I’ve been trying to get Viewranger working, but can’t even find out how to buy a maps upgrade without giving googlepay my cc details
Also failing to download maps
Have searched for videos but the only ones I can find are execrable Viewranger ones where they play some funky godawful music instead of having a voiceover to actually explain what they are doing.

Any recommendations for a better mapping app, or decent bids for VR

Sounds like user error 😉 how can you make a payment without a CC?

absolutely no problems here, great app, I am using an iPhone though!

I use the ordnance survey app. 20 odd quid a year. Had no issues and works off line too.

ViewRanger on Android here. Tap on the map overlay button top right of the map, either tap the OS map (marked premium) or ‘more maps’. You can take your pick from there.

I use the OS map tiles and just get the area I’m in. As long as I have signal, can download them on the fly. Once downloaded they’re local on the phone.

But you will need to enter credit card details?

For the OS map tiles, you buy credit which I think you can purchase outside of the app here

https://my.viewranger.com/shop/category/credits#

The new OS App is brilliant , 23 quid a year

Viewranger is a really solid maps app, never had it let me down in use. Login in to Viewranger, buy credit and you can download stuff quickly as needed.

I also have the OS app to use the codes on paper maps. It’s mega glitchy, not something I’d want to rely on. It seems to really struggle offline even with maps fully downloaded.

Ok. So a couple of votes for OS but also 1’person that says it sucks. Hmmmmm

Any more?

ViewRanger! Excellent.

Have a look at Backcountry Navigator.

If you can’t get viewranger to work, it’s the easiest app ever, maybe you shouldn’t be allowed outside. 😀😂

Used to use Viewranger but find iprefer Gaia GPS now.

MemoryMap

Ok. So a couple of votes for OS but also 1’person that says it sucks. Hmmmmm

Have a look at the reviews for the latest version in the play store, it’s not just me. I’m running it on a Galaxy S10 with up to date Android. It’s unusably bad in the field. I’ve got so many paper maps with codes it’s worth having but would be raging if I paid extra for it.

can’t even find out how to buy a maps upgrade without giving googlepay my cc details

Easy. Buy an iPhone, install ViewRanger, then give Apple your credit card details. You’re welcome 😉

Am I missing something, or are you actually asking how to make a payment without giving any payment details?

OS Maps user here. I use it as a back up for a paper map or if I’m riding locally and forgot to take the map because I know where I’m going….

Never experienced the glitchiness referred to above even on a much cheaper phone.

Last used about 3 weeks ago.

I have a couple of maps downloaded and I sometimes download custom maps and have very few issues.

If you’re out somewhere where a minor glitch matters that much you should have a paper map and compass and know how to use them anyway.

I like ViewRanger, but not the subscription version. I spent £20 on tiles credit several years ago and still haven’t used it all. I have most of the Peak (at least, the important bits), and whatever lakes/wales I need for when I visit. Perhaps they’ve made this option more expensive – like everything they’re pushing the subscription option hard.

IMO you’d have to visit an insane number of places for £23/yr to be cost-effective.

OS maps user (iPhone) don’t begrudge £20 a year for the whole of the UK and tbh it just works and I’ve not experienced any glitchyness. I rarely use it to follow tracked routes I just use it just like a paper map to see where I am and where I’m going, when I have followed a pre planned route it’s been fine and worked splendid. If I want to follow a pre planned route these days, I use WorkOutDoors on my Watch witch is awesome once you’ve configured the many options how you want.

Viewranger all the way. Like others have said, load up some credit and just buy the tiles as you need them. Keep an eye on their offers as well – I bought the all of the UK National parks at 1:25 for something like £25 a few years ago.

Big advantage over the OS (and possibly others) is that you can also buy the French IGN maps.

Only real issue we have is route planing on a laptop with a touch screen.

Bobby…

If you can’t get viewranger to work, it’s the easiest app ever, maybe you shouldn’t be allowed outside. 😀😂

Fair point. I’d like to think I’m actually reasonably competent outside, but you’re correct that I am a useless choob with technology😫

Am I missing something, or are you actually asking how to make a payment without giving any payment details?

I’m happy to give Viewranger my payment details but deeply don’t want to give them to Google pay as it would be too easy for them to charge me for loads of other stuff. Until somebody’s very useful post somewhere above the only purchase methods I could find were vie Google pay. ( Cos I’m a technophobe/choob)

I must say that you’re all being exceedingly patient and helpful to me despite my blatant inadequacies.😀. Many thanks.

( I’m guessing now would be a bad time to say that I’m hoping to try a 100km + loop in the Cairngorms tomorrow) never fear, I will be taking my trusty paper map with me.

I’ve used view ranger a lot and like it a lot. Just discovered a glitch that when in battery saver mode it won’t centre on current location without closing and restarting the App. Otherwise, it’s brilliant and free maps have been enough detail for me.

Assuming you have an account for ViewRanger, you can log in from any browser and buy some credits which will then show up in the app (when you’ve logged in to that too).

No need to give your CC details to Google 🙂

Link here:

https://my.viewranger.com/shop/category/credits

ViewRanger on iOS. It works. Very well.

Just spent a week on my own in the van with Viewranger as a guide for trails from west, mid and south wales. No worries here. Links to my smart watch on the maps good too. Use nothing else!

In fact OP, best you change the title, its not shit.

Ok, do I’ve got VR open, and I’ve subscribed to maps for a month and am trying to get it show me where I am on a map. But I can’t see how to do that.

How do I do it?

Thank god for the internet, found it. And indeed myself.

Like Colournoise said. Back country navigator. One off payment, all the OS maps at every scale, just about every equivalent for overseas as well included. Pop an SD card in your phone and download the whole lot for offline use. Perfect. Or pay the same amount for OS maps each year and pull all your hair out.

Am I right in thinking you can’t put OS maps on a Garmin?

You can/could get OS 1:50 maps for Garmins but they are pretty fuzzy to look at.

Or pay the same amount for OS maps each year and pull all your hair out.

24 Munro’s this year using OS app, I’ve no hair to pull out though. 😃

I like it, can use it on 2 devices too, good to have a back up, and good for printing maps off too.

Used to spend a fortune in paper maps, 20 quid a year doesn’t bother me, see it almost like a donation to keep OS going tbh.

Backcountry Navigator here too. One off cost, download the area you need as before you go.

And I make GPX files on plotaroute then download them to my phone. All very easy and I’m crap with technology.

This may already have been mentioned, and it’s pretty obvious anyway. But if you’re going anywhere without mobile data then just take screenshots of the relevant map tiles so you can access them come what may. It’s worked for me before

No need for mobile data, download map to phone from OS App, it’s them offline, you can even switch to flight mode, it’ll still show your position on map.

A lot better in zero visibility to actually know where you are, than guessing from a screenshot.

Use View Ranger with OS nearly every ride as I like exploring and checking out potential trails and routes. Works really well and accurate. What I like more than anything though is the Skyline function which is great on places like Dartmoor for hill and Tor spotting. Has helped improve my local knowledge no end.

I’ve been with back country navigator for 8-10 years, I’ve sampled others but BCN has just always been everything I want (one off cost for app, down to 1:25k OS maps, save areas to your phone memory for off grid). I was happy to go over to the OS app if it was better even at extra cost but over the years feedback on here has always suggested OS app isn’t perfect and/or worth the extra cost. BCN also had detailed maps for Spain (and other regions) when we needed them a few years ago. ie walking Bernia Ridge with Mugboo above^ a few years ago.

Walking! That wasn’t walking ya Nana 😉

+1 ViewRanger here 🙂

Bought the whole of the UK at 1:50,000 a few years ago for £100, have it downloaded so no connection needed for maps.

ALso great for route planning on Ipad Pro with Pencil, sync across devices and download to Garmin, off you go.

+1 for ViewRanger here too.

I have tons of both 1:50,000 and in certain areas 1:25,000 maps on my iPhone.
Use it pretty regularly, super easy, very reliable.

Viewranger’s brilliant & if I can use it anyone can.
Never let me down & always (up to now) tells me where I am even when there’s no phone signal. If I’m going local (IE somewhere you can’t get into bother)It’s all I take nowadays. (If I was going well out of the way I’d take a map, compass & something to give me a grid ref, like my Garmin Etrex.)
The tiles are a great idea!

Another Viewranger user here. Signed up fairly recently and love it. Seems good value, easy to plot routes and the whole UK at 1:25k on OS maps for a couple of quid more than the OS subscription. In theory I could download the whole UK at 1:25K in the first year and then go to the cheap sub.