Viewranger replacement? Outdoor Active?

Just looked myself, as its also swallowed up the Mountpass.com stuff as well which I got on with well.  What I generally tend to do is download the GPX and convert into Komoot as of all the Apps that (for me) seems the most reliable.  Outdoor active website is quite poor in comparison to the Mountpass one, the search facility is not as good.

Oh bugger. I like Viewranger. Is operation to cease soon then?

Anything new in the email? No updates on social media..

Not overly impressed with the prospect of losing access to the Viewranger OS maps that I own (as far as I can see you can't transfer them).

^^^

only reason I’ve stuck with viewranger is the tiles I ‘own’

guess an OS subscription beckons.

Here's the email here:
Viewranger Important Service Update

It's transfered across my OS premium subscription so can access OS maps and all the routes I've had saved to viewranger. Can save offline maps too.

Actually, so far I'm liking playing round with the app. Hope to be out on mtb and walking this weekend so good opportunity to test it out.

@dufresneorama - quick question. I emailed Viewranger a week or so ago and asked whether I could just hook in my OS maps sub and they said not (although they did offer me a 30% reduction but it looks like it's a good job I didn't take that!).

Are you saying that with Outdoor Active I can link to my OS sub now?

@dannybgoode

My OS subscription is with viewranger. Doubt you'll be able to link up your (OS) OS subscription with outdoor active, but maybe worth emailing outdoor active.

If you had a viewranger subscription you get a years fee Pro+ that includes the OS maps. Apparently I signed up in October to link Viewranger and Outdoor active accounts and have no memory of doing that. I almost deleted the app today when clearing out some unused apps.

Looking at the pricing it's seems £2.50 month would get you OS maps and some other stuff, so not they much different from OS direct.

Hopefully this doesn't affect maps that have been bought and downloaded in Viewranger. I have the full UK OS 1:50 and bits of 1:25k that I've had amazing value from over the last 10 years. ANy thoughts?

Is the Viewranger app actually being discontinued? I remember they merged a while ago and nothing changed.
As a long time (8 years?) user with a premium subscription and a load of map packs and tiles from before that, I'll be pretty cheesed off it it goes.

Hopefully this doesn’t affect maps that have been bought and downloaded in Viewranger. I have the full UK OS 1:50 and bits of 1:25k that I’ve had amazing value from over the last 10 years. ANy thoughts?

I just linked my account and can't see my OS national parks. I bought these about 10 years ago too. Think we lose them 😟

https://outdooractive-uk.helpscoutdocs.com/article/74-faqs

This implies that lifetime maps will still be available "for now" in viewranger but it sounds like we will lose them. But there's some sort of special gift whatever that is if you merge over.

Will my lifetime maps be available in the Outdooractive app?

No. For now, you can continue to use your lifetime maps in ViewRanger. ViewRanger users who own lifetime maps will receive a very special gift from Outdooractive, so be sure to check your email and Outdooractive app My Page. Outdooractive offers a huge variety of worldwide maps - up to date and right at your fingertips!

I've been playing around with OA app and a actually quite liking it. It's quite a bit simpler that VR though.

Biggest issues so far are no zoom in/out button. This forces you to pinch zoom but that's pretty impossible with touchscreen gloves on. Also issue with not being able to change download location so that when I'm downloading offline maps (which I like to have for most of Scotland) they clog up my internal storage.

Will my lifetime maps be available in the Outdooractive app?

No. For now, you can continue to use your lifetime maps in ViewRanger. ViewRanger users who own lifetime maps will receive a very special gift from Outdooractive, so be sure to check your email and Outdooractive app My Page. Outdooractive offers a huge variety of worldwide maps – up to date and right at your fingertips!

Haven't even received an email to say they're changing yet, which for a paying customer is pretty pants.

Biggest issues so far are no zoom in/out button. This forces you to pinch zoom but that’s pretty impossible with touchscreen gloves on. Also issue with not being able to change download location so that when I’m downloading offline maps (which I like to have for most of Scotland) they clog up my internal storage.

Will keep an pen mind about the OM app (not tried it yet) but both of those are huge problems for me. I use an Android phone as my primary GPS device so the lack of zoom buttons makes that very difficult when I'm wearing gloves (so 9 months of the year then). I guess having to store maps on the internal storage isn't so bad since I'm using a 32gb device exclusively for navigation at the moment. I'll have to swap maps in and out on my main phone though, and I like to have the maps on there as well as a backup, so that's another thing I've got to sort out before a trip, rather than just downloading everything and forgetting about it.

Biggest issues so far are no zoom in/out button. This forces you to pinch zoom but that’s pretty impossible with touchscreen gloves on

double tap the screen to zoom in.

tap the screen with two fingers to zoom out.

at least on iOS that works across most apps.

I've been on viewranger for years and have bought a fair few mapping tiles, so I have that sunk cost, however I've only really been an occasional user and my use has only really been for basic OS mapping and a bit of route planning, not live directions. I also use komoot but generally only on the road and the odd well mapped cycle way.

I haven't got into the Outdoor Active app but am wondering whether the better decision for me now might be just to go to the OS app. Anything I'm missing?

Watching with interest. I bought my maps ages ago; full North of England in 1:50k (which I have to side load off a CD-ROM😳). Cost £50 from memory and even though I might have had my money's worth, I'll be annoyed if I lose access to them if the app is being retired. Esp as I have the maps on my main phone, tablet and my stem mounted 'biking' phone.

I just logged into have a look, gave me a pro subscription till september, which I think is just when my OS maps sub runs out on viewranger.

First impression is the map is better than viewranger, definitely quicker and smoother to move around the map. I'll probably stick with it, as I don't really use it for anything other than GPS location on an OS map, which this does well. I like the shadowed OS maps aswell and it's easy to download and area for offline use.

Only other thing is I'll need to see how it handles GPX files, but I'm sure that'll be fine, will report if any issues.

jam-bo
Full Member
Biggest issues so far are no zoom in/out button. This forces you to pinch zoom but that’s pretty impossible with touchscreen gloves on

double tap the screen to zoom in.

tap the screen with two fingers to zoom out.

at least on iOS that works across most apps.

aye works on android too.

As "life time maps owner" I got a free year sub.

I suppose I could just download the whole UK in 1:25k and 1:50k before that runs out if I wanted to and come out up in where I was.

As “life time maps owner” I got a free year sub.

That is pretty poor. There's quite a difference between lifetime and 1 year (hopefully)

I see they are just binning any unused credits too.

I've been a Viewranger fanboy for ages but this is all a bit annoying. I'm not a fan of subscription models but it seems to be creeping in everywhere now.

There are no plans as yet to bin off the viewranger app are there? As for keeping them longer term, just download the maps and app to an old handset and leave it in aeroplane mode.

Something like that will be my plan for now, hopefully just not updating the app will be enough. I got my old Nokia 5800 out in the summer to try it out as a bike GPS and Viewranger still worked on that with my downloaded maps.

I've bought various maps since 2007 but no subscription.. all I got offered was a 10 Euro discount off a yearly subscription.

EDIT : actually, my My Subscriptions page on the website says I do have a Lifetime subscription..

I suppose I could just download the whole UK in 1:25k and 1:50k before that runs out if I wanted to and come out up in where I was.

I would imagine it'll be akin to a Spotify subscription whereby you only have access while the subscription is active.

As for keeping them longer term, just download the maps and app to an old handset and leave it in aeroplane mode.

Hopefully that should work... although, of course, you won't be able to sync and follow routes.

Interestingly, if you go to the ViewRanger shop there are still a small handful of maps available.. so maybe it will carry on for some territories..?

Had a little look at the Outdoor Active app earlier, though not much I can see without setting up an account/linking to VR. The fact that only OSM and not OCM is available in the free version (and maybe the premium version?) is already a let down.

Looking at the reviews on the Google Play Store, there are a lot of disgruntled ex-VR users who aren't very impressed with OA. Some of those will no doubt be from people who just don't like change, but my first impressions aren't great either. The VR app has an average review of 4.3 stars which is pretty good, with 5m+ installs, whereas OA has 3.9, with 1m+ installs. Can't help but wonder why they didn't can OA and focus on VR?

Seems like the best thing to do for me is to continue using VR without updates til it dies a death, and hope OA is better by then. I have maps I bought outright, which have been as bit irrelevant since I've been a subscriber, but will hopefully still work and be useful now. They cover most of what I will need, and I've probably got my money's worth.

Just noticed my VR subscription is due for renewal on the 17th - guess I should probably cancel that!

If I was looking at new mapping app, not having bought into anything before, I'd probably go for OS Maps at this point.

Well, this is going well. Followed the "connect your account" link to connect by VR account to OA. It says it's connected, just log in to OA. On the app I click "connect with VR" and it says "error, if you've already connected your account, just log in". Tried to log in, says wrong password, same password works on VR.

I had to set a new password I think.

I've been playing around with the app for a couple of days and whilst it is smoother than VR to use, there are some major issues that concern me. It often just blacks out. App is still there and working, but the map layer is just blacked out. Happened a few times now. With open maps and OS.

Also maps that I've downloaded for offline use sometimes just don't appear. They're in the list, but no tick beside them indicating they haven't been downloaded... They were downloaded, I know because it took ****ing ages to download them!

I'm emailing support re all these issues.

My VR sub is up on the 27th...I'm tempted to cancel, but if I could get another year out of VR I'd be happy. Not sure about moving to OS maps app.. Reviews aren't great either.

Wonder if I can unlink my account android continue with VR

Yeah, that's pretty worrying, particularly the first one. Whilst I will always have a backup paper map if I'm going somewhere I could get into trouble getting lost, there are definitely times where the map suddenly disappearing would be seriously inconvenient.

I’m tempted to cancel, but if I could get another year out of VR I’d be happy.

Hmm, hadn't considered that, that would be useful if it worked.

Yeah, haven't heard great things about the OS app, but might be the lesser of two evils?

Although from a consumer perspective I'm not keen on having £26 p.a. (to use the OS Maps price as an example) subscriptions for more than a tiny handful of things I'd use very often, it's a stark illustration of the commercial reality the provider faces. I've probably only spent that much with VR over a number of years giving me full OS mapping for every area I want an OS map while riding, which covers various corners of the UK, forever (ish). And that spend would've mostly been a long time ago. So in recent years it's pretty clear that viewranger hasn't made any money out of providing me with this service I'm now thinking is quite useful and worth paying for. So looking at the sunk cost for me I don't think I begrudge them making this change even though it's to my detriment.

Not sure I really need the OS Maps app at premium price though, and I'm not sure the free version offers me anything I wouldn't just go to komoot for. So I think I'll just defer the decision for now and next time I really want OS mapping I'll shell out the sub.

Would be interesting if Strava bought an OS based mapping and route planning app and merged the two offerings.

Ha.

Well this is all news to be. I don't use VR often but when I do it's very handy.😕

I’ve still got over a fiver in unused tile credits. It doesn’t look like you can refund them.

What's the story here?

VR bought out by a bigger company but bigger company wants to use their own inferior app?

@luket Thing is, Viewranger has offered a similar subscription model for 2-3 years now. Maybe there aren't enough users taking that up to make it viable, but taking away the app to force people onto a subscription model on another one is just throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I don't think that's the reason though.

@budgierider67 Yeah, that's annoying. I have about 300 credits - no idea what that's worth. They haven't really been worth that much to me with the subscription model, but if that goes...

Looks like it @Poopscoop. Don't know anything about OA, German company by the looks.

I'm happy to pay 39p a week for Ordnance survey subscription, seems very little for what it gives me. The apps not perfect, but it works well for what I use it for.

I wish there was a way of allowing me to use the maps on my old GPS, hey ho.

@Nobeerinthefridge that's what I was paying for access to OS data via VR. Happy to pay that, or more (OA is £27pa), but I want to access it in a reliable, user-friendly app, preferably the one I've already got and am familiar with. I haven't heard great things about the OS app (nor the OS' record of refusing to honour historic data purchases), though it sounds better than OA possibly.

I’ve still not received and email from them.

Many years ago I bought the OS map set for Anquet. That arrived on CDs and was a one-time purchase at £200. No updates. I did eventually have to write it off. Again the maps were in a proprietary format so couldn't be transferred to any other application.

I've used the Ordnance Survey app since it was first available. It's by no means perfect. Some of the function only works on IOS, it only does routing in National Parks, there are limits on Waypoint numbers. Other than that, I've been very glad to have it on my phone, especially as I also have a few sheets downloaded for offline use. If you travel around much, the cost soon becomes less than the acquisition of updated paper maps.

Anquet do a monthly subscription too, no idea if the app is any good.

One issue that's annoying on OS app is that it doesn't keep your position central on the screen, need to keep centering, does IOS do this Colin?. Noticed recently that NI isn't covered on app either.

As for not honouring purchases, well it looks like no one does by the looks of this thread.

Yeah, Anquet also went through a complete change a few years back. There was an upgrade offer but existing maps were unusable. That's when I bowed out.

I'm Android so don't get some of the OS app features. Of course, I don't get a reduced subscription as a result either. 😐

Aye. Many years ago I too paid a chunk of money for OS mapping that came on CDs. It wasn't Anquet but something similar. Tracklogs? Given my ancient Garmin brick only had the first gen of on screen black line mapping and it was years before smart phones, I can't remember how it was useful at all!

I'm a subscription user of VR. No notification from them so far about anything changing. One of the benefits of the subscription service was that you could have up to 4 users all on different devices on one account. I'll be gutted when this goes as all the good rides I've done & all of the others I've planned are stored on this platform :o(

Watching with interest to see what the best alternative is.

I’ve used Outdoors GPS on IOS for a few years. Sounds like with VR you used to be able to buy OS maps and have them downloaded on your phone but they went subscription model as most are now at £20 pa. which for the amount I use I is fairly reasonable and weirdly cheaper than OS. The apps good if you want to see where you are on a map, the route planner is clunky point dot to dot but is functional, the recording function is shocking though. I was about to jump ship to OA but after reading this thread a bit worried about the “missing downloaded map bug”. It provides international maps which is interesting if we’re ever allowed abroad again. I’ll try the free trail and see how it works out

Tried using ViewRanger last night and couldn't zoom in to my OS maps 🙁

Outdoor Active is £30 a year or £26 for OS Maps - looks like the only option?

Is there anything else I should be looking at?

Thanks

Lots off folk used to recommend backcountry navigator, it was a one off payment IIRC, not heard it mentioned for a while.

I use, and like, OS app, have it on wife's phone and my daughters too, all on my log in, PC planning side is pretty good too. I really like the wee satellite fly through.

Lots off folk used to recommend backcountry navigator, it was a one off payment IIRC, not heard it mentioned for a while.

I've been with Backcountry Navigator for probably 10 years and was one of the early advocates on this forum for it. Still use it regularly and still happy with it. For some reason it didn't seem particularly popular on here, with many people seeming to opt for ViewRanger when the two were recommended (I've used VR and the UI was probably a bit nicer than BcN). The app uses Bing OS maps which potentially could cause issues as I believe there is some sort of daily usage cap (same as likes of wheresthepath3 and bikehike). So, you just need to make sure you have the OS map areas saved onto your phone memory before you go into the wilds in that area (which you'd do anyway) and it's not much of an issue these days to have many areas of the UK OS down to 1:25k saved on your phone as most phones now have 64gb memory as min. They used to have a 30day free trial app version. Also not sure exactly what's available these days as the owner (Nathan?) used to be very active (regular newsletters, regular app updates/improvements) then was trying to push a new version (XE?), but it's all gone very quiet over the last few years. I think the older version is still an Android only app.

Nobody using fat map?
I am a viewranger user, mainly here in France for IGN maps and nothing seems to have changed in its functionality. I am also using Fatmap mainly for ski touring but starting to use it when i would use viewranger: when I can't be bothered to dig out my dedicated GPS and head out for a run, and also in parallel with following a route on a dedicated gps (bikepacking etc) for getting a better feel of around me etc.

Cheeky sods - going via Viewranger app it quotes £30 for a new subscription in Outdoor Active

Downloading the app separately and it comes out at £27!

Anyone know if the OS App lets you swap between OS and OSM? That was generally how i used view ranger before it got screwed.

If not, anyone know an app that lets you easily swap?

fatmap.

Ha, outdoor active just failed at the first hurdle for me. Downloaded the app; it couldn't "determine my location" to set my home region. I'm sat on my sofa.

Mapmyride has just gone tits up, failing to record distance.

My viewranger still seems to be working same as ever

My viewranger still seems to be working same as ever

When does your subscription run out ? Mine worked fine until the day of my renewal

Have lots of tile on VR...seem to be able to access more on OA but only online. Not much use then.

Lots off folk used to recommend backcountry navigator, it was a one off payment IIRC, not heard it mentioned for a while.

I use this and it hasn't let me down

I've still got OA on the phone as I've got free OS maps for a few more months but for my day to day (well weekends really) OS mapping I forked out the £40 for a years memory map subscription. What did it for me was the ability to download the whole of Scotland in 25k and 50k in 2 downloads. Never have to worry about being online.

OA works well for me online, but as soon as I download say more than a few maps, it lags and I get a black screen. It sometimes eventually displays the map, but that's no good when out in the hills.

I got outdooractive last month, with one months free pro trial I really liked the way it shows all the footpaths and byways etc
It worked ok until 2 days ago, it had logged me out so i couldnt use it.
I changed password just now and logged in, all my saved tracks etc have gone.
I still have a week to cancel my PRO subscription, so I shall probably do just that

My viewranger still seems to be working same as ever

Same here, but I always bought ‘by tile’ rather than with a subscription. Looking to the future, the OSMaps app (with a subscription) I find to be pretty good for most things these days, apart from one thing: when following a route offline where you have the route on-screen but haven’t “started” it, i.e. where you occasionally check to see whether you’re still on track, a good portion of the screen is occupied with a summary of the route that you don’t need (as opposed to ViewRanger, where full screen is really full screen).

Oh crap, Just got hold of VR a couple of months ago. Have been trying it to see how good it is as a navigation tool on my phone. It works really well.
I hope it won't be discontinued in the next week or so as I'd planned to use it this coming weekend as I have a opportunity for a days riding in the lakes, I've ridden the route a number of times following other so don't know the route. VR seemed perfect..

I don't think it's going to suddenly disappear. Presumably the app will stop getting updates, but it won't stop working if you have it on your phone. Perhaps you won't be able to download OS map data you don't already have, so probably best to do that sooner rather than later, but once it's on your device, I don't think it's going to evaporate.

I don’t think it’s going to suddenly disappear. Presumably the app will stop getting updates, but it won’t stop working if you have it on your phone. Perhaps you won’t be able to download OS map data you don’t already have, so probably best to do that sooner rather than later, but once it’s on your device, I don’t think it’s going to evaporate.

I would imagine you will also lose the ability to sync routes etc. and you won't be able to activate the maps on a new device.

The remaining lifespan may be governed by the length of the support contracts Mountain Rescue, RNLI etc. have with them.

A recent article

I don’t think it’s going to suddenly disappear.

A few mates that use VR say it went west at renewal time.

I’ve just bought 136 credits on VR for £1.99. All my purchased ones are still there too.

So my Viewranger deleted all of my offline maps about a month ago. I was an annual subscriber. I've not come up with a suitable or equal alternative. OutdoorActive, nowhere close, OS which I've subscribed to lacking the functionality I'm after. Offline map downloads for OS come in tiny chunks & the download speed is painful. Now experimenting with BCN. Looks like BCN will do what I need but I'll have to relearn how it works. I'm hoping something similar to Viewranger comes along soon.

So how come I can still buy VR credits? Only thing is, I used to be able to top up whenever, but this time I’ve had to run out & then top up. Couldn’t see any other amount to top up with apart from £1.99 either.

I’m hoping something similar to Viewranger comes along soon.

Don't think we will see anything like Viewranger again. Everything seems to be going to subscription model.

I didn't get on with Outdoor Active. Crashed twice on walks testing on routes I knew and failed to sort itself out even on restart so stopped using it.

Its still installed as I transferred a lot over form Viewranger and currently at least Outdoor Active allows you to download GPXs that you didn't personally creatt which Viewranger have blocked now it seems.

I may give it another try sometime but even though the whole of Europe/The World? is included in the subscription price and that that price is the same as just the UK in the OS Maps app I begrudge paying for what I don't want, hence why I loved ViewRanger and the ability to grab the tiles for what you needed.

So how come I can still buy VR credits? Only thing is, I used to be able to top up whenever, but this time I’ve had to run out & then top up. Couldn’t see any other amount to top up with apart from £1.99 either.

I noticed that too. Not as easy to get to as it used to be and like you say only gives 133 credits or 6 tiles at 1:25k but an option still at least.

Personally I am now just using TalkyToaster OSM maps in Bandcamp (Mac) and then transferring to my Gamin Fenix 6. hasn't let me down yet but I've only used it in pretty well used/defined areas.

...and currently at least Outdoor Active allows you to download GPXs that you didn’t personally creatt which Viewranger have blocked now it seems.

Still working on viewranger for me. Just downloaded a gpx and it opened fine

Still working on viewranger for me. Just downloaded a gpx and it opened fine

Weird. Didn't work for me the other week. Wonder if they fixed something in a recent update. Will try next time I want something.

Further to the above. I stopped to talk to three people on MTB's who were headed over from Morvich to Glen Affric. The subject of navigation came up & they were still using Viewranger. They would have to be using offline maps as defo no phone or 4G up there. So this has got me wondering why my offline maps got deleted & I kept getting emails asking me to transfer my membership to Outdoor Active? I'd go back to VR in a heartbeat. Anyone still using VR & are your offline maps still there?

As above, I'm still using viewranger with offline maps. Still working at the moment. I can't see how your maps can get deleted if you have bought them, unless you were on a subscription that ended.

Anyone still using VR & are your offline maps still there?

Are you talking purchased OS map tiles or OpenstreetMap map/free map tiles areas?

I never used the latter but all my OS tiles in both 25k or 50k are still available.

If you are talking OS map tiles have you tried re-downloading them?

Options (3 dots on iOS) > Maps > Select either the 1:25000 or 1:50000 map and then 'Download Tiles from Account'

I currently only have my 1:25 maps on the device but have just downloaded the 1:50 and they loaded fine.

As above, I’m still using viewranger with offline maps. Still working at the moment. I can’t see how your maps can get deleted if you have bought them, unless you were on a subscription that ended.

Ok so on the advice of VR i switched to OA after receiving the following.

Your ViewRanger: Trail Maps for Hiking, Biking, Skiing subscription from Google Commerce Limited on Google Play will be canceled on Apr 27, 2021. No refunds will be issued (Refund Policy).

After this I assumed VR was defunct & non operational but that's obviously not the case. They've got a UK phone number. I'll call them next week.

My 1:50k OS offline maps, purchased as a whole-GB one-off years ago, are still working.

I emailed VR & within an hour had this.

Hi David,

ViewRanger is still available to use for free, with Open Cycle or Landscape map, but it is not possible to buy or renew OS map subscriptions now. Sorry.

I'll give them a call. Might be that if you have purchased map tiles as opposed to having a subscription everything is still working.

I’ve been using OS Maps now for a couple of months after my VR subscription ended.

It’s ok, but takes a while to find your location which is frustrating. Route planning doesn’t have a snap to function, and I really miss knowing my current altitude which I know is quite irrelevant, but I did like that.

I’ve been using OS Maps now for a couple of months after my VR subscription ended.

It’s ok, but takes a while to find your location which is frustrating. Route planning doesn’t have a snap to function, and I really miss knowing my current altitude which I know is quite irrelevant, but I did like that.

That was the first thing I did. My gripe with OS was the lack of functionality compared to VR & the map downloads were in tiny chunks. In defiance of download speeds it was a real chore getting the OS maps onto my phone. I had the whole of Scotland on VR which suited me as I plan a lot of rides offline. I'm using BCN now which is probably the closest I'm going to find.

I'm never going to get over this :o)

I don't know what functionality VR had over OS (And tbh it's irrelevant now as it's tits up) but you can download vast areas for offline use on OS, and very quickly too.

Both mine are still working but I purchased both the dark and white peak park maps.

Both mine are still working but I purchased both the dark and white peak park maps.

And I think therein lies the difference. Annual subscribers have been duffed out & anyone who purchased their maps still has theirs.