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I would like to edit/contribute to OSM with my iPhone. How can I best do that?

asked 11 Jan '12, 22:45

Zameer%20Manji's gravatar image

Zameer Manji
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There are various ways of using an iPhone in your mapping workflow. Rather than attempting to do full editing with it. Personally I often use my iPhone as a camera. With geo-tagging enabled, I capture data by taking lots of photos (much quicker than trying to type in tags on the move) and then back at home I use the JOSM photo mapping features. You might also try to record a GPS trace on an iPhone

But if you're more interested in how to edit OpenStreetMap directly (the full mapping workflow) while on the move, there's couple of free iPhone/iPad apps which popped up over the past year, allowing you place new data or edit existing elements on a bing aerial imagery background:

Go Map!! is a fully functional editor app, by which I mean you can edit geometry as well as node features. Geometry editing on a small touchscreen seems a bit nuts, but this app is surprisingly intuitive and usable .

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PushpinOSM is limited to editing/adding points of interest data, although it does permit editing tags where a POI is represented as a way. This simplification makes things easier, and it's fine for adding in your local restaurant, and those kinds of simple changes.

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You should (in theory at least) be able to use the new iD editor, just on the OpenStreetMap.org homepage in your mobile browser. Maybe this works better on an iPad, but on an iPhone it has some screen layout problems. Generally the above native apps work better.

We have a wiki list of Apple iOS apps including a section on editing features.

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answered 07 Aug '13, 16:00

Harry%20Wood's gravatar image

Harry Wood
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accept rate: 14%

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@Harry Wood: Thanks for the overview, I'll try them out when I get the chance. The PushpinOSM application seems to be perfect for quickly adding lots of POIs.

(07 Aug '13, 18:07) Zameer Manji
1

Hi,

I am trying to use Go Map!! to survey some neighborhood with my smartphone anyway I noticed that not all elements are available. There are cafes, bar, parks, etc. but not internet_cafe, coworking and other elements available in the standard in-browser editor in OSM. Can you confirm me this limit of the app? If yes, do you know other app where all OSM universe is available for uploading directly from smartphone?

Thanks! Jacopo

(25 Jan '17, 16:09) jprimav

Although I am not an iPhone user, the overall approach is similar. You'll need applications that allow you capture tracks and waypoint data on the iPhone. Use this page to get an overview of the tools that are out there.

http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Apple_iOS

You may want to use tools like GPSVisualizer, GPSBabel to review and edit your data.

Thereafter the primary tools for uploading and editing OSM are Potlach and JOSM, both well described in the above wiki. This type of work is normally suited a desktop/PC/Mac activity, rather than a smart phone.

Andy

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answered 12 Jan '12, 03:08

Andy%20F's gravatar image

Andy F
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There are also smartphone apps that allow limited OSM editing (not just track recording), typically to add POIs. Mapzen is one example I know of, but the wiki link above lists 3 others.

Same disclaimer here: I'm not mapping using a smartphone.

(12 Jan '12, 10:28) Vincent de P... ♦

Do you know what software on the iPhone can be used to record tracks?

(13 Jan '12, 14:22) Zameer Manji
1

There's a list on http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Apple_iOS - see the "make track" column,

(13 Jan '12, 14:30) SomeoneElse ♦
2

Nowadays there's also a couple pretty nice apps for doing editing directly while on the move. See my answer. There's another question here about recording GPS traces on iphone https://help.openstreetmap.org/questions/3675/gps-trace-on-iphone (The answer to which is still quite unsatisfactory at the moment actually)

(07 Aug '13, 16:03) Harry Wood
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question asked: 11 Jan '12, 22:45

question was seen: 15,095 times

last updated: 25 Jan '17, 20:43

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