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The new Directional Arrow feature uses your smartphone’s digital compass to provide information about which direction your phone is facing. Close proximity to large metal objects or strong magnetic field can affect the precision of the compass.
If your smartphone doesn’t have a compass, the Directional Arrow may still be able to determine direction based on movement. Direction based on movement may be less accurate.
NOTE: Directional Arrow is not reliable enough to be used exclusively for navigation, and it may drain your device battery faster.
To activate the Directional Arrow feature:
Select Directional Arrow, then click the checkbox to Use Directional Arrow.
Click on Observations List, then click on Settings and select Experiments.
Click on Back as many times as necessary to return to the home Map screen to view the arrow.
In this section, you will find all the needed resources to learn how to install and set up Mapeo Mobile:
Choosing Mapeo Mobile settings
Language
GPS coordinate format
Before you start, make sure that:
Mapeo Mobile is currently available for Android only and works on Android version 5.0 or above.
The battery of the smartphone is charged and/or you have access to a charger and an electrical outlet or portable battery.
The smartphone is virus-free.
The Experiments screen within the Settings menu contains new, experimental features that are in ongoing development. They can be activated and used in their current state and will be improved and moved out of the Experiments section in future app updates.
The features currently available in Experiments are:
The following settings can be easily changed in Mapeo Mobile:
To change the language of Mapeo Mobile:
On the Language screen, select the language you would like to use for Mapeo Mobile. The language of the application will change automatically.
Mapeo Mobile supports three GPS coordinate formats: Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), Degrees/Minutes/Seconds (DMS), and Decimal Degrees (DD).
To change the coordinate format used:
On the Coordinate Format screen, click on the format you would like to use and it will automatically change inside the application.
The Experiments screen contains new, experimental features that are in ongoing development.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) App Updates is an experimental feature that allows you to share and receive newer versions of the Mapeo app by connecting to other Mapeo devices via Wi-Fi (no internet connection required).
When updating the Mapeo app version in this way, NONE of your Mapeo data (observations, configurations, or maps) is shared between devices.
To search for and share Mapeo app updates between Mapeo Mobile devices, both smartphones must:
have the P2P App Updates feature enabled
have Mapeo open to the Synchronize screen
be connected to the same Wi-Fi network
If a newer version of the app is available from another Mapeo device on the network, the update will be automatically downloaded.
(If your device has a newer version than other devices the network, you will see the message "Sharing app updates with other devices.")
To install the newer version of Mapeo, wait until the download completes, then tap INSTALL on the Synchronize screen.
After tapping INSTALL, you may see a security pop-up window saying that your phone is not allowed to install apps from this source.
To enable Mapeo to install updates, tap Settings in the pop-up window and toggle the switch to Allow from this source in the following Android Settings screen.
When the installation is complete, Mapeo will close automatically. When you re-open Mapeo, you will see an update confirmation window. Tap OK to close the window and start using the new version of Mapeo.
There are 2 ways to install Mapeo Mobile on your smartphone:
Before you start, make sure that:
You have enough space available on your smartphone for the Mapeo application and data you will collect - we recommend that you have at least 1 GB (gigabyte) available.
To install Mapeo Mobile on your smartphone from the Google Play Store:
On the Mapeo Mobile screen in the Play Store application, click on Install.
When the installation process is complete, click on Open.
When Mapeo Mobile opens, you will be prompted to allow Mapeo access to your phone's camera and GPS for proper functioning of the app. After that, the Mapeo Mobile home screen will open automatically.
If you don't have enough space available on your smartphone, you will receive a message from Play Store inviting you to delete content or applications from your device to free up space.
You can install Mapeo Mobile on a smartphone that does not have an internet connection using a previously downloaded installation file (.apk
).
Once downloaded, the APK file can be shared with other devices and used to install Mapeo offline.
Locate the Mapeo installation file (.apk
) on the device.
Tap on the installation file (.apk
) to open it.
In the pop-up window, click on INSTALL. The installation process may take several minutes.
Once the installation is complete, click on OPEN in the pop-up window.
When Mapeo Mobile opens, you will be prompted to allow Mapeo access to your phone's camera and GPS for proper functioning of the app. After that, the Mapeo Mobile home screen will open automatically.
Mapeo Mobile 5.5.0 introduces a new Map Manager user interface for importing and managing multiple background maps. The new experimental Background Maps feature allows you to add your own custom maps and switch between multiple maps.
WARNING: When this feature is enabled, you will not have access to the map you had previously been using in Mapeo. Turn off Map Manager to switch back to your previous map.
Instructions on using the new Background Maps feature coming soon.
(activate experimental features)
Mapeo Mobile is currently available in more than 15 languages, but it can be translated into any additional language using the Crowdin platform. For more on translation, see:
Click on Observations List, then click on Settings and select Language.
To return to the home screen of the application, click on Back as many times as necessary.
▶ Video available:
Click on Observations List, then click on Settings and select Coordinate Format.
To return to the home screen of the application, click on Back as many times as necessary.
For more on how to activate and test these features, see
To use this feature, you will need to enable it within the Experiments menu. To do so, tap the Observations list button, then tap Settings, and select Experiments. Select P2P App Updates, then check the box to Use P2P App Updater.
Once you have enabled the P2P App Updates feature, you will be able to use it on the Synchronize screen. To search for and share Mapeo app updates between Mapeo Mobile devices, both smartphones must have the P2P App Updates feature enabled, have Mapeo open to the Synchronize screen, and be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Tap the Back button to return to Mapeo and confirm that you would like to install the update.
If you have an internet connection, you can download and install Mapeo Mobile for free from the Google Play Store.
To install Mapeo Mobile on smartphones that have no internet connection, you can use an installation file (.apk
).
You have a good internet connection.
Open the Play Store application on your smartphone.
In the search bar at the top of the Play Store window, type Mapeo, and click on the magnifying glass icon at the bottom right of the keyboard.
Click Mapeo in the list of applications.
The installation process can take a long time (more than 15 min), depending on the quality of your internet connection.
▶ Video available:
If you already have the installation file on your device, continue here: .
While an internet connection is available, (.apk
).
If you have an internet connection, use any messaging app (such as Telegram or WhatsApp) for sending installation files (.apk
) between smartphones.
If you have no internet connection, you can copy the file from a computer using a USB cable or send the installation file using Bluetooth. Read more about how to send a file using these methods in .
▶ Video available:
For info on how to generate a map file in for use in the new Background Maps feature, see
The following features introduce options for further layers of security to protect Mapeo data:
App Passcode allows you
Like most existing apps, Mapeo Mobile is in continuous development. We frequently release new versions of the application to fix technical issues or add new functionality. When you update Mapeo Mobile, you do not lose data you have collected or synchronized using a previous version.
The process to update Mapeo Mobile is very similar to the installation process and there are 3 ways to do it:
Update via P2P App Updates (*Experimental) Mapeo Mobile currently includes an experimental feature that allows you to update the version of the application offline via a peer-to-peer connection over Wi-Fi. For more on how to update this way, see#updating-mapeo-mobile-via-p2p-peer-to-peer-app-updates
To update files used within Mapeo Mobile, such as configurations or background maps, follow the same steps detailed in the sections below using the new files: Importing configurations into Mapeo MobileAdding custom background maps to Mapeo Mobile
Mapeo uses a numerical system to name versions ( for example v.5.4.0
). The numbers are labeled as follows: v.MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
.
The MAJOR number indicates a breaking change - a change in this number could be related to how the software work or a change in how you use it. The MAJOR number increases if features that were previously part of the app are now removed.
The MINOR number increases when new features have been added to Mapeo.
The PACTH number increases if there are small updates or fixes that don’t introduce any new behavior or features.
If the MAJOR number increases, the MINOR and PATCH numbers are reset to 0. If the MINOR number increases, the PATH number is reset to 0.
To identify which version is more recent, compare the version numbers (excluding the dots between digits). The bigger the number is, the newer the version is. For example, Mapeo v.5.4.0 is newer than Mapeo v.5.3.2, because 540 is a bigger number than 532.
To view all previous versions of Mapeo Mobile, including release notes for changes made in each version, see the Mapeo Mobile Releases page on GitHub.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) App Updates is an experimental feature that allows you to share and receive newer versions of the Mapeo app by connecting to other Mapeo devices via Wi-Fi (no internet connection required).
When updating the Mapeo app version in this way, NONE of your Mapeo data (observations, configurations, or maps) is shared between devices.
For step-by-step instructions on using P2P App Updates, see: P2P (peer-to-peer) App Updates
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.
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.
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.
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 the Mapeo Mobile app. The new background map will appear on the home Map screen.
Download or copy the configuration file (eg. example_project.mapeosettings
) onto your Android device. Note which folder the file was saved in.
Select Project configuration, then tap Import config.
Navigate to the folder that contains your configuration file and tap on the file.
Files downloaded from the internet or a messaging application can generally be found in the Downloads folder.
Click OK on the import confirmation window and verify that the Project configuration screen now displays the name of the new configuration.
Update from Play Store If you have an internet connection, update to the latest version of Mapeo Mobile from the Google Play Store. The steps are the same as for installing Mapeo: #install-from-play-store
Update from an APK file
To update Mapeo Mobile on smartphones that have no internet connection, follow the same steps as for installing the app using an installation file (.apk
), this time using a more recent installation file: #install-from-apk-file
By default, Mapeo Mobile uses a 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 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 .)
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: .
On Mac computers, you will need to have installed to view and transfer files to your Android phone.
For troubleshooting with transferring files to your Android device from a computer, see the .
Loading a new background map for the first time in Mapeo Mobile can take several minutes.
To start using a custom configuration, you'll need to import the new configuration file into Mapeo Mobile. For more on configurations, see .
For sending configuration files (.mapeosettings
) between smartphones with an internet connection, we recommend using the Telegram app, as other messaging applications have problems with this file format.
If you don't have an internet connection, you can copy the file from a computer using a USB cable or send the file using Bluetooth. Read more about how to send a file using these methods in .
In the Mapeo Mobile app, tap the Observations list button, then the Settings button.
To start using the updated configuration, tap Back as many times as needed to return to the home screen and tap Create observation. The Categories screen will now display the icons and category names of your custom configuration.
▶ Video available:
▶ Video available: