Global settings
This article is incomplete & needs to be reviewed. You can help by creating a pull request.
Overviewβ
Global settings are general settings for all profiles in the OsmAnd application. These are the basic settings for the OsmAnd system and all changes made will affect the entire application.
- Android
- iOS
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings
Generalβ
This section contains the basic settings of OsmAnd, such as selecting a profile when the application loads, language selection and the folder in which the data will be saved.
Default profileβ
OsmAnd uses the default profile, Browse map, as the first profile for new users and also if this profile has been selected by the user to be used each time the application is restarted. You can choose any profile, Last used and Browse map too, from the list as default.
Last used - selects the profile that was last used.
Default profile - You select the profile that will be used when starting OsmAnd. Can be changed in the application settings.
- Android
- iOS
CarPlay profileβ
This profile is only available for iOS. It uses your car's audio and video systems to display its data on your phone.
- Android
- iOS
Display languageβ
Display language option is used to change the language of the entire app, including pop-up prompts, internal text, messages, etc. Up to Android 12, OsmAnd allows you to customize the display language according to your preferences directly within the app. Starting from Android 13 and for iOS devices, display language can be only changed in the system settings (see how to change per-app language preferences in Android and iOS).
- Android
- iOS
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β Display language
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd maps β Language
On some Android devices (Xiaomi with Muiu 14), there is no way to set app languages individually in the system settings, so the language of OsmAnd can only be changed together with the language of the whole system. You may consider referring to the GitHub discussion for additional information.
Data storage folderβ
Read more about storage settings here.
- Android
- iOS
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β Data storage folder
For the iOS system, we can not do any manipulation of the storage folder. We can only find out how much memory OsmAnd uses.
iOS device β Settings β General β iPhone storage β OsmAnd Maps
OsmAnd files are visible in the "Files" application. To access all tracks, custom routing and rendering files, follow this path:
Files β On My Phone β OsmAnd Maps
More info about data storage settings read here.
Map rendering engineβ
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β Map rendering engine
In the Android version of the app, you can switch between map rendering Version 1, originally implemented in the OsmAnd app, and Version 2, which uses the OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) programming interface for rendering two- and three-dimensional graphical objects. The iOS version uses only OpenGL for map rendering.
| Features | Version 1 | Version 2 (OpenGl) |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-platform | Not used in iOS version. | Fits both versions. |
| GPU / CPU dependent | Recommended for low-performance or outdated devices. | Powerful rendering engine. Only available for OsmAnd 4.3 and later versions, and in test mode for OsmAnd 4.2. |
| 3D mode | It is possible to view the map in 2D, and you can change the viewing angle to get a 3D view. | You can view the map in 2D and 3D. |
| Map display | The whole map is rendered as a set of tiles, and markers, lines and text are already inside these tiles. | First, the entire tile pack is rendered, and then the available symbols are applied to the map, layer by layer. |
| Transparent symbols overlay / underlay | Supports all settings. | Does not support raster layer on top of vector text. |
| Online map | It does not support the display of Π‘ontour lines if the map source is any online tile map. | When the map source is an online map, 3D maps are also used, and the display of Π‘ontour lines on the map is supported. |
| Weather plugin | You cannot use this plugin. | Convenient to use with the plugin. |
The image for the 3D view of the map is loaded tile by tile, then all the symbols. The rendering speed of the map depends on the number of 2D and 3D graphical objects on it, and directly on the performance of your hardware. Therefore, Version 2 (OpenGL) cannot be used on low-performance devices.
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Privacy and securityβ
OsmAnd allows you to choose whether or not to share your activity in the app, the ability to edit your history and use the proxy (Android only) of your choice.
For more information see OsmAnd privacy and security policy.
Analyticsβ
Analytics (Android) or Send anonymous data (iOS) - this setting allows you the choice whether or not to provide anonymous data about Downloaded Maps and Visited Screens (Android).
Data about your location or the places you view on the map is not collected.
- Android
- iOS
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β Analytics
Identifiersβ
A UUID (Unique User Identifier) is generated for each installation of the OsmAnd application and sent to the servers during map loading. A random UUID is used to download offline maps from OsmAnd servers to control rational use of server resources, predict traffic usage, and provide general monthly reports on map downloads. The UUID changes every 3 months.
Starting with OsmAnd version 4.3, you can disable the collection of user data when using the OsmAnd app. Then the UUID will not be sent with any download request.
You can read more information in the Terms of use (ToS).
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β Privacy and security β Identifiers
Historyβ
The application records the history of previously entered data (history) in the following categories: Search, Navigation, Map markers. Using the switch on the appropriate tab (Search history, Navigation history, Map markers history), you can enable/disable logging for this category of entries. You can also manage (view, delete, and share) previously recorded data.
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β History
- Android
- iOS
- Backup as file (Android) or Export (iOS) - is used to make a backup file of your Search / Navigation / Map markers history.
- Clear all history (Android) or Delete all history (iOS) - is used to delete all history entries recorded untill now.
History optionsβ
You can delete one or more items from the history list or share them as a file (to access these functions in iOS, tap Edit button).
To delete or export multiple records at once, mark checkboxes in front of the desired records and then tap Export or Delete buttons.
- Android
- iOS
Proxyβ
Proxy - this setting allows you to configure a HTTP proxy for all network requests. You can set the Proxy Host and Proxy Port.
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β Proxy
Otherβ
In this section of the OsmAnd settings, you can configure the notifications you receive, the location service, and how your application settings are saved.
Dialogs and notificationsβ
- Android
- iOS
Dialogs and notifications - this setting allows you to turn on/off pop-ups, dialogs and notifications. This is the Start-up message and the Download map dialog (for example, a promotion, a quiz, an event, etc.).
Do not show promotions - this setting allows you to turn on/off pop-ups, dialogs and notifications. This is the Start-up message and the Download map dialog (for example, a promotion, a quiz, an event, etc.).
Location sourceβ
OsmAnd provides you with a choice of services to determine your location.
- Android
- iOS
You can choose which Google Play or "Android API" services OsmAnd will use to determine your location. This can be useful for devices without Google Play services or in case of inaccurate location or altitude data when recording tracks.
OsmAnd receives data from the resources Google Fused Location Providers and Android GPS and Network Providers.
You can switch Location source in: Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β Location source.
The iOS system uses the iOS API to determine location.
All settings for OsmAnd Location can be found in iOS Settings: Settings β OsmAnd maps β Location
Privacy of Location services: Settings β Privacy β Location Services
Auto-backupβ
Android or OsmAnd Cloud can save your data and app settings.
By default, the Android system backs up your OsmAnd settings and Favorites map markers so you can restore them on new devices or after reinstalling. The size of this backup is limited to 25MB.
If you are using OsmAnd Cloud, it is best to disable this feature to avoid misunderstandings after reinstallation.
Legalβ
OsmAnd can warn you about speed cameras, but only if the laws in your country permit it.
Uninstall speed cameraβ
- Android
- iOS
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β Legal β Uninstall speed cameras
Menu β Settings β OsmAnd settings β Legal β Uninstall speed cameras
This setting allow you to activate or deactivate the speed cameras' POI. You will need to restart the OsmAnd application to apply the changes.
In some countries or regions, using speed camera warning applications is illegal. You must make a choice depending on the laws in your country. Select Keep active, and you will receive speed camera alerts and notifications. Select Uninstall and all data related to speed cameras, such as warnings, notifications, and POIs, will be deleted until you completely reinstall OsmAnd.
Read about alerts for speed cameras on your route in the article Navigation widgets in the Alert widget section.