The comed cartography app, tovovan/getty image.
Each month, Google sends me a report on my trips, and I must say that I am not a fan. In fact, the idea that Google follows me everywhere, via Maps, bothers me. This is not the only problem I encounter with the Maps application. It seems that each time I have to use the app, the battery of my Pixel 9 Pro is empty faster than when I use any other app.
These two problems alone are enough to make me doubt the reason why I use such an app.
This is why, when I heard about comes, I immediately wanted to know what it was.
Comaps is an organic maps fork, which means that it has a fairly long story (Organic Maps was based on Mapswithme, which turned into maps.me). Mapswithme was a first attempt to introduce the concept of open source in the cartographic space and used OpenStreetMap data. Mapswithme was bought in 2014 by the Maps.ru group and was part of the My.com brand.
Comaps is an open-source cartographic application available for Android and iOS.
Comaps characteristics
- Research and planning of offline routes (with or without network connection).
- Less battery consumption than Google Maps.
- No identification of people, no follow -up and no data collection.
- Free and without advertising.
- Routes guided by voice.
- Access to Wikipedia items and offline metro plans.
- Possibility to mark and record places.
- Management of export and import of data (in KML, KMZ and GPX formats).
- An integrated card editor (which improves OpenStreeMap data).
Comaps is a community, open-source and transparent application, whose developers do not seek to make profits. The application is relatively recent, having arrived on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store around July 3, but it is already very functional and is an excellent substitute for Google Maps.
However, there are notable differences between Comaps and Google Maps.
The differences between Google Maps and Comaps
The first major difference is that you need to download cards for the places you need. This has several immediate advantages:
- It is possible to use offline comes.
- You don’t waste storage space with cards you don’t need.
- Comaps has a special outdoor mode, designed for hiking and cycling.
This last mode displays hiking trails, points of interest, campsites and places where you can find cool water.
There are a ton of cards to download, so there is a good chance that your region will be included. To download a card, touch the menu button with three horizontal lines at the bottom of the main page and touch Download cards. On the displayed page, press +locate and press the card you want, then press Download the card.
Downloading the cards is easy and makes it possible to ensure that it is not necessary to have a network connection to use the application. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Once you have downloaded the card (s) you need, there is nothing more to do. You can start using Comaps as you would with Google Maps. You can even get automated routes, just as you would in the Google application. In fact, once you have downloaded the necessary cards, Comaps works very similar to Google Maps.
Comaps is as easy to use as Google Maps. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
You may have to modify a parameter. By default, Comaps uses kilometers as a measurement unit. If you want to switch to miles, press the button Menu and go in Parameters > Measurement units and press Miles in the contextual window.
Comaps has become my default mapping application, and I found it much more suited to my needs (especially my request for confidentiality). I am convinced that if you have the same concern for confidentiality, you will really appreciate this application and will also make your choice.
You can install Comaps from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
Source : “ZDNet.com”