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Favorites

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Overviewโ€‹

Favorites is one of the OsmAnd's features, that allows the user to make a kind of bookmarks (notes) on the map. By default, they are displayed in the form of yellow stars, though the app provides ample opportunities to customize Favorites using any colour, shape, and icon. They are grouped into a separate map layer, that become visible from the 6th zoom level.

Favorites introduction android

Favorite Pointโ€‹

View on the mapโ€‹

Favorites are grouped into one of the map layers. You can show or hide Favorites and their names on the map:

Favotires layer Android

Favorite Context menuโ€‹

Favorite's Context menu opens when you select it in My Favorites or tap on it on the map. In Favorite Context menu you can find information about chosen point, edit it, add a marker or use it for navigation.

Create and Editโ€‹

The easiest way to create a new Favorite point is to select the POI or building on the map with a short tap and select Add in Map Context menu. In this case, all the information from POI will be added to a new Favorite.
You can also add a new Favorite point to any place on the map with long tap.

Favorite add menu Android

  • You can add: name, description, and address for Favorite point.

Favorite add description Android

  • Select group for your favorite point or add new group.

Favorite group Android

  • For adding new favorite group, you need to add name, to select color. This color will be used for all new favorites added to the group by default.

Favorite new group Android

  • Next, you can select icon for your favorite from our list.

Favorite icon Android

  • After, you can choose color and shape for favorite icon.

Favorite color and shape Android

  • In Actions, you can replace another point with this. For Android, this Replace button repeats in up corner of Add favorite menu.

  • After creation, you can click Save button for saving new Favorite point or Cancel button for canceling point creation.

Favorite actions Android

Editโ€‹

To edit a Favorite point, short tap the selected Favorite point.

After that, you need to choose Edit favorite button in Map Context menu.

Edit favorite menu opens. It's look like Add favorite menu. But in Action part there is one more action - Delete button. For Android, there is additional Delete button in up corner of Edit favorite menu.

Favorite edit Android

You can change name, description, address for chosen favorite, change or create new group for it, select another icon, color and shap, replace another point with this.

Favorites in GPX fileโ€‹

All information about a Favourite is stored and described using tags. When creating a Favourite point, you can write your own description or use information from the OSM point of interest (POI) data from which your point was created. Favorite points, POIs, and Waypoints use the same tags to store information and are saved in GPX file format.

<gpx version="1.1" creator="OsmAnd" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1" xmlns:osmand="https://osmand.net" xmlns:test="https://test.net" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd">
<wpt lat="37.5460870" lon="-77.4532843">
<time>2023-06-07T12:31:35Z</time>
<name>Test</name>
<type>SOTM</type>
<extensions>
<osmand:address>Floyd Avenue (The Fan) 907, Richmond</osmand:address>
<osmand:icon>place_town</osmand:icon>
<osmand:background>circle</osmand:background>
<osmand:color>#ff4e4eff</osmand:color>
<test:country>United States</test:country>
<test:state>Virginia</test:state>
<test:telephone>(804) 828-0100</test:telephone>
<test:postcode>23284</test:postcode>
<test:start_date>Thursday, June 8, 2023</test:start_date>
</extensions>
</wpt>
</gpx>

Manage Favoritesโ€‹

Android Menu โ†’ My Places โ†’ Favorites

My places favorites android

Viewโ€‹

In My Places menu you can find not only Favorites but also function buttons and switchers. Using these toolse you can customize Favorites folders and points and import/export favorites data.

Favorites menu android

Order / Sortingโ€‹

The favorite folders and points are sorted alphabetically. The personal folder is at the very top.

Favorites folders android Favorites points order android

Note

In searching list Favorites is sorted by distance from the map center.

Search function opens a points list of Favorites sorted by distance from map center on the device screen.

Searching menu Favorite android

Tap on magnifying glass (๐Ÿ”) button opens search menu for Favorites. Tap on a chosen point opens Context menu of this point.

Searching menu Favorite android

Favorites can be found using Search function of OsmAnd. The first lines of the search results will be from My favorites. In Android verson of the app you can also use Search in 'My Favorites' menu.

Favorite searching function Android

Actionsโ€‹

Each Favorites folder containes one group of favorites. You can expand and collapse list of Favorite points for one group by tapping on a folder or on โˆง, โˆจ symbols (Android) and on >, โˆจ symbols (iOS). Each point from Favorite list has a name, distance and direction from your location.

Favorites folders expand android

  • Tap on any point from Favorite list shows it on the map and also opens Map Context menu for chosen point.

Favorites context menu ios

  • Tap on โ‹ฎ button opens special functions for a chosen Favorite folder.

Favorites folder functions android

Functions for Favorite folder:

  1. ย Rename - is used to change folder name.
  2. ย Change default appearance - is used to change default appearance for favorites from the chosen group.
  3. ย Show on map - display or not Favorite points from the folder on the map.
  4. ย Add to map markers or Remove from 'Map markers' - add or remove all Favorite points from a folder in Map markers list.
  5. ย Share - sharing Favorite points with other users (using Favorites.gpx file).
  6. ย Button Cancel - close this menu.
  7. ย Button Delete - delete the chosen favorites folder.
  • At the bottom of the screen there are four Actions buttons.

Favorites actions android

Actions:

  1. + - allows to import Favorites points (favorite.gpx) from device storage.
  2. < - allows to export (share) all Favorites points as "favourite.gpx" file.
  3. ๐Ÿšฉ - allows to add or to remove chosen Favorites points (folders) in Map markers list.
  4. ๐Ÿ—‘ - allows to delete chosen Favorites points (folders).

Favorite Groupsโ€‹

Favorite Groups is folders with favorite points in My Favorites menu.

Change appearanceโ€‹

  • Tap โ‹ฎ button opens special functions for a chosen Favorite folder โ†’ Change default appearance:

Default color, icon and shape will apply to the added favorite points into the group.

Favorites folder functions android Favorites folder functions android

Functions for Favorite folder:

  1. ย Rename - is used to change folder name.
  2. ย Change default appearance - is used to change default appearance for favorites from the chosen group.
  3. ย Show on map - display or not Favorite points from the folder on the map.
  4. ย Add to map markers or Remove from 'Map markers' - add or remove all Favorite points from a folder in Map markers list.
  5. ย Share - sharing Favorite points with other users (using Favorites.gpx file).
  6. ย Button Cancel - close this menu.
  7. ย Button Delete - delete the chosen favorites folder.
  8. ย Button Cancel - closes this menu.

Bulk moveโ€‹

Note

Only for iOS version.

Renameโ€‹

For changing Group (folder) name you need to tap on โ‹ฎ button to open special functions for a chosen Favorite folder.

Favorites folder functions android

Functions for Favorite folder:

  • ย Rename - is used to change folder name.

Bulk deleteโ€‹

Favorites data (points and groups) can be deleted using bulk delete.

Tap on ๐Ÿ—‘ at the bottom of the screen. You can select points and groups and by tap on ๐Ÿ—‘ button in top right corner delete them.

Favorites actions android Favorites action delete android

Add to Map Markersโ€‹

You can add to or remove your favorites from Map markers list.

Tap on โ‹ฎ button (Android) opens special functions for a chosen Favorite folder (group).

Favorites folder functions android

Functions for Favorite folder:

  • ย Add to map markers or Remove from 'Map markers' - add or remove all Favorite points from a folder in Map markers list.

Special Favorites (Personal)โ€‹

Personal folder is a special folder for Home and Work points of Navigation Context menu. This folder doesn't have โ‹ฎ button, because you can not change the parameters for this folder.

Favorites personal android

Export / Importโ€‹

OsmAnd provides a wide range of options for backing up important data for restoring it later. Favorites can be saved as a separate file in internal and external storage, uploaded to OsmAnd Cloud (only if you have an OsmAnd Pro or OsmAnd Start subscription) or sent to friends using instant messaging programs.

Free Cloud backupโ€‹

Menu โ†’ My Places โ†’ Favorites

Favorites folder functions android

Free Favorites Backup is a special purchase plan to back up your favorite points (locations) for Android, iOS, or Web versions in the OsmAnd application and restore them from OsmAnd Cloud. You can use this special plan if you have OsmAnd Free or Maps+.

Free Favorites Backup has the following benefits:

  • No payment is required. You do not need to purchase paid subscriptions.
  • Saving your favorite points. You can regularly backup your favorite points in OsmAnd so you don't lose them if your device crashes or you delete the app.
  • Transferring favorite points. If you use OsmAnd on multiple devices, Free Favorites Backup helps you quickly import your favorite points to a new device.

Menu โ†’ My Places โ†’ Favorites

Favorites folder functions android

You need to have an OsmAnd Cloud account to use the Free Settings Backup. If you have an account in OsmAnd Pro or an active account in OsmAnd Cloud, you will not see the promotion banner.

  • Tap the Free Favorites Backup banner.
  • Go through the registration step.
  • Then go to the OsmAnd Purchases menu (Menu โ†’ Settings โ†’ Purchases).
  • Select the OsmAnd Start package.
  • Create a backup.

All Favoritesโ€‹

Favorites actions android

You can export and import your favorites using the special buttons at the bottom of the Favorites screen. A .gpx file (favorites.gpx) can be sent to Dropbox, email, messengers, and other applications that support this feature installed on your device.

Android:

  • + - allows to import Favorites (favorite.gpx) from the device storage.
  • < - allows to export (share) all your Favorites as "favorite.gpx" file.

iOS:

  • Import favorite - allows to import Favorites as waypoints from GPX file (common GPS data format).
  • Export favorite - is used to export all your favorites as Favourites.gpx file.

Favorite Groupโ€‹

A tap on โ‹ฎ button opens the special functions menu for a chosen favorite folder. You can choose share and send Favorites.gpx file to your device's memory or to your friends via messengers.

Favorites folder functions android

Automatic Favorites Backupโ€‹

After each edit of Favorites, OsmAnd makes a backup file. These backups can be found using file manager programs: in Android use third-party apps, and in iOS they can be accessed with the system program Files.

Android โ†’ data โ†’ net.osmand โ†’ files โ†’ backup

Favorites backup export Android Favorites autobackup android

Menu โ†’ Settings โ†’ Export to file โ†’ Resources โ†’ Favorites backup

You can export Favorites backup files using Export funciton. The resulting .osf file you can send to the internal memory of the device, cloud storage, or other users of the OsmAnd app via messengers.

caution

In the latest versions of Android, access to system directories is limited. However, after extracting the favorites file from the archive, it remains possible to forward it to messengers or cloud services, etc.