms
      • Overview of Mapeo Desktop Territory mode screen
  • For developers
    • Mapeo architecture overview
    • Mapeo repositories
    • Localization
  • Support
  • Additional references
  • Digital Democracy website
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  1. Overview

Is Mapeo right for me?

PreviousHow Mapeo is being usedNextFAQs

Last updated 2 years ago

There are many tools and pieces of software that you could use for making maps and collecting data. Mapeo was designed to meet the needs of specific users, who:

  • are collecting data in primarily offline environments

  • often have limited previous experience with technology

  • are working collaboratively on mapping or monitoring projects and using shared data sets

  • want ownership over their data and the power to decide if and when data is shared with external actors or centralized servers

  • have specific data collection requirements

  • want to view and gather information in their native languages

  • need a tool that is free to use

Mapeo may not be the right tool for all projects. When evaluating whether Mapeo will be a good choice, we encourage you to try out the tools (see the ) and please keep in mind the following:

  • Equipment requirements Mapeo Mobile is currently available for Android only. (An iOS version is in development for 2022.) Mapeo Desktop works on Windows, Mac and Linux machines. Mapeo Mobile uses Wi-Fi networks to synchronize data between devices. To synchronize data with Mapeo Mobile in offline areas, you will need a portable router (this does not require an internet connection) or a third device capable of creating a local network offline or hotspot.

  • Peer-to-peer architecture The Mapeo tools are based on a peer-to-peer database, which means there is no centralized server aggregating information collected by users. Two devices that are participating in the same Mapeo project can synchronize or exchange data at a time. Synchronized devices have identical copies of the Mapeo database and can serve as backups if a device is lost or damaged. Please note that data that has not been synchronized will not have a backup. For more details on peer-to-peer architecture and syncing, see Peer-to-peer & Mapeo sync. It is important to think through in advance how the participating users or devices in your project will share information, as there are a variety of possible synchronizing patterns. For more on this, see Creating user protocols.

  • Customization and required technical skills Mapeo comes with out-of-the box options that can be used right away, without any customization. To learn more about whether these default options will work for your project, see Will Mapeo work out-of-the-box for me? Mapeo was also built to be highly customizable and allow users to adapt its interface to meet the needs of specific projects. Mapeo is currently available in many languages and can easily be translated into new ones. Adapting Mapeo to use custom categories, icons, questions and background maps currently requires significant technical knowledge and will not be accessible to all users. If you believe customization will be necessary for your project, please consult the section on Customization options to determine whether your team has the required technical skills.

  • Security As an offline-first, peer-to-peer set of tools, Mapeo can offer a path for data collection and exchange with fewer technological vulnerabilities than other available tools. However, the use of any technology can introduce new security concerns and risks. Before choosing to use Mapeo or other alternatives, we strongly encourage reviewing the section on Security & risk assessment.

Alternative tools

If Mapeo doesn't seem like the right fit for your needs, check out the Toolfinder on our site to learn more about other tools for territory mapping and monitoring.

Quick Start Guide
Earth Defenders Toolkit