Awesome Maps (Activity Datafield)
· vv1.9.5
About
Streaming high quality maps to your Garmin, including premium country maps including USGS, Ordnance Survey, IGN, LINZ, Kartverket, swisstopo and NGI. Awesome!
Awesome Maps is a datafield for your activities that delivers high quality cartographic maps for biking/hiking (Open Hiking Map), satellite imagery (for devices with more than 64-colour displays) and premium local mapping including USGS (continental USA), Ordnance Survey (Great Britain), IGN (France & Spain), LINZ (New Zealand), Kartverket (Norway), BGDI swisstopo (Switzerland) and NGI (Belgium). ** No additional companion app is required on your phone. **
This is the sibling to “Awesome Maps" glance app/widget for map access from your home screen. Both apps have independent data limits (double your trial maps for free!) and share the same single license for unlimited access and premium maps and features. If you were looking for the other version, it’s here:
https://apps-developer.garmin.com/apps/f0ffb7a3-dc56-4ac2-9428-08250c816474
Awesome Maps is different to on-device maps that are only available on certain devices and require separate download and install (e.g. from Garmin or others). Awesome Maps loads maps on-demand and creates a small cache to optimise performance. However, it is designed to require data connectivity and so is not suited to planning trips into areas of poor reception, even with unlimited maps data subscriptions.
Major benefits, on the other hand, include:
• high-quality maps styled for hiking and biking that are always up-to-date
• maps on all supported watches and devices, not just Garmin-maps
• worldwide coverage, without pre-loading pre-defined offline map areas
• satellite, USGS, Ordnance Survey GB, IGN France & Spain, LINZ, Kartverket, swisstopo and NGI maps
• North-up or heading-based orientation options
• multiple zoom levels
• optional show "snail trail" for the route recently followed
Maps are loaded as tiles that respond dynamically to change in location and heading. All maps are available at a range of zoom-scales selectable from the touch-screen or button-menu with defaults set using standard settings configured from your connected device and Connect IQ app.
Future updates will include additional alternative premium country mapping and other ideas and recommendations from user feedback (pre-cache areas?, route overlays?).
** if you have any issues, please use the "Contact Developer" from this app page, from the contact menu in the app or direct email to [email protected] as this allows things to be resolved - unfortunately Garmin review processes are anonymous and don't allow interaction. I will *always* reply; if you send a message please check spam for contacts from CrispGarmin - thank you!
** as an independent developer, access to a range of devices for real-world testing is limited. The Garmin "Simulator" only replicates some real world experiences. So feedback on Awesome Maps image quality, look-and-feel and user experience (touch or buttons) is always appreciated.
Also see the FAQ here: https://garminapps.com/awesomemaps.html
Awesome Maps is provided as a freemium application; the Trial version contains full functionality for testing, review and casual-use with map-data limits reset every month. However, for unlimited map access a low-cost subscription service is required. Full details and costs are available from the ‘License…’ menu within the app.
Map images require a small data transfer for download. Mobile data is therefore required for access. Please be aware of your own data costs and limits (and potential increased battery usage), especially when travelling/roaming.
More information, and direct contact details, available at https://garminapps.com
See the Garmin Showcase forum for general Awesome Maps discussions at https://forums.garmin.com/developer/connect-iq/f/showcase/433612/awesome-maps
What's new
v1.9.5 - 14 July 2026
Fix: Blank map tiles due to Garmin API rotation failure (e.g. Venu2)
Fix: Tile download priority optimisation re-applied
v1.9.4 - 8 July 2026
Fix: Make touch screen identification dynamic to allow for locked touch screen UI updates
Update: Set datafield minimum size layout and improve UI (hide controls) for small datafield layouts
Update: Better image/error handling per-device rotation failure (e.g. Forerunner165)
Update: Refined text content
v1.9.3 - 30 June 2026
Fix: North arrow positioning
Update: Optimise tile download priority
Update: Compiler optimisations (Prettier Monkey C) applied - props to Mark W
v1.9.2 - 29 June 2026
Update: Connectivity messages for Fenix 4G/LTE and WiFi-enabled devices
Update: Improve initial user experience (allow old GPS location and messages)
Update: Better map handling per-device rotation failure logging
Update: Memory optimisation
v1.9.1 - 21 June 2026
Add: NGI.be map attribution
Fix: Switzerland boundary detection for Swisstopo maps
Update: Handle mixed-case settings values
v1.9.0 - 20 June 2026
Add: NGI (Belgium) TopoMaps
Add: 'Safe Mode' setting for troubleshooting drawing and additional logging
Update: Better map / North arrow handling per-device rotation failure using fallback with known devices (e.g. Forerunner165)
Update: Optimise Premium map types identification and management
Update: Monthly data reset logic and review option, extend review menu devices
v1.8.1 - 13 June 2026
Fix: handle per-device rotation failure using fallback to draw maps (e.g. Instinct 3)
Update: Handle and improve reporting on rare initialisation exception
v1.8.0 - 11 June 2026
Add: BGDI swisstopo (Switzerland) maps
Add: Device support for Approach series,Descent series, D2 Air X10, Edge Explore 2 and Venu 2 series
Update: Improved use of mobile data connections & messages
Update: Memory optimisation
Update: SDK 9.2.0
v1.7.1 - 23 May 2026
Add: Preview / Experimental setting for testing new features (default is 'Off')
Add (Preview): Speed and heartrate overlay fields on map... ** feedback please **
Update: Memory optimisation
v1.7.0 - 13 May 2026
Add: Device support for Forerunner 70, Forerunner 170 and Forerunner 170 Music
v1.6.0 - 5 May 2026
Add: Kartverket Norge (Norway) maps
v1.5.1 - 2 May 2026
Update: Exception handling
v1.5.0 - 28 April 2026
Add: Snail-trail route trace - 20 locations in licensed version (just 3 in Trial mode), with settings on/off
Add: Contact page link
Add: Map type display for UI button
Update: Memory optimisation
Fix: Text typo
v1.4.0 - 24 April 2026
Add: LINZ (New Zealand) maps
Add: 'License Check' menu
Update: Optimise loading priority in order of map coverage of screen
Fix: Tapping map type not changing maps
v1.3.1 - 21 April 2026
Add: Phone connection and bad/old GPS location warnings
Update: Remove extraneous logging
Update: Icons and layout
Fix: Blank tiles not restoring/reloading
v1.3.0 - 17 April 2026
Add: Device support for MARQ
v1.2.1 - 16 April 2026
Fix: North Arrow display (and associated map elements) on Instinct 3 [ERA bug report]
v1.2.0 - 14 April 2026
Add: Heading icon and map type control (for touchscreen devices) to the map
Add: Optimise tile loading for rectangular (Edge) devices
Add: Scalebar adaption for non-metric device distance units
Add: Device support for D2 Mach 2 Pro
Add: Updated icons
Fix: Scale for Ordnance Survey maps
v1.1.0 - 10 April 2026
Add: Zoom In / Out controls for touchscreen devices
v1.0.0 - 9 April 2026
First release.