Need GPS tracking GPX app without Google GSF requiring "Precise Location" Wi-Fi

[Andrew]

Do you know of a privacy aware offlilne FOSS GPS tracking GPX-saving app?
<Loading Image...>

BACKGROUND:

I've had to ditch most of the best backcountry map software because Google
apparently made precise location mandatory in GSF (which most map apps
build with - which means almost none of them are privacy aware anymore).
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Most people are unaware of this, but apparently, the GSF APIs call up the
Google Location Service inside of Google Play Services, which as of last
summer, requires the Wi-Fi to be scanned even if you don't want that.

That means not only the venerable OSMAnd~ is trash in terms of privacy, but
most offline maps such as Avenza, Gaia, MagicEarth, HereWeGo, Maps.ME,
etc., are now trash in terms of privacy (because they all require GSF).

After many searches, I found a FOSS offline backcountry map app that
doesn't build with GSF, and hence it doesn't require "Precise Location".
All-in-one OfflineMaps
<https://www.offline-maps.net/>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.psyberia.offlinemaps>
But it apparently doesn't save GPX tracks of your backcountry hikes.

That offline map app is fantastic since it allows you to download offline
backcountry offroad maps for free from any number of sources such as
caltopo, usgs, usfs, google maps, bing maps, openstreet maps, etc. in
addition to open flight maps, noaa bathymetry maps, light pollution maps,
esri community maps, yandex maps, wikimapia maps, and a million topographic
maps from just about every country on the erth (as far as I can tell).

But I still need to save waypoints and to create defacto tracks.

I found this FOSS app (built without Google GSF requiring precise location)
which will save waypoints into a text file & which brings it up in a map).

My Location (privacy aware GPS location GUI)
<https://github.com/mirfatif/MyLocation>
<https://f-droid.org/packages/com.mirfatif.mylocation/>
<https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/index/apk/com.mirfatif.mylocation>
Do not use the (ps=playstore) APK on the Google Play Store.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mirfatif.mylocation.ps>

But I can't yet find a privacy-aware track-saving app built without GSF
spyware (where any app built with GSF now requires Precise Wi-Fi Location).

Do you know of a privacy aware offlilne FOSS GPS tracking GPX-saving app?
<https://i.postimg.cc/vHSxQyn2/mapgsf.jpg>

[Loran]

Post by Andrew
Do you know of a privacy aware offlilne FOSS GPS tracking GPX-saving app?

Search youtube for Jim Braxman.

[Andrew]

Post by Loran

Post by Andrew
Do you know of a privacy aware offlilne FOSS GPS tracking GPX-saving app?

Search youtube for Jim Braxman.

Why should an offline backcountry track saver require Wi-Fi to run?

I'm still searching for a solution since an offline backcountry gpx track
saving app should never require precise Wi-Fi logging (and the fact that
most do, shows how powerful the corruption influence is of Google making
it's gms GSF code so easy to incorporate - which allows Google to control
whether or not an app requires Wi-Fi scanning just to work.

I didn't find anything for the Braxman search but I ran a few more using
a combination of the Skyica App Finder and the FOSS Google Play Store
replacement app (both of which give search criteria Google won't give us).

Of particularly useful note is the FOSS Google PlayStore replacement client
has a filter to remove apps which build with the Google GSF code, which as
of only last year enforces Wi-Fi "Precise Location" whether the app needs
Wi-Fi or not (where, with the GSF (aka gms - google mobile services) APIs,
the app won't work without it - even if you have GPS enabled).

These are currently on my short list of apps under test, where it's useful
to note that none of them are offered on the Google Play Store repository.

Three privacy aware offline GPS track loggers without GSF that save tracks
to SD subfolders (without needing to have Wi-Fi Precise Location turned on).

1. GPS Logger by BasicAirData (free, no ads)
No Google GSF dependency
Precise location not required!
No maps (good!) as it has no Internet capability
Can set output folder to an sd card subfolder
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.basicairdata.graziano.gpslogger

2. GPSLogger II - AIO by Mathias Marquardt (free, no ads)
No Google GSF dependency
Precise location not required!
Has maps so be careful when exporting to the Internet
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emacberry.gpslogger

3. OSM Tracker for Android
No Google GSF dependency
Can set output folder to an sd card subfolder
Can display OSM map under track but needs Internet connection to do that.
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSMTracker_(Android)
https://github.com/labexp/osmtracker-android
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.osmtracker/

I'm not sure about this fourth app because it asks for Wi-Fi Precise
Location even though it isn't built with Google's GSF gms API's;
but it seems to work without that being granted to it.

4. OpenTracks
No Google GSF dependency
It asks for Precise location but it seems to work without it being granted.
Can set output folder to an sd card subfolder
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/de.dennisguse.opentracks/
Warning: Has a payware googleplaystore version
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.dennisguse.opentracks.playstore

These failed because they required the GSF gsm spyware to be running.

a. LD-Log Lite - GPS Logger by A. Wedemeyer (free, no ads)
No Google GSF dependency
Yet Wi-Fi precise location is required!
Can set output folder to an sd card subfolder though
Can import offline maps too so it's too bad it requires precise location
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aw.ldlogFree

b. Geo Tracker GPS tracker by Ilya Bogdanovich
Requires GSF
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ilyabogdanovich.geotracker

c. GPS Tracker by GPS-server.net
No Google GSF dependency
But it uploads tracking data to an Internet server
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.gpsserver.gpsstracker

d. Ultra GPS Logger Lite by FlashLight
Requires GSF
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flashlight.lite.gps.logger

e. GPS Logger by Joakim Ewenson
Requires GSF
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.ewenson.gps_logger

f. eTrack GPS by Eagle Co
Requires GSF
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=vip.etrack.gps

g. Trailblazer by Andrew and Derek
Requires GSF
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andrewandderek.trailblazer

h. GPS Waypoints by Bluecover Technologies
Requires GSF
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pt.bluecover.gpsegnos

And lots others that I tested, all of which required Wi-Fi Precise
Location tacking in order to work even though there's absolutely no
need for Wi-Fi scanning in a backcountry offline GPS track-saving app.

Why should an offline backcountry track saver require Wi-Fi to run?

[Bill Bradshaw]

Post by Andrew
Do you know of a privacy aware offlilne FOSS GPS tracking GPX-saving
app? <https://i.postimg.cc/vHSxQyn2/mapgsf.jpg>

You might look at the android version of OziExplorer. www.oziexplorer.com.
This works with windows version of OziExplorer so you need both programs.

[Arno Welzel]

Post by Andrew
Do you know of a privacy aware offlilne FOSS GPS tracking GPX-saving app?
<https://i.postimg.cc/vHSxQyn2/mapgsf.jpg>

OSMAnd

[Andrew]

Post by Andrew

Post by Andrew
Do you know of a privacy aware offlilne FOSS GPS tracking GPX-saving app?
<https://i.postimg.cc/vHSxQyn2/mapgsf.jpg>

OSMAnd

Trust me that I know all about OSMAnd~ as I love FOSS apps. I really do.
*OsmAnd+ Maps & GPS Offline* by OsmAnd, FOSS
<https://f-droid.org/en/packages/net.osmand.plus/>
<https://github.com/osmandapp/OsmAnd>
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.osmand.plus>
<https://www.amazon.com/OsmAnd-Maps-Navigation/dp/B00D0SA8I8>
<Loading Image...> OSMAnd+ manual map updates

Unfortunately, OSMAnd+/OSMAnd~ is not privacy aware.
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The question asks for privacy aware apps that don't force Google's tracking
on you just to save a GPX track when you have no need for Wi-Fi scanning.

[Arno Welzel]

Post by Andrew

Post by Andrew

Post by Andrew
Do you know of a privacy aware offlilne FOSS GPS tracking GPX-saving app?
<https://i.postimg.cc/vHSxQyn2/mapgsf.jpg>

OSMAnd

Trust me that I know all about OSMAnd~ as I love FOSS apps. I really do.

So what is the problem then? OSMAnd does record your tracks and can save
them as GPX.

[...]

Post by Andrew
The question asks for privacy aware apps that don't force Google's tracking
on you just to save a GPX track when you have no need for Wi-Fi scanning.

OSMAnd does not force Google tracking and it will save a recorded track
as GPX. What do you miss there?

[Arno Welzel]

Andrew, 2024-06-14 23:54:

[...]

Post by Andrew
Unfortunately, OSMAnd+/OSMAnd~ is not privacy aware.
<https://i.postimg.cc/mrrrmJkr/osmand02.jpg>

Sorry, missed that.

However - I don't see any privacy issue here. Coarse location means,
your device will try to get a location based on a triangulation of the
connected base stations. This will happen *always* as long as your
device is connected to a mobile network, even if you don't use any app
at all! To avoid this you need to turn off mobile networking completely,
which means remove the SIM and do not let you device connect to a mobile
network at all.

[Arno Welzel]

Post by Arno Welzel
[...]

Post by Andrew
Unfortunately, OSMAnd+/OSMAnd~ is not privacy aware.
<https://i.postimg.cc/mrrrmJkr/osmand02.jpg>

Sorry, missed that.
However - I don't see any privacy issue here. Coarse location means,
your device will try to get a location based on a triangulation of the
connected base stations. This will happen *always* as long as your
device is connected to a mobile network, even if you don't use any app
at all! To avoid this you need to turn off mobile networking completely,
which means remove the SIM and do not let you device connect to a mobile
network at all.

To be more precise: if an app has the right to use coarse location it
means it will have access to data which your device collects anyway,
even if you don't use that specific app. Location based services based
on the current base stations the device is connected to already existed
long before smartphones even existed.