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Note that observations you have just collected may appear directly below the blue dot marking your current location. Zoom in on the map to view better
To view the details of an observation, tap on the orange dot marking the observation to open the View observation screen.
If you have collected several observations in a small geographic area, you may need to zoom in on the map to see the different points.
To view the details of an observation, tap on any observation in the list to open the View observation screen.
Once you have created one or more observations, you can view the data you have collected on the home Map screen or in a list.
On the home Map screen of Mapeo Mobile, each observation you collect will be marked on the map with an orange dot.
Tap Observations list on the home screen to view your observations in list form.
This section provides step-by-step guidance on the use of the main features of Mapeo Mobile:
If you don't yet have Mapeo Mobile installed on your smartphone, see: Mapeo Mobile installation & setup
Mapeo Mobile uses the GPS of your device, so before you start using the application make sure that GPS or Location on your smartphone is enabled.
It will be different on each smartphone, but GPS or Location services can generally be found in the Quick Settings menu, which can be accessed by swiping down from the top of your screen.
On the home screen of Mapeo Mobile, you will be able to see if Mapeo is successfully accessing your device's GPS.
If you didn't allow Mapeo Mobile access to your phone's camera and GPS the first time you opened Mapeo, you won't be able to use GPS information or include pictures in your collected data. For more on modifying app permissions, see I want to update Mapeo Mobile permissions.
By default, Mapeo Mobile will mark your current position with a blue dot at the center of the map and adjust the map as you move.
You collect data with Mapeo Mobile in the form of observations. An observation is based on a geographic location (a point on the map) and can have associated photos, notes, and details.
Select the category that best represents what you are documenting in the observation. Mapeo comes with a default set of categories and associated icons that can be used for collecting and classifying data.
It is possible to create custom categories and icons to tailor Mapeo to specific data collection needs. This customization currently requires significant technical knowledge. For more on customization, see Custom configurations.
Tap on the placeholder What is happening here? to add a description of what you are documenting.
Photos must be taken in the moment using your phone's camera. Mapeo Mobile does not currently allow you to attach existing images from a gallery or other source.
If the Delete Image button is not visible on the View image screen, tap anywhere on the screen to show. *Deleting images from draft observations is only available in Mapeo Mobile version 5.4.0 or higher.
To confirm deletion, tap Delete Image in the confirmation window. Please note that once deleted, images cannot be recovered.
Images cannot be removed once an observation has been saved.
Tap NEXT to move to the next question and tap DONE once you have answered the last one.
In order to set up your own custom questions or details fields, you must customize Mapeo. For more information, see Custom configurations
If the GPS signal at the moment of saving the observation has an accuracy worse than ± 10 m, Mapeo will automatically offer you three options:
Tap CONTINUE WAITING to wait until the GPS signal improves.
Tap SAVE to use the current GPS data, even if the accuracy is worse than ± 10 m.
Mapeo Mobile allows you to synchronize the data you have collected with other Mapeo users that are members of the same project. Syncing data does not require an internet connection and can be done in entirely offline areas.
Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network. Wi-Fi settings can generally be found in the Quick Settings menu, which can be accessed by swiping down from the top of your screen.
The Synchronize screen will show whether you are connected to a Wi-Fi network. If connected, you will be able to see the name of the network you are connected to in the top left of the navy blue bar. You will also be able to see the unique identification number of your device on the right side of the navy bar.
Once available devices appear in the list, confirm the identity of the device you plan to synchronize with by consulting the unique identification number on the other user's phone.
Click on the Sync button beside the device name to begin the exchange of data.
IMPORTANT: Keep the Synchronize screen open on BOTH devices until the synchronization is complete. Interrupting the sync process can result in permanently corrupted data.
In the Observations list screen, observations collected by other devices will appear with a blue bar on the left side.
In the Edit observation screen, you can change the category of the point, edit the description and details, or add additional photos.
In Mapeo Mobile, you can only edit or delete observations that have been created on your device. You cannot change the geographic location saved with the observation or the date and time of the original observation.
In Mapeo Mobile, you can only delete observations that have been created on your device.
Deleting observations cannot be undone, so exercise caution when using delete.
Remember that communication apps will require an internet connection or cell signal to work.
Always exercise caution when sharing data collected, as observations could include sensitive information about locations, activities, or natural resources. Prior to sharing any data, think through basic security precautions.
If GPS is activated, the GPS details button at the top of the screen will show a green dot and the precision of the GPS signal:
If the GPS is deactivated, the GPS details button will be red:
If you activate the GPS on your device while you are using Mapeo, you might have to restart Mapeo for the app to recognize that the GPS is activated and change the status of the GPS details button.
Tap the GPS details button to see more information on your current location.
If you pan to a different area on the map, you can always return to viewing your current location by tapping the Show my current position button on the bottom right of the map.
To create a new observation, tap the Create observation button.
Observations can be created from the home Map screen or from the Camera screen. Tap Camera at the bottom of the home screen to change the view.
Tap Add Photo to take one or more photos to attach to the observation.
To remove a photo from a draft observation, tap on the thumbnail of the image. On the View image screen, tap the Delete Image button.
If you don't wish to proceed with the deletion, tap Cancel then tap the Close button to return to the New observation screen.
Depending on the category you have selected, you may see the option to Add details at the bottom of the screen. Observation details consist of specific questions for each observation category. Mapeo Mobile comes with basic questions for some categories. Adding details is not required when creating observations.
Once you have added all desired information, tap Save.
Tap MANUAL COORDS to manually enter the coordinates that you want to use. You can choose which GPS data format you want to use to enter the coordinates. This is a useful option if you have a GPS device or another smartphone with a better GPS signal accuracy. Tap Save once you have manually entered the coordinates to return to the Edit observation screen.
For devices to sync, both need to be in the same place and connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This Wi-Fi network does not need to have an internet connection. In offline environments, a local WiFi network can be created using a mobile wireless router, or by creating a hotspot using a third smartphone.
Please note that by synchronizing with another Mapeo user, ALL DATA is shared in both directions. You will receive all of the observations created by that user and they will receive all of your observations. Only synchronize with members of your project whom you trust with all of your data. For more about this process, see .
All edits that have been made to collected data will also be transferred to the other device during sync. For example, if a person deletes or edits an observation and then syncs with other devices, this observation will be deleted or edited on all synced devices. If multiple users edit the same observation before syncing with each other, the changes that will prevail after syncing are the newest ones. If you encounter difficulties with this, see .
It is important to create project synchronization protocols to ensure that all data becomes part of the project database. For more on that, see .
For more on how to connect to Wi-Fi, see .
For more on how to create a local Wi-Fi network, see
Tap the Synchronize button on the Mapeo home screen of both devices to go to the Synchronize screen.
Devices available for synchronization will be listed below. ​​
Remember that in order for a device to appear in the list, it must be connected to the same network, have the Synchronize screen open, and be using the same project configuration. For troubleshooting on this step, see .
You can view new observation data received in the synchronization by looking at the points on the home Map screen or at the Observations list screen.
In Mapeo Mobile, you cannot edit or delete observations collected by other users. Remember that you can always view, edit and manage collected data in Mapeo Desktop. For more on that, see:
Select the observation you would like to edit and open it. You can open the observation by tapping on the dot marking the observation on the home Map screen:
or by tapping the observation on the Observations list screen:
Once you are on the View observation screen, tap Edit observation to modify the information collected.
Tap Save to save the changes you have made. Tap Back to return the Map view.
To exit without saving your changes, tap Back and confirm you want to discard changes.
To delete an observation you have collected, scroll to the bottom of the View observation screen and tap Delete.
As Mapeo uses a peer-to-peer database, all data is stored directly on your device and there is no backup on a centralized server. By deleting observations, you will permanently remove them from your device and all devices you synchronize data with in the future. For more on synchronization, see
In Mapeo Mobile, you can share the details of a single observation (location, images, description, and details) with a contact outside of Mapeo by using the Share observation feature. Share uses the communication apps you have installed on your phone (email, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or others) to send information.
Open the View observation screen for the selected observation and tap Share, which is located at the bottom left of the screen.
Select the desired sharing app and enter the contact's information. WhatsApp, Signal and Gmail are the apps that currently work best for sharing Mapeo observations.
For more on risk assessment and security concerns, see