Guide

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These instructions are for Trailmap's native mobile app "Trailmap Suomi", which is available for iOS and Android devices. Separate instructions for the web version that runs in a browser can be found here. Many functions are the same as in the web version, so it's worth getting familiar with that too.

The mobile app is optimised for phone use and terrain navigation: it has big buttons, touch gestures and many functions that the web version lacks — among them turn-by-turn navigation, ride recording, turning the map by compass, offline maps and keeping the screen on. On the other hand it lacks some of the web version's functions, such as creating your own raster maps and the OSM mapping tools.

Tutorial videos for the app can be found on Trailmap's YouTube channel (TrailmapSuomi). Inside the app you'll also find the Quick guide, which you can open from the info button in the top right of the map view. There's also a guide of its own for route drawing, which you can open in route drawing mode from the "..." menu in the bottom right.

General information about the app

The main view is the map. At its bottom edge is a bottom bar from which you can get to the app's other views: your own routes, ride recording / navigation, and settings. Route drawing, adding places and opening tracks all happen directly in the map view.

Main view

Right at the start it's worth noticing the shortcut button on the left edge of the map: by default there's always a button there that quickly switches the NLS topographic map on and off. This way you can conveniently alternate between Trailmap's default map and the NLS topographic map. The shortcut buttons are covered in more detail further down.

The web version and the mobile app play well together: when you plan a route in the web version, for instance, it's immediately available in the mobile app — as long as you're logged in to both with the same user account.

The app's maps and route drawing cover the countries of Europe. The most detailed map is available only for Finland, and the traditional topographic maps of various countries ("raster map") are available for selected countries, among them the Nordics, Estonia and Spain. The app is in Finnish for the time being.

User account

You can log in from the "Settings" tab of the navigation bar. Logging in works with Google or Apple sign-in, or with email and password. Note that creating a new account with email is done in the app's web version; with the mobile app you can log in to an already created account. Google and Apple sign-in create an account automatically.

Logging in isn't compulsory, but saving your own routes or places, and syncing tracks to devices, do require logging in. From the "Account details" page in settings you can see your username and the status of your subscription, and you can delete your user account if you wish.

Note. Establishing device connections (Garmin Connect, Wahoo, Suunto, Strava) is done in the app's web version. Once the connection has been established, you can use it in the mobile app (e.g. sync routes to a device with the star marking).

Subscriptions: Navi and Plus

Most of the maps and the basic use of the app are free. There are two paid subscription levels: Navi and Plus. Subscriptions can be bought directly in the mobile app through the app store (App Store on iOS, Google Play on Android). The Plus subscription can also be taken out from the app's web version. Subscriptions are valid in both the web and the mobile version of the app. A subscription can be bought in 3-month or 12-month periods, and all of them include a free trial period.

Navi brings you the basic-level mobile navigation functions: navigation based on a track, map turning, keeping the screen on, offline maps, and importing tracks onto the map (GPX/KML). It also enables saving and syncing routes (a maximum of 3 routes and 3 tracks), GPX export and sharing.

Plus unlocks everything on top of Navi, among them voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, an unlimited number of routes and tracks, syncing routes to Garmin and Wahoo devices, the "my places" function and route collections.

A subscription is managed from the "Account details" page: there you can see the purchase date, the period type and the end date, and you can manage or restore your purchases. A Navi subscription can be upgraded to Plus in the same app store.

The main view and the bottom bar

The bottom bar has four tabs:

1. Map: The main map view, where route drawing, navigation and the map functions happen.
2. Routes: Your own route library. Contains the sub-tabs Routes, Collections, Tracks (the tracks open on the map) and GPX (importing files).
3. Record / Navigate: The title changes according to the situation. If a route or a single track (e.g. a GPX file) has been opened on the map, the tab is "Navigate" and starts route navigation; otherwise it's "Record" and starts ride recording.
4. Settings: Logging in, account, map settings and information about the app.

The map view's buttons

In the bottom right of the map are the zoom buttons and the positioning button. The colour of the positioning button tells you the state: grey (positioning off), red (positioning on, no GPS lock), green (the camera is following your position) and orange (you've moved the map away from your position — press to restore following). Above positioning is the compass button for turning the map (see below).

In the bottom left of the map is the map settings button and the shortcut buttons (a maximum of 5 quick functions of your own choosing). In the bottom left corner there's also a sun button, which keeps the screen on (a Navi function). In the top right corner is the info button, which opens the Quick guide or the map legend.

When there are routes or tracks on the map, a button appears on the right edge for hiding them momentarily. From the "+" quick menu on the same edge you can add a place or take a photo (a Plus function, see "Places and photos").

Shortcut buttons

The shortcut buttons are buttons visible on the left edge of the map that get you to the most important map selections with a single press, without opening the map settings. They're especially useful in mobile use and let the user work smoothly and quickly with the functions that matter to them. Visible by default is the on/off button for the NLS topographic map, with which you can quickly alternate between Trailmap's default map and the NLS topographic map.

You can choose yourself which buttons (a maximum of 5) show on the edge: open the map settings and choose "Shortcut buttons". Among the options are aerial image, overlays, quick hiding of overlays, high contrast, MML ways, simple map, places (POI), photos and your own profile. All the same options are also found in the map settings, but as shortcuts they're quicker to use out in the terrain.

The context menu (long press)

By pressing the map for a long time you get a context menu open at the spot you chose. Through it you can add your own place (Plus), look at the spot's OpenStreetMap information, see the coordinates, open the spot in Google Maps, or create a route from your current position to the chosen point ("Route here"). Note that unlike in the web version, there's no Google Street View in mobile and no OSM editing (only viewing OSM history).

Map turning and following

The mobile app's map can be turned to run according to your direction — this is one of the most important differences from the web version. Presses of the compass button cycle through three states:

1. No turning: the map stays north up.
2. Compass orientation: the map turns according to the device's compass (where you're pointing).
3. Direction of travel (GPS): the map turns according to your direction of movement.

Map turning is a Navi function. In the settings you can fine-tune the turning, among other things the stabilisation of the GPS direction while stationary and the display of the direction arrow. If you move the map away from your position with your finger, a "restore centring" button appears at the top of the map, with which the camera returns to following your position.

With the sun button you can keep the screen on (Navi). During navigation the screen stays on automatically.

Route drawing

Route drawing is started from the map view, and first you choose the routing profile.

Route drawing mode

The route is edited with touch gestures:

• Add a waypoint: tap the map — a new point is added as a continuation of the route.
• Move a waypoint: press the point for a long time (Apple) or briefly (Android) (the device vibrates) and drag it to a new place.
• Delete a waypoint: press the point for a long time and choose "delete waypoint" from the pop-up menu.
• Add a point into the middle of the route: press the route line for a long time and choose "waypoint".
• A straight line for a section: press the route line for a long time and choose "route type" (switches between automatic routing and a straight line).

In the status bar at the bottom of the route you can see the route's details and buttons for saving, GPX export, sharing and device syncing, as well as a "..." menu (summary, Quick guide, GPX import, reverse route, delete). From the profile button you change the routing profile, and from the switch next to it you turn "follow roads" routing on or off. An edit you've made can be undone with the "undo" button.

The routing profiles are the same as in the web version: On foot, Mountain bike, Gravel, Road bike and Winter (under the Winter profile you choose Skiing or Winter MTB). Each profile has additional settings, e.g. technicality and avoiding asphalt or big roads. As a basis for a route you can also use a track opened on the map or a GPX file ("Convert to route").

In the route saving view you give a name and a description, choose the activity type and the visibility (private, public or published), and you can mark the route for device syncing. The route summary shows the distance, the ascent and descent, the road types, the road surfaces, the warnings and the elevation profile.

Note. Long and complicated routes are often best planned in the web version, where editing is smoother on a big screen.

Navigation (turn-by-turn)

Route navigation is the mobile app's most central additional function, and it isn't in the web version. Navigation requires a Navi subscription for basic-level navigation and a Plus subscription for voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation.

The Navigate tab and the starting view

Open the route on the map and start navigation from the bottom bar's "Navigate" tab or from the "Navigate" button in the route's viewing view. During navigation the map turns according to your direction of travel and the screen stays on. The instruction banner at the top of the screen shows the coming turn (e.g. "Left", "Sharp right"), the distance to the next turn and the remaining distance. The banner changes colour: the early warning, the turn point and the finish stand out clearly. If you deviate from the route, you get a warning ("Off route" / "Wrong direction") and a notification when you return to the route.

The voice prompts can be chosen at three levels: Silent, Beep (a signal tone) or Speech (spoken turn instructions in Finnish). For Bluetooth headphones you can add a small pre-start delay. During navigation the distance and elapsed time are also shown. You end navigation with the back button or with the "End guidance" option in the actions menu.

A more comprehensive guide to voice-guided navigation can be found in a separate guide.

Ride recording

With the mobile app you can record your own ride as a track — this isn't in the web version. Recording is free (saving to your own tracks requires logging in).

Start recording from the bottom bar's "Record" tab when no route has been opened on the map. Recording uses background positioning, so it continues even if the screen is locked. During recording the distance and time are shown, and the recording can be stopped for a break and continued later.

When you stop recording, you see a summary (distance, average speed, elapsed time) and you can:

• Save: saves the track to your own tracks (requires logging in).
• GPX: saves the track as a GPX file on the device (Navi).
• Share: shares the track via Trailmap.
• Delete: discards the recording.

GPS accuracy can be boosted from the recording settings ("GPS high accuracy"), which uses more battery. The power saving settings (Basic / Maximum), on the other hand, can save battery on longer rides.

Note. Recording or navigation always has to be ended at the end with the "Delete" button! Otherwise the recording state stays on in the paused state, and you can't start a new recording or navigation until you've deleted the old one.

Offline maps

Offline maps are a function of the mobile app's own (Navi), with which you can download a map to your device and use it without a network connection. This is useful in areas that don't have a network.

Open the map settings and choose "Map download". Zoom and move the map so that the area you want fills the screen, choose the accuracy (Basic / Good / Best) and press "Start map download". The download's progress and the storage space used are shown on the screen, and the download can be interrupted. Offline download is supported on the default map (vector map) and the NLS topographic map. The app may also suggest downloading or updating an area automatically as you move about the map.

Downloaded offline maps are managed from the Settings tab under "Offline map". There you can see the storage space the maps use and you can, among other things, update or clear the map cache ("tile cache") or delete only the oldest downloaded areas if your device's storage space is running low.

Routes and collections

The bottom bar's "Routes" tab shows your own route library. Routes can be searched and filtered, and the list is refreshed by pulling downwards. From a route card you can get to viewing and editing the route, starting navigation, sharing the route, exporting the GPX, adding the route to a collection or sending it to a device. With the star marking the route is synced to connected Garmin and Wahoo devices (Plus); note that the device connection is established in the web version.

Without a Plus subscription you can have a maximum of 3 saved routes; after that, additional routes require Plus. Collections are a handy way of grouping routes (e.g. plans for the summer holiday). Creating a new collection is a Plus function, and a collection can also be shared with others.

Tracks

You can import tracks onto the map from GPX and KML files in the GPX section of the "Routes" tab, or by sharing a file from another app to Trailmap. Importing a file onto the map requires a Navi subscription. From the same section you can also fetch another user's shared track with a share code.

The rides you've recorded and the tracks you've imported are found in the "Tracks" tab. A track can be opened on the map, sent to a device or used as the basis for a route ("Convert to route"). Without Plus you can have a maximum of 3 saved tracks.

Note. Viewing Strava activities on the map is a web version function for the time being.

Places and photos

My places (POI) is a Plus function. You can add a new place from the map's "+" quick menu or with a long press on the map ("Add place"). You give the place a name and choose an icon (among them viewpoint, campfire site, shelter, water point, restaurant, accommodation).

A speciality of the mobile app is taking photos with the camera: from the "+" quick menu's camera you can take a photo, in which case the location is saved automatically from the photo's GPS information. After shooting you give the place a name and an icon. If you wish, you can choose "publish as photo", in which case the photo is visible to other users on the map — suitable ones are photos of trails, roads and scenic places.

Map settings

The map settings open from the map button in the bottom left of the map view as a menu rising from the bottom. The settings are mostly the same as in the web version: profile, style (Trailmap / MML / TOPO / Other), sport (MTB / Winter / Gravel), base (default / aerial / background), overlays, property boundaries, depth contours, routes, places, photos, high contrast, map elements and shortcut buttons. You can find detailed descriptions of these in the web version's user guide. The menu additionally has the offline map download.

Unlike in the web version, in the mobile app you can't create your own raster map layers, and it doesn't have OSM mapping tools or the "maps for other apps" function. The ready-made raster maps and overlays are, however, available.

The most important differences from the web version

Briefly gathered together, the mobile app has, differing from the web version: turn-by-turn navigation, ride recording, map turning (compass / direction of travel), keeping the screen on, offline maps and taking photos with the camera as a place. The web version lacks these, but it does have functions that mobile doesn't: creating your own raster maps, OSM mapping tools, establishing device connections (Garmin, Wahoo, Suunto, Strava), viewing Strava activities, and route planning that's smoother on a big screen. You get the best of both by using both: plan your routes with the web version and navigate out in the terrain with the mobile app.