Topo Maps 2 :: FAQs

What does the app cost?

The app requires an annual subscription, which is currently $4.99 in the US and $6.99 in Canada (subject to change). There is a 3-day free trial.

My recorded tracks all seem too long. What's wrong?

For relatively slow track recordings, i.e. walking, and trips with significant periods spent stopped, you will need to filter the track to get a reasonable total length. You can do this filtering either while recording or afterwards. Read More about Filtering.

My maps are all really dark, what's wrong?

Maybe you are in Hybrid mode, i.e. it’s trying to display the topos over satellite imagery, but there is no detailed satellite imagery downloaded.

If you don’t want the imagery, change to Topo mode (i.e. tap

More

and then

Map Mode

and select “Topo”). If you do want hybrid mode with imagery under the maps then download the map again.

The app crashed! What should I do? Should I delete and re-install it?

You should not delete and re-install the app except as a very last resort as doing so will remove all non-iCloud waypoints, tracks and routes, and all of your downloaded maps.

Some things you can do instead are:

Please check in the main settings app, under “Privacy & Security”, “Analytics & Improvements” and make sure “Share With App Developers” is turned on. We will then get anonymized crash reports from your device via Apple, which will help us to fix the problem.
Try the safe mode switch.
Contact us to ask for help.

I have the original Topo Maps app installed and I can see my maps in the new app. The app tells me that I now need to download terrain data; I have tried to do that but nothing changes. What am I doing wrong?

There is a page about using this app with the original Topo Maps app.

Something to be aware of is that when you choose the “D/L Terrain” option in the Maps screen, the yellow grid shows all of your maps from the old app and doesn’t indicate whether or not you have already downloaded terrain data for them (because it doesn’t know, until it checks). If you select maps for a second time, you’ll get a message after tapping Download.

I have the original Topo Maps app installed and I can see my maps in the new app, but I can't see my old waypoints. Can I transfer them?

Yes, you can transfer them; see the section “Transferring Waypoints” on this web page.

I'm finding it difficult to move around, e.g. to rotate the view, in 3D mode. What gestures should I use?

3D mode understands the following gestures:

1-finger swipe: move the map, without changing view direction.
2-finger pinch/unpinch: zoom in/out, which is actually moving towards/away from the ground.
2-finger swipe left-right: rotate the view.
2-finger swipe up-down: pitch the view up/down.

Can you add CarPlay support to the app, so that I can use it in my vehicle?

No, this isn’t allowed by Apple’s rules for CarPlay apps. CarPlay navigation apps “must provide turn-by-turn directions”, and this app can’t do that.

Why have you chosen subscription pricing for the new app? I prefer apps where I only need to pay once.

My original Topo Maps app launched in 2009, long before Apple introduced subscriptions or in-app purchases. The majority of sales were in the first few years. I’m still running the servers to support map downloads for people who paid me maybe $7.99 fifteen years ago. That is not a sustainable business model.

With subscription pricing, I will have an ongoing income to fund the server infrastructure and to support continued development of the app.

I purchased a subscription to the original Topo Maps app several years ago, but when I use the "Restore Subscription" button in this new app, nothing happens.

There are two issues here. Firstly, the original Topo Maps app (and Topo Maps for iPad) did not have subscriptions; they were single purchases. If you are paying a subscription, it must be for someone else’s app.

Secondly, this new app is a different app than the original Topo Maps app. You don’t get a free copy of this app by virtue of having purchased the previous one. See the previous question for one reason why.

When I frobnicate the froznicator, it used to begurgle. Now it just obsticates. Why did you change it?!

I don’t understand the question; are you sure you’re using my app? There are a few others with similar names. Does the app icon look like the one at the top left of this screen? Please get in touch, and send a screenshot.