GPS Essentials vVARY

mictale.com

Contains ads • In-app purchases

About this app

GPS Essentials solves the problem of complex navigation by offering a comprehensive set of GPS tools, making it an ideal solution for outdoor enthusiasts, travelers, and professionals who require precise location data. The app benefits from a large user base, with over 5 million downloads, and a generally positive rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars. Compared to other apps in the Travel And Local category, GPS Essentials stands out with its wide range of features, but may fall short in terms of its user interface, which some users find cluttered. The app's unique selling point is its versatility, earning it the nickname 'the Swiss army knife of GPS navigation'.

Pros

With over 5 million downloads and a 3.6-star rating, GPS Essentials has established a strong reputation and social proof, indicating a reliable and useful tool for navigation needs.
The app's feature set is extensive, covering various aspects of GPS navigation, making it a one-stop solution for users who require multiple tools, thus increasing its value proposition.
The developer, mictale.com, provides a professional website and contact email, suggesting a commitment to customer support and transparency, which is reassuring for users.
GPS Essentials offers both free and paid features, allowing users to choose their level of investment, and the in-app purchases are reasonably priced, ranging from $5.49 to $10.99 per item.
The app's ability to function without requiring any permissions is a significant advantage, as it ensures user data privacy and security, a critical concern in today's digital landscape.

Cons

One of the primary concerns with GPS Essentials is its monetization model, which includes ads and in-app purchases, potentially leading to a cluttered user interface and an incentive for the developer to prioritize revenue over user experience.
Some users may find the app's interface overwhelming due to the multitude of features, which could lead to a steep learning curve and decreased usability for less tech-savvy individuals.
The lack of information on the app's update frequency and the 'Varies with device' Android requirement might raise concerns about compatibility and the app's ability to keep up with the latest Android versions and security patches.
Despite its extensive feature set, GPS Essentials might not offer the same level of polish or simplicity as some of its competitors, potentially deterring users who prefer more streamlined navigation apps.

Best for: The ideal user for GPS Essentials is an outdoor enthusiast or professional, such as a hiker, cyclist, or surveyor, who requires precise and versatile GPS tools for navigation, and is willing to invest time in learning the app's features to maximize its potential, regardless of their age but likely with a medium to high level of technical skill.

Developer Description

The Swiss army knife of GPS navigation!

The most complete GPS tool available: Navigate, manage waypoints, tracks, routes, build your own dashboard from 45 widgets.

❧❧❧❧❧ Dashboard ❧❧❧❧❧
Shows navigation values such as: Accuracy, Altitude, Speed, Battery, Bearing, Climb, Course, Date, Declination, Distance, ETA, Latitude, Longitude, Max Speed, Min Speed, Actual Speed, True Speed, Sunrise, Sunset, Moonset, Moonrise, Moon Phase, Target, Time, TTG, Turn.

❧❧❧❧❧ Compass ❧❧❧❧❧
Show the orientation of the earth's magnetic field, shows an arbitrary tracking angle and the current target. Also a marine orienteering compass.

❧❧❧❧❧ Tracks ❧❧❧❧❧
Record tracks and view them on map. Export KML files and import into Google Maps, Google Earth and others.

❧❧❧❧❧ Routes ❧❧❧❧❧
Manage routes and view them on map. Import KML files from Google Maps, Google Earth and others. Create turn-by-turn instructions between waypoints.

❧❧❧❧❧ Camera ❧❧❧❧❧
A camera HUD (heads-up display) view to show your waypoints, take pictures and share them.

❧❧❧❧❧ Map ❧❧❧❧❧
A map to show your waypoints. Convert mail addresses of your contacts to waypoint so that they can be used within the app.

Supports Google Maps, MapQuest, OpenStreetMap and others.

Supports Google Maps v2: Indoor Maps, Traffic, Buildings, Satellite and Terrain layers and map rotation.

❧❧❧❧❧ Waypoints ❧❧❧❧❧
A list of all your waypoints with export and import (KML, KMZ, GPX and LOC format).

❧❧❧❧❧ Satellites ❧❧❧❧❧
A sky view of the current positions that shows satellites in view.

❧❧❧❧❧ Features ❧❧❧❧❧
Supported position formats: UTM, MGRS, OSGB, Degree-Minute-Second, Degree-Minute-Fractions, Decimal, Mils. Supports over 230 datums.

Waypoints, routes and tracks can be exported as KML or GPX files and sent by email or uploaded to Google Docs or DropBox.

Please open the web page below for more info, send me emails for support. I CANNOT HELP IF YOU SIMPLY PLACE A COMMENT HERE.

Purchase the "GPS Essentials Donation Plugin" on Android Market if you want to support development.

The latest beta release is available on the Google Play Beta channel. Try out the latest features and help us improve GPS Essentials!

THIS APP WILL SHOW ADVERTISING. IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM INSTALLING/UPDATING.

GPS Essentials is not affiliated with any political party nor with any other organization mentioned in the ads, and it has no connection with any economic interests. If you don't like the ads, please contact AdMob.

WHAT ARE THE PERMISSIONS GOOD FOR?

✓ Coarse/Fine/Background location: To access network locations and GPS
✓ Full internet access: To read map tiles, send bug reports
✓ Modify/delete USB storage contents: To write waypoints, tracks and images onto the SD card
✓ Read phone state and identity: To tag pictures with the device ID (can be switched off in settings)
✓ Take pictures and videos: Camera HUD, take pictures
✓ Your accounts: Required to run Google Maps v2

Privacy

Given that GPS Essentials does not require any permissions, it poses minimal risk to user data privacy and security, making it a safe choice for those concerned about data collection. However, users should still be cautious when using any GPS service, as location data can be sensitive. To further protect your privacy, consider reviewing the app's terms of service and understanding how your data might be used, even if the app itself does not collect it.

Tips

To get the most out of GPS Essentials, start by exploring its various features to understand what each tool offers, as the app can be overwhelming at first glance. For optimal performance, ensure your device's GPS is calibrated and that you have a clear view of the sky when using the app outdoors. Additionally, consider purchasing the ad-free version or specific in-app features to enhance your user experience and support the developer.

What's New

Fixes crash when rotating satellite view

In-app purchases

$5.49 - $10.99 per item

Version Information

Version: -
Downloads: 5M+
Updated on: Feb 24, 2025
Released: Feb 1, 2026
Requires: Android Varies with device

Statistics

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GPS Essentials - Google Play Rankings

Rank	Country	Category	List	Change
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No ranking data available yet. Rankings are updated daily.

#43 in Top Grossing Travel And Local in Indonesia

#42

FlightAware Flight Tracker

#43

GPS Essentials

#44

Port Guide & Distance

GPS Essentials users say on Google Play

★★★★★

R Thomas

App is easy to configure. Lots of options. Highly recommend to anyone who walks, hikes, bikes, goes offroad, etc. Have happily used it for several years. Give it a try.

★★★★

Kris Buelens

The exported GPX tracks are not OK anymore (V4.5.20). But the fix is easy Simply change <rtept into <trkpt and change </rtept into </trkpt After that, all is well again. (as an old IBM mainframe specialist, I created a REXX script to do these changes for me. If the script were in a more common language, I'd include it here) (without this bug, I'd give it 5*)

★★★

Andrew Smithies

This has been such a good tool for recording where I've been. Seriously though to the developers.... What is required so can export a WHOLE ROUTE to a .gpx or .kml or anything!? It used to work. I miss it a lot! Otherwise would be 5 star

★★

Jim Carriere

I just tried the "tracks" function for the first time in a couple years, but I see they never got around to fixing it. It just draws a single straight line between two points but doesn't actually record anything in between while you've got the screen of your phone turned off and your phone in your pocket. lol thanks

★

Charles Johnson

Disappointed. 90% of the time, it cannot locate satellites (even with location service permissions enabled). Other GPS tracker apps on my pho6have no problems finding satellites. A real shame, this was previously an amazing app, but is now unreliable