GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

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mikeymo
Posts: 2299
Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by mikeymo »

Well, I'm sorry if this has been asked a lot before. But I've just tried and I think failed to do something that I imagined would be easy.

I have an old iPhone 4s that I'd like to use as a cycle sat nav. So I'd like to:

1. Get a GPX files into it.
2. Open it in some sort of sat nav app.
3. Get on my frigging bike and follow the directions.

I've just spent 2 hours messing about with a variety of apps, including one paid, even. It all seems incredibly clumsy. I imagined this would be easy. There seem to be a gazillion apps that record what you just did, Strava etc. I've got them and have used them. But doing the opposite seems somehow really hard.

I could be stupid, but I like to think I'm not. I actually do some software dev for money, I've had upteen hand held thingies back from the Palm Pilot. Because this is a spare iPhone, which I'm prepared to lose/get stolen/break, I'd ideally like not to install lots of personal info on it. There seems to be tons of stuff for Android.

Has anybody done exactly this?
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by Psamathe »

An iPhone 4 is getting quite old and I'm not sure what apps would still be supporting it. But ignoring older iPhone support, you need to consider what is in the file you are sending (the gpx). Are you expecting turn by turn directions? does the gpx you created include turn by turn directions? Are you just looking for a line on a map to follow?

On the iPhone I've only bothered to use the "show line on map to follow" - but it is of limited use as having the screen on the entire time does mean limited battery life e.g. my iPhone 5S with a brand new battery will last a couple of hours with screen on the entire time running GPS showing line on map.

I can't really recommend apps because I don't know which still run on earlier/older phones.

Ian
freeflow
Posts: 1636
Joined: 29 Aug 2011, 1:54pm

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by freeflow »

Try Osmand.
thelawnet
Posts: 2736
Joined: 27 Aug 2010, 12:56am

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by thelawnet »

freeflow wrote:Try Osmand.


Requires IOS 8.2 apparently. Iphone 4 is on IOS 7.1

I would have thought you could flog the Iphone and get a modern Android phone for about the same money.

Note that as a GPS device, the Iphone 4 is not very good (aside from being 8 years old), as it lacks GLONASS (introduced on the 4S).
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by Psamathe »

freeflow wrote:Try Osmand.

OsmAnd on iPhone is something of a battery eater (plus the screen). I tried it hoping for it to be a viable navigation solution but on a 5s with a brand new battery only around 2hrs!

Ended-up buying an Elemnt and it's brilliant.

Ian
mikeymo
Posts: 2299
Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by mikeymo »

thelawnet wrote:
freeflow wrote:Try Osmand.


Requires IOS 8.2 apparently. Iphone 4 is on IOS 7.1

I would have thought you could flog the Iphone and get a modern Android phone for about the same money.

Note that as a GPS device, the Iphone 4 is not very good (aside from being 8 years old), as it lacks GLONASS (introduced on the 4S).


Thanks. As I said, it's a 4S I've got. Running iOs 9.3.5. They seem to sell for about £30 on the bay. Not sure what sort of Android I'd get for that.

I've tried Osmand (as in installed it), but not had a chance to use it on the bike. We'll see. I'm aware that I'll probably get nothing like the battery life from this that I'd get from a dedicated bike GPS. But as the phone is surplus to requirements I thought I'd have a go. And I've got a decent bike mount for it etc. I really don't fancy putting my new 6S on there with all the vibration and potential for damage/theft. Also shortly before I got the 6S I got a new battery for the 4S, so it's got as good life as it'll ever have. It runs like treacle though, I think I might have to jailbreak it and got back to an earlier version of iOS.
ricardito
Posts: 8
Joined: 7 May 2018, 2:17pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by ricardito »

mikeymo wrote:
it's a 4S I've got. Running iOs 9.3.5.


I think that might be your problem right there. Apple iDevices have only recently (latest iOS I think) gained the Files app, which lets you store arbitrary files - before that, handling files was between a total pain and impossible (normal Apple "walled garden" restrictions). As it is, I rather think you still need an app capable of opening a chosen file from the file store (which can be iCloud).

So I think you have a lot more chance of getting things to work on the 6S, though I understand why you wouldn't want to mount it on the bars - one reason I went the Bolt route (and don't regret it).

Hope this helps.
paul.lowe2
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Joined: 1 Jun 2014, 10:26am
Contact:

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by paul.lowe2 »

hi
i use https://abvio.com/cyclemeter/
it allows you to import gpx into it.
Not sure if it will work on an iphone 4 anymore though.
using hovercraft full of eels.
mikeymo
Posts: 2299
Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by mikeymo »

ricardito wrote:
mikeymo wrote:
it's a 4S I've got. Running iOs 9.3.5.


I think that might be your problem right there. Apple iDevices have only recently (latest iOS I think) gained the Files app, which lets you store arbitrary files - before that, handling files was between a total pain and impossible (normal Apple "walled garden" restrictions). As it is, I rather think you still need an app capable of opening a chosen file from the file store (which can be iCloud).

So I think you have a lot more chance of getting things to work on the 6S, though I understand why you wouldn't want to mount it on the bars - one reason I went the Bolt route (and don't regret it).

Hope this helps.


Thanks. Yes, it's actually getting the gpx into the app that is often the problem. Some apps respond to opening it from the mail app, but it's all a bit messy, considering what a simple thing it should be to do - 'moving this file onto the phone, open it with this app'.

I've used some of the tracking apps on the phone, like cyclemeter, OK. They work, but the phone runs dog slow. I think I'll have to jailbreak it and go back a version or two iOS.
Psamathe
Posts: 17650
Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by Psamathe »

mikeymo wrote:....
Thanks. Yes, it's actually getting the gpx into the app that is often the problem. Some apps respond to opening it from the mail app, but it's all a bit messy, considering what a simple thing it should be to do - 'moving this file onto the phone, open it with this app'.

It is, I think the reason your facing challenges is that it's such an old machine/out of date OS. Would be even worse if you had one of the original MS DOS Personal Computers ....

mikeymo wrote:....
I've used some of the tracking apps on the phone, like cyclemeter, OK. They work, but the phone runs dog slow. I think I'll have to jailbreak it and go back a version or two iOS.

Might help, might make things worse as you might get a faster OS but you'll be moving ever further away from OS versions supported by the apps you are wanting to run.

Ian
mikeymo
Posts: 2299
Joined: 27 Sep 2016, 6:23pm

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by mikeymo »

Psamathe wrote:
mikeymo wrote:....
Thanks. Yes, it's actually getting the gpx into the app that is often the problem. Some apps respond to opening it from the mail app, but it's all a bit messy, considering what a simple thing it should be to do - 'moving this file onto the phone, open it with this app'.

It is, I think the reason your facing challenges is that it's such an old machine/out of date OS. Would be even worse if you had one of the original MS DOS Personal Computers ....

mikeymo wrote:....
I've used some of the tracking apps on the phone, like cyclemeter, OK. They work, but the phone runs dog slow. I think I'll have to jailbreak it and go back a version or two iOS.

Might help, might make things worse as you might get a faster OS but you'll be moving ever further away from OS versions supported by the apps you are wanting to run.

Ian


Good point, yes. I'll just have to try it and see. As this is all free stuff, by and large, I can play around with it.
ricardito
Posts: 8
Joined: 7 May 2018, 2:17pm
Location: Neither here nor there

Re: GPX onto iOS - apologies for my stupidity.

Post by ricardito »

Thinking again, if you're not wedded to a particular iOS app, you could look at one that can sync routes directly from an associated web app - I'm thinking of RideWithGPS or Komoot; doubtless there are others. That way you would avoid any need to to go through the download/open prices that seems to be the trouble shoot for you at the moment.
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