Offline Map Data

How does the meshtastic app “enable offline map” function work? Does it download an offline map? There’s no indication it does so, and I don’t know whether it can therefore be trusted offline. Do you need to enable that before leaving internet connectivity? Will it stop working at some point if you leave a specific area? I’m on an iPhone, but also curious about Android. Going snowbiking today with some nodes–really need some clarity on this! Thanks

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Great question!
For Meshtasic to be fully useful in a cell/internet denied environment there needs to be some type of offline maps.

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Are you saying that with in the Meshtastic app there is an “enable off line maps” function? If so I have not found it.

Apple recently added an offline line map download option, letting you save areas for offline line use.

The Meshtastic app seems to be using Apple Maps, but does not use the offline Apple Maps as best I can tell.

Please someone prove me wrong! With out offline maps the GPS functionality is very limited.

Yes, on the iPhone app there is a “enable offline maps” slider. However, it does not indicate anything about downloading maps. And the how-to guide here doesn’t seem to apply to the latest iterations of the app or the “QGIS” app: Apple Application Usage | Meshtastic

The app the meshtastic how-to links to called QGIS to create the .mbtiles has seemingly moved on from the function described.

I was on a Search a few days ago and handed out a few mesh radios for testing. In the very steep Ventana wilderness we were able to get a lot of messages through. The official off grid work was done through the National Guard Nanos, but even those were spotty.

If the offline maps and CalTopo integration could be refined this product could be real tool for emergency services.

By the way, where is the off line maps slider?