Skip to main content

Navigation by route

🚧 This article is incomplete

This article is incomplete & needs to be reviewed. You can help by creating a pull request.

The navigation function allows you to reach your destination easily using voice guidance (optional).

There are the next navigation profiles by default: Driving, Cycling, Walking, Truck, Motorcycle, Public transport, Boat, Aircraft, Skiing, Horseback riding. Truck, Motorcycle, Aircraft and Horseback riding profiles are switched off by default. You need to activate these profiles.

Navigation screen Android Navigation screen iOS

How to use​

To start the navigation, you need to use the navigation button on the map screen. Or choose navigation option in the main menu:

Android Menu → Navigation

iOS Menu → Navigation

Next, you'll need to set the starting point and the destination. As for the starting point, you can choose your current location, Favorite location, select a point on the map or use an address. You can also set a starting point by long tapping on the map and choosing 'Directions from' in Map Context menu. To navigate to a point, just press the navigation button in its context menu.

Navigation screen select point Android Navigation screen iOS

Tap to From: (your current position by default) or From: for select Start-Finish points of your navigation:

  •  Search - opens the search menu for choosing point.
  •  Address - opens address search menu for choosing point.
  •  My Position - allows to choose Your position for point.
  •  Select on map - opens the map for choosing point by tapping on the map.
  •  Favorites - allows to choose Favorite for point.
  •  Markers - allows to choose Map marker for point.
  •  Swap Starting point and Destination - allows to change Start <-> Finish points.

"Swap Starting point and Destination" and "+" buttons:

  • "Swap Starting point and Destination" - allows to change Start <-> Finish points.
  • "+" - allows to add intermediate points for navigation.

As soon as your points are selected, the app will create a route and will start guiding you after you tap "Start" button.

Navigation screen start Android Navigation screen iOS

When the navigation is running, you can press the home button. You will get the message 'OsmAnd is running in the background'. This means that even if you turn the screen off or exit the active app window, you'll still get voice prompts. For Android versions other than 3.3, we have added the “Turn on screen” option. This allows you to show the map on the lock screen during navigation. Now, this function does not request any permissions for the correct operation. You can use it to save phone power. The function is configured separately for each profile. To configure, you need to select a profile that supports navigation and go to Profile settings - General settings - Screen control and enable the Screen timeout option (move the slider to the ON state - should turn blue).

  •  Sound - allows to switch on/off navigation prompts and to open Voice prompts menu.
  •  Driving style (bicycle..) - allows to choose driving style for bicycle navigation type: Prefer unpaved roads, Prefer byways, Balanced, Shorter routes.
  •  Use elevation data (bicycle..) - allows to avoid strong uphills: Flat, Less hilly, Flat.
  •  Use motorways (bicycle..) - allows to avoid or prefer motorways.
  •  Avoid roads… - allows to select a road you want to avoid during navigation, either on the map.
  •  Show along the route - allows to shows POI, My Favourites, Traffic warnings along the route.
  •  Follow track - allows to choose a track for navigation by it.
  •  Allow private access - allows to navigate to private zone.
  •  Fuel-efficient way - calculates navigation by fuel-efficient algorithm.
  •  Consider temporary limitations - allows to consider temporary limitations.
  •  Navigation settings - opens Navigation settings of app profile.
  •  Customize route line - opens menu of Route line.
  •  Simulate navigation - allows to simulate your navigation.

Home - Work points​

Special points of Favorites in Navigation menu for quickly access.

Previous route​

Last route which you built for navigation.

Displayed tracks​

List of shown track on the map. Clicking by one of it opens Follow track menu function.

History​

Tracks list.

Navigation route Android Navigation route iOS

Details​

Navigation route Android Navigation route iOS

Navigation route Android Navigation route iOS

Navigation route Android Navigation route iOS

Route line appearance​

This menu allows you to adapt the route line appearance. If there are some changes to your route, you can customize them using this menu. Its could be like, changes in elevation while driving, next significant uphill or downhill, ice, unpaved roads, autobahns, etc. In the items of this menu you will be able to change all these parameters by colour or just apply any colour and transparency to the line. Besides, if necessary, you can change the width of the line and the display of the angle at turns.

note
Some parameters you can use only with Pro feature OsmAnd Pro subscribers.

You can find route line menu by following this path:

User profile → Settings → Configure profile → Navigation settings → Customize route line

Navigation route Android

 
Colour
Select a route line's colour by types.

 "Map style" – Map style is used with default colours. You can see a full description of the colours by clicking here Map style
map stule
 "Custom" – It allows you to show the line in any preferred colour and transparency. You can select different settings for the day map and separately for the night map.
custom
 "Altitude" – It shows the height on the route point as green-yellow-red gradient. Where green represents lowest point of the route, yellow - median height points and red the highest points. If the route altitude difference is < 100 m, gradient is applied partially or not applied i.e. for a simple uphill route from 100 m to 150 m - the gradient will be green-yellow. Please note that the colour doesn't represent the absolute height value.
Altitude
 "Slope" – The route line will be colored differently depending on the elevation profile of the route. Slope
Altitude
 "Road type" – Colour the route or the track line according to the road classification. Road style
Altitude
 "Surface" – Provides information about the physical surface of the road/footpath. Surface
Altitude
 "Smoothness" – Classification of maneuverability of roads/footpaths for wheeled vehicles, particularly with regard to surface regularity/flatness. Smoothness
Altitude
 "Winter and ice roads" – Colouring the route or track line according to the winter road classification. Winter and ice roads
Altitude
 "Surface firmness" – Colouring the route or track line by surface composition. Typically used when the road network is largely unpaved. Surface firmness
Altitude
 "Difficulty of horse trails" – Render paths according to difficulty of horse trails.
Altitude

 
Width
Select a route line's width.

"Map style" – It's used with default width. You can see a full description of the map style by clicking there Map style
map style map stule
"Thin width / Medium width / Bold width" – You can choose the width of the line according to the width of the road or highlight the line of the route on the map more strongly.
width width
"Custom" – It allows you to show the line in some preferred width. Select the width using the slider.
custom custom

 
Turn Arrows
Select whether turn arrows are indicated on the route line or not.

Altitude Altitude
Altitude Altitude

Type of navigation​

Navigation type is rules how the route will be calculated. This rules content in routing.xml file for offline OsmAnd routing. For Android version of OsmAnd there is an opportunity to set Online routing by providers.

Custom routing​

Link to Tech Documentation

Background navigation​

Navigation instruction in the background mode.

Sound​

Voice prompts in backgroun during navigation. Voice navigation.

Notification​

Notification info: Turn-by-turn instructions; arrows; arrival time and time to go, current speed.

Navigation route Notification Android

Buttons:

  •  Stop - allows to stop your navigation.
  •  Pause - allows to pause your navigation.
  •  Resume - allows to resume your navigation.

Turn on screen​

Android Menu → Configure profile → General settings → Screen control

 Screen timeout:

  •  Use system screen timeout - the screen will go blank depending on the device settings.
  •  Timeout after wake-up - if the previous setting is disabled, then you can set the time after which the device screen will go blank if you do not interact with it.

 Turn screen on. Select screen wake-up options (make sure OsmAnd is in the foreground when the device is being locked):

  •  Proximity sensor - waving your hand across the screen will turn it on.
  •  Navigation instructions - each navigation instruction will turn the screen on.
  •  Power button - pressing the device power button will turn the screen on with OsmAnd on top of the lock screen.