Not the kind of "tracker" you use to find where the airline lost your bags, figure out where the cat went this time, or determine whether or where your spouse is cheating. This program collects mapping data for inclusion into OpenStreetMap (the free, editable map of the world), Google Maps, or any other application that can import GPX-format track data.
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Caution
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This app uses the "background location" feature to keep tracking while in the background, e.g., if you get a phone call or send a text while creating a track. Be aware that the app will keep tracking your movements until you click the Stop (or Pause) buttons. |
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Caution
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Android users: Note that if you don’t give the app Background Location permission, it will stop getting updates as soon as you switch to any other app for any reason, or even if your screen blank timeout kicks in. You really need to grant this permission. |
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Caution
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While in motion (walking, cycling, driving, etc.), please pay attention to the world around you, not to your device. If you get run over by a truck or drive off a cliff or step in front of a moving train, your map data will probably never get used. And the author of this app accepts no responsibility for whatever happens when you’re using it. |
This is NOT a route-from-here-to-there Navigation application (there are many of those in the app stores already). Also, it does NOT try to be an OSM editor. In the author’s experience, most current Android devices do not have the I/O capability to do this job well. I recommend uploading the files to a desktop PC and runnnig the JOSM editor or using the web-based editor on the OSM site.
JPSTrack differs from Google’s own My Tracks in that it is much more narrowly focused: it only records GPX tracks for OSM. It allows you to upload GPX tracks directly to OSM.
The program collects data once you press the Start button, and goes until you PAUSE or SAVE. PAUSE can be resumed with the RESUME button. The SAVE button ends a run and closes the file.
There is also voice notes, text notes, and pictures. All are saved, along with the GPX files, in your device’s external storage, commonly /sdcard/jpstrack.android (and changeable in Preferences).
The name is historical; the program was originally written in Java, and the name 'gpstrack' was already in use by another program.
Feedback/Support
Always welcome. Please email jpstrack-feedback@darwinsys.com.
JpsTrack runs on most every Android device out there, except for the very oldest ones.
This is an early release of the software; please see the Release Notes before you decide it’s buggy; we know about most of the bugs that are in this version and will fix them as we have time…
Where?
You can get the current stable version for Android from Google Play.
OSM Wiki
There is also a JPSTrack page at the OpenStreetMap Wiki.
Source Code?
This is a free and open source application. Source is provided for most uses, but you may not distribute the app back to Google Play Store or other market, as that would lead to fragmentation. Code is at https://github.com/IanDarwin/jpstrack.