Gaia GPS: Mobile Trail Maps

It’s so sad to see that so many people share the following story. I downloaded Gaia GPS on November 15, 2017. This app quickly replaced all other apps and reigned the dominant track and navigation tool in my kit. It even replaced analogue modes such as paper maps, compasses, etc. They offered amazing in app purchases to off more layers for better route planning. But if you didn’t pay for these, you still had the highest functioning app for tracking and way finding. It worked offline even for free. As a professional wildlife biologist, I often recommended the app to coworkers in private and government sectors. I had used this app from all over the western United States backcountry to remote pacific islands without cell service. Not once did I get lost or have issues route finding. That was until the recent buy out. Gaia GPS “shut down” back in 2021 and whatever Outside Interactive is tried to profit off of it. In reality they just bought Gaia out and everything has turned to actual garbage. They dismantled it slowly to the point where this app is hardly functioning these days. They changed privacy policies and have since sold biometrics and biographical information. I tried to track my trip in Japan two weeks ago but Gaia would record about 20 seconds of a track, then stand idle until I open the app again. It would draw a straight line to where I opened the app again, cutting out so much of my previous tracks. Imagine if you were relying on these tracks to get your out and back like I used to for work. Even back home in the USA, I tried to track a bicycle ride. I was on cellular data the whole time in an area I get perfect LTE, started my track, slept my phone and rode my bike. An hour later, I open the app to end my track, and it only tracked about 3 miles of my 6-7mile route. I’m giving this 1 stars as the last straw finally unfolded. They have recently added a social media section because a total of -3 people asked for it. It shows right when you open the app. As a professional in the outdoor field, I am so excited to tell everyone that they should never use Gaia ever again. They’ll still make so much profit though, cause they don’t care what their users want.

After using for years clicked on a few of my older hikes and noticed the photos weren't loading. Contact support and they acted it was somehow my fault loading corrupted photos?! Fix your app. I pay $20/yr for the ability to have a scrapbook got my hikes.

Been using Gaia for over 5 years and it’s still so glitchy! The downloaded maps can take forever to show up when not connected to WiFi and the app crashes regularly. Otherwise love the functionality.

If you buy a subscription that is not paired with an Outside magazine subscription you won’t be able to access the app. Outside support told me to contact Apple for a refund which I have no idea how to do. Love Gaia and it’s literally saved my life on trail adventures but when you can’t access the app without a stupid magazine subscription it makes the product defunct. What I used to rely on for out of network GPS navigation is now bricked.

Seems like after they updated the app, nothing works. The app just needs to be a map nothing more than that.

Gaia has enabled me to adventure so far beyond my natural comfort zone. I love it and live by it. It has saved me from getting lost countless times, and maybe even spared me a few existential crises along the way. I've paid for the subscription for many years. I am a loyal fan. I really really don't want my adventure GPS app integrated in with social media. Like at all, ever. This is a tool I depend on for my life. I know I can disable auto sharing in privacy settings, but I'd prefer a button to basically remove the entire social media module entirely. I don't want to have to remember to go back in the after every update either. This isn't All Trails. It doesn't need social media integration. This is a real, hard core wilderness survival navigation app. Lean into that!

Defaults to a “home” page not the map. It’s trying to be a social media platform. Follow me at FaQyououtside

Got out for the first real hike in awhile. Wanted to find some waypoints I saved years ago. My position on the map floats all over the place and is very inaccurate. I can stand still and the cursor floats all over the map. Running up to date software in an iPhone 14 Pro Max. **UPDATE** still useless to navigate to waypoints. 3rd hike now trying to find a rest spot to no avail. Brand new iPhone 15. Waypoint keeps moving and has me going in circles. Time for a new app.

gaia is useless. loses and inaccurately saves waypoints, useless offline detail, struggles to render rivers and lakes while zoomed out, no details on landmarks... monthly subscription is another cash grab because the app doesnt magically get less buggy when you pay for it.

Used to be an easy to use straight forward app when it was owned by Gaia GPS. Now, since outside got ahold of it, it costs way to much money to use it, Outside charges A LOT more money for the service then it originally cost, and didn’t add and significant improvements, and to boot it doesn’t load when you open it. It’s still a useful service, but the company now charges way to much for it compared to what it used to be, and the app doesn’t function like it should.