OS Maps
OS Maps is highly detailed mapping data, embedded in an app that’s designed to help you navigate Great Britain without restrictions.
Whether you choose to download and use the free version of OS Maps or you choose to upgrade and subscribe to enjoy the full features and mapping, we’ll give you (and your friends or family) access to everything you love about the outdoors – via your handheld device, or by logging in to your online account.
With OS Maps in your hand, we’ll guide you and let you know if you’re going off course. It’s reliable, friendly and easy-on-the-eye, so it’s an ideal map app for walkers and ramblers: runners and cyclists will benefit from future features, too.
GO FURTHER WITH OS You’ll recognise all the familiar map symbols and icons you’re used to seeing on our paper maps. And we've made sure OS Map’s digital labels, screens and menus are easy to read and use, both at night as well as during the day:
• Choose the right map – switch between standard or aerial views, check out ‘night vision’ maps too
• Switch between 1:50 000 (Landranger) and 1:25 000 (Explorer) (subscription version)
• View all your downloaded OS Explorer and OS Landranger map areas offline
• Take your mobile device out and about with you in town and country – explore the nation
• Create new routes, see your route appear as you record it
NAVIGATE MORE EASILY Once you’ve purchased a printed map and redeemed the unique code, you can download your map tile and save it for future reference in ‘My Maps’ on your device. That means you’ll have access to the map any and everywhere, 24/7, even if your device has no internet connection:
• Personalise, edit and name your route
• Check out the terrain before you start travelling
• Track changes in elevation as you create and plot your route
• … and as we update OS Maps, you’ll be the first to access even more features.
Category : Travel & Local
Reviews (21)
The map does not load when I open the app. I can go to My Routes and it will load one of my previously recorded routes. Now it won't save a route I have managed to record. Think I need to uninstall it and reinstall, but will I lose my recorded routes, and will it recognise that I have paid this years subscription so I can reinstall it. Nog doing what it should be. Help!
It's getting better. The splash screen is really annoying and can 'hang' a while, sometimes indefinitely, requiring you to force stop the app (seems to do it longer when mobile signal is weak). Would love to see a feature where you can 'follow' members and get notifications on new routes added.
Been looking for a digital walking/hiking map app for a while and after trying others settled for this one. Played with free version then, after watching OS how-to-use-it video on YouTube, upgraded. App is so easy to navigate. Can't wait to really put it to the test in next few weeks. Highly recommended.
Recent update to give a running total of the distance travelled completes this app for me. Use it all the time and especially useful when paths aren't marked to know exactly where you are. There are times I'd be lost without it. The ascent figure still seems off though.
Fantastic app. Great for exploring, adventuring, hiking. Literally the only fault is you can't rotate the map, but this is only a minor issue as the arrow does respknd to the direction you're facing. Anyone with common sense will be able to work out which way they are facing and where they need to go! Another point to note for developers, quite possibly could be slightly out of date now for the latest road and path updates, so not sure if this needs to be looked at, but fantastic app regardless.
Gone down from 5 stars. This used to be a great app for keeping tabs on the total miles walked which is especially useful when on a walking challenge. The mapping is much better than other apps I've used. However since the last update I have noticed that it runs down my phone battery really quickly, which isn't so great. I don't need the timer function, and wanted to turn this off as I don't think that is helping the battery issue but there appears to be no option for doing this.
Unless I keep the app open all the time it will not record a route properly, I just get a straight line from one point to the next, not the route taken. Why won't the map point in the direction I'm walking, it should rotate to the direction I'm going. Used to use viewranger which was excellent, this is a very poor alternative. Planning a route is pretty much impossible on a phone, has to be done on a pc and then synced.
I am and have been a premium user for a few years, when it works, it's great. However it has become increasingly slow and often will simply fail to locate where I am. I tend to use my last mobile phone as my OS GPS phone running the app with no sim card in the phone, downloading maps and updates on WiFi, like I said, when it works, great, don't know if that's the problem, my "phone" seems to run fine but I like to keep that safe in my pac. Really disappointed.
Awful. It's a buggy app with lots of potential but its pitfalls make it unusable. Not a single route I created, nor map I downloaded, was visible when I went 'off-grid'. A mapping app intended for hikers which doesn't work off-line is not only utterly useless, it's also potentially dangerous if someone has to rely on it. I strongly urge people to avoid this app if your intended route takes you out of range of cellphone masts. I've also had numerous issues with buggy route plotting features
Simple app, lacking the basics like a scale and the ability to rotate the map on the screen. No information during an active route. Very very basic and not worth paying for. Even with downloaded maps it appears to need an Internet connection. Definitely not something I'd place any reliance on whilst walking.
Have downloaded offline maps ok in the past but today had multiple "failed to download" messages after apparently a few MBs were downloaded with no explanation given. Gave up in the end. WiFi was fine and storage available. Also, like others, I often find zooming in and out of maps - including downloaded maps - to be very clunky and often leads to app freezing. UPDATE. Just updated app, it still fails to download offline maps and has also deleted the maps I had previously, aarghh!!!
I've deleted my old review as this App has improved significantly in my eyes. Creating routes is a simple task, and they're easy to follow. Being to zoom in is really handy to pick out small features. My only real criticism is there is no option to export to the local device. I have to export to Google drive first and then download it from there if I want to use the GPX on another app
Having come back to this app, I find it working better than I remember. As an ex-Viewranger user, there are still so many features that they should and could add to make it the best. For instance: - you can view public routes on the map and yet you can only view your own as a list. - the central arrow is very small. How about having it extend as you start walking so that you can see your direction of travel. - why can't I follow a route in reverse. - too much clutter on the screen.
Like a lot of people, looking for a replacement for viewranger. So far unimpressed. Finally got the app working. Again. Tbh I'd thought I'd got it working before - I've redeemed paper maps on it and loaded them up as a back up - but utter palaver to get it working this time. It seemed much more interested in trying to sell me a subscription than letting me view the maps I'd bought. Can't for the life of me figure out how the website works. It basically doesn't. It looks like there is a route planning option but it doesn't seem to recognise the maps I've bought. And have (finally) loaded on my phone. Again. Everytime I tried and change the layer to get a 1:25k it's just trying to flog me a subscription. I don't really want to plot routes on the phone - it's clunky as hell. but I'm not plotting them on the open street map or whatever it is.
It was working fine in 2021, but this year failed me as i set out on a walk. I was advised by the team to reinstall, which I did. At first it wouldn't recognise my email address, and when i did manage to log on it failed to download my maps for offline use. Obvs, paper is the most reliable way to go. I can't trust this app in its present configuration.
Viewranger was perfect IMO. OS Maps has let me down so many times it simply can't be relied upon. In areas with no signal the offline behaviour is inconsistent and clunky. A fair chance you'll be left up the creek without a paddle if you're relying on the app alone. Right now I'm even sat at home on WiFi and it won't load detail properly. So disappointing.
I returned to OS maps a few weeks ago, hoping things had improved. Initially all OK but the latest Android update has really disappointed me. I see that all of the areas like national parks have been given a transparent orange/brown overlay colour. This has really downgraded the visibility of contours and place names. I can't see any sense in doing this at all, making it harder to recognise features. I hope this is going to be rectified in the next update.
Totally worth the yearly subscription. I enjoy walking in the countryside but used to get lost... often! Now I can enjoy exploring new places without anxiety. The app opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Having used OS Maps for over a year now, I'm more than happy to keep subscribing. Keep up the great work!
It won't show offline maps that I have downloaded. I paid for the full version and wanted to use the app for walks but when I click on the routes in my offline map section, they will not load and have to find them again. Very annoying when turning up at the start of a hike and have to try and locate the trail map again.
Unable to edit prev. review. Latest update allows app to record route with screen off so thumbs up for that! Despite my best efforts I can't get my desktop computer to a) fit in my van b) stay in place while driving and c) operate on 12v. This means I have to plot routes on my phone when out & about. PLEASE make the cursor visible outside my finger when plotting. PLEASE allow subscribers FULL UK maps downloaded for offline use.
This must be the worst app ever. Initially I was able to set up a subscription but couldn't log in as I had an old account for which I had forgotten the password. I tried the reset password function but each time I received an email with a link I encountered an error on the reset saying that the link had expired. After multiple attempts I was successful in changing my password A day later I tried to get into my account on a PC but each log in attempt received an error message that the log in details were wrong. I tried resetting the password again - one out of three attempts worked. However when I tried to log in using the app on my phone the password was rejected. Since then I have tried a few more attempts to change the password yet again but all links are expired before I can use them. The delay between receiving the mail and trying the link is just a few seconds. The total delay between requesting the change and clicking the link is less than one minute. How fast do you have to be? I have now cancelled my subscription and will try very hard to get my first payment back as the app has proved to be utterly useless.