Built for the places without bars
GPS doesn't need the internet — and a good GPS app shouldn't either. NomadTracks records, navigates and shows your custom maps with the radio off: no signal in the canyon, none in the fjord, none in Khaudum National Park. No NomadTracks account is required. Diagnostic and usage data may be sent when the device is online; your recorded tracks and imported maps stay in your own library.
What works offline (everything that matters)
Recording with full elevation data. Your previously loaded tracks and POIs. Every georeferenced custom map, because they're stored on-device. Live stats, the compass, coordinates, distance measurement. The only things that need a network are downloading fresh basemap tiles and syncing.
No account. No ads. No analytics brokers.
There is nothing to sign up for. Your library lives on your devices and syncs through your own private iCloud (or your Dropbox or Synology NAS). Your library files are separate from diagnostic and usage data processed to operate and improve the app.
The offline map trick
Generic offline maps cost subscriptions. Your own maps don't: georeference the paper or PDF map of your destination once, and you carry a perfect offline map of exactly the area you need.
Battery reality
A full hiking day records comfortably on one iPhone charge with the screen mostly off — or leave the phone in the pack entirely and record from the Apple Watch.
Related
FAQ
Does GPS work in airplane mode?
Yes — GPS is receive-only and works with the radios off. Recording in airplane mode is also a great battery saver.
Will I see a map with no signal?
Already-viewed basemap areas are cached, and your custom maps are fully stored on the device — those render with zero connectivity.
Is my location data ever uploaded to NomadTracks servers?
No. There are no NomadTracks servers holding user data. Sync goes through your own iCloud, Nextcloud, Synology or Dropbox — all under your accounts.
Will a full day of recording drain the battery?
A full-day recording is designed to be battery-friendly, and airplane mode helps further since GPS is receive-only. For the longest days give NomadTracks the "Always" location permission on iPhone, or Location set to "Allow all the time" plus "Unrestricted" battery usage on Android, so the system does not suspend it mid-track.
Why does a track have gaps, or stop early?
Almost always the system put the app to sleep. Check the permissions above; several Android manufacturers (Xiaomi, Oppo, Realme, Samsung) additionally need NomadTracks whitelisted in their own battery manager. GPS accuracy itself dips in narrow valleys, dense forest and between tall buildings — the short zigzags that causes are normal and can be trimmed in the track editor.