Buying it
How much does NavGPS cost?
$9.99, once. There is no subscription, there are no ads, and there is nothing to buy inside the app. Three years of a competing subscription app runs well over a hundred dollars; three years of NavGPS is $9.99.
Do I need an account?
No. Download it, open it, and the map is there. An account is only involved if you choose to turn on cloud sync, which powers track backup, the web app and Family Circle — everything else works without one.
Is there a free trial?
No. It is a one-time purchase, and the App Store's own refund process covers you if it isn't what you expected.
What devices does it run on?
iPhone and iPad running iOS 18 or later.
Working offline
Does NavGPS work with no cell signal?
Yes, for anything you downloaded first. Stored maps, place search, offline routing and track recording all work in Airplane Mode. Live weather radar, position sharing and sending a crash alert need a connection, because those are talking to someone else.
How much storage does a map area use?
It depends on the area and the detail level you pick, and NavGPS shows you the size on the download button before anything is fetched. Everything stored is listed with its size, and deletable, under Settings → Offline Maps.
Does it download maps automatically?
By default, yes — NavGPS fetches the area you are looking at as you travel, over Wi-Fi or cellular, so the map is already there when the signal isn't. Turn it off under Settings → Offline Maps to pick every area yourself.
Can it give turn-by-turn directions offline?
It can calculate a route offline from downloaded road data, and draws it on the map. Spoken turn-by-turn and automatic rerouting use Apple's routing service, so those need a signal.
Which map layers are there?
USGS topographic maps, satellite imagery, street maps and NOAA nautical charts, plus overlays for slope angle, geology, streams, watershed boundaries, weather radar and speed limits.
Engine data
Which OBD2 adapter do I need?
An OBDLink MX+. Apple only lets apps talk to approved adapters, and NavGPS is approved for that one. The cheap Bluetooth LE clones cannot be reached by any iPhone app.
Will it work on my vehicle?
If it was built in 1996 or later it has an OBD2 port and the standard readings work. Manufacturer-specific ones — transmission temperature on a Toyota, for instance — depend on the model, and you can add your own if you can find the details on a forum for your vehicle.
What can it read?
RPM, speed, coolant temperature, intake air temperature, engine load, throttle, fuel trims, fuel level, and transmission temperature where the vehicle reports it — plus fuel economy, range and check engine codes. All of it is logged against the track you are recording.
My speedometer reads low with bigger tires. Can NavGPS correct it?
Yes. Drive a known distance, enter the real mileage, and NavGPS works out the correction factor and applies it to that vehicle from then on. See how to correct your speedometer for tire size.
Does it show fake numbers when nothing is connected?
No. With no adapter connected the Engine tab says so and offers a diagnostic screen. A gauge cluster that invents values is worse than no gauge cluster.
Privacy and sharing
Do you sell my data?
No. There is no advertising and no outside analytics in the app, and nothing is sold or passed to data brokers. What leaves the phone goes only to our own servers, and only if you turn on cloud sync or location sharing.
Who can see my location?
Only people you have approved into a Family Circle, and only while sharing is on. Joining a circle with an invite code shares nothing until the circle's owner approves that member.
Can I see my family on the home screen?
Yes. A medium home screen widget shows up to six people with their emoji, the town they are in and how long ago, with whoever is moving first. It is on by default and there is a switch in Settings to turn it off, which clears the stored positions straight away. See how to add the Family Circle widget.
Why does it ask for Always location access?
Only once a recording or sharing starts. Without it, iPhones stop giving an app your position the moment the screen locks, which would cut your track short every time you put the phone down. You can say no and still use the rest of the app.
What does crash detection actually do?
While a drive is recording it watches for an impact followed by the vehicle stopping. It asks you first with a countdown, and if nobody answers it alerts your Family Circle — not emergency services. It is not a substitute for a satellite messenger or a phone call.
Tracks and files
Can I import GPX or KML files?
Yes — GPX, KML and KMZ, from Google Earth, a land agency download or another app. Tracks become tracks and placemarks become waypoints. See how to import GPX and KML files.
Can I get my tracks out?
Yes. Any track exports as GPX from its detail screen, which every other mapping app and GPS unit reads. Your data is not locked in.
Can I see my tracks on a computer?
Yes. Turn on cloud sync, then sign in at navgps.app with a six-digit code approved from the app — full map, elevation profile and playback on a bigger screen.
Step-by-step instructions live in the how-to guides.