December 23, 2023

In 2023 Organic Maps got its first million users. It would not be possible to scale without the help from our beloved community. A million thanks for your energy and time, your donations and support 🙏 ❤️ 🍃

In 2023:

• New features were added, including GPX import, Ruler tool, Outdoors map style, Background voice directions, Android Auto (in Google's review now), and others (see our news for details)
• 15 app updates and hotfixes were released
• A lot of improvements for the search and routing, map icons and styles, and general usability
• 4.6 average rating on Google Play from 7,372 users
• 4.8 rating on the AppStore from 2717 users
• 1992 commits from 167 contributors on Github
• 960 merged Pull Requests
• 724 closed issues (almost 2000 open issues left to fix/implement 💪)
• Total 7710 stars on GitHub
• More than a thousand support emails were answered
• Almost 9K edits and map contributions in OpenStreetMap

It's possible to do even more in 2024 if we get enough donations to scale the infrastructure, reward our contributors, or hire a full-time working team. One of our goals is to provide a privacy-focused map alternative to Google and Apple Maps. Another goal is to educate and engage more users in contributing to OpenStreetMap. Good map quality means happier hikers, cyclists, drivers, locals, tourists, and explorers. Happier everyone!

Check our Donations page to sneak-peak the roadmap, and subscribe to our Telegram Channel or to the matrix space for updates, or follow OM on Fosstodon, Mastodon.social, Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Reddit, LinkedIn.

And finally, install the December 2023 release! We have prepared several Christmas 🎅 and New Year presents 🎁 for you:

• Android Auto is in review, you can test it by joining a beta program in Google Play after telling us your gmail 🤖 🚗 -- kudos to Andrew Shkrob
• Outdoors map style for hiking, cycling, and exploring Nature (make sure you've updated maps to the latest version!) 🥾 🏕️ 🚣 🚵 -- a long-time work by Konstantin Pastbin
• Search for village addresses without streets in Austria, Czechia, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and some other countries (the addr:place OSM tag, and other search improvements too) -- by Viktor Govako
• Type "skiing" or "ski run" to find downhill and Nordic pistes ⛷️ 🏂 🚡
• OpenStreetMap map data as of December 13
• Fixed several crashes
• Multiple KML files can be imported from a single KMZ file, as the first pre-requisite to backup all bookmarks and tracks -- by cyber-toad
• A credit card 💳 is displayed for selected places with ATM
• A dollar emoji 💲 is displayed where a fee is required -- both by David Martinez
• Prettified website links in Place Page
• You can open a browser to check photos, reviews, and prices for some hotels. Every booking and every donation contribute to the development of Organic Maps!

Android

• We need your feedback on how to improve Android Auto! Tell us your gmail address and join the closed beta program on Google Play
• Open addresses from Contacts, Calendar, and other apps -- by Roman Tsisyk
• "Keep Search History" setting for better privacy -- by Bukkapatnam Sandilya
• Connect your phone to TV with Samsung DeX -- by Meenbeese
• Fix missing buttons when OM is restarted during navigation
• Minor interface fixes and improvements -- by Jean-Baptiste and Kiryl Kaveryn
• Fixed wrong voice language for the TTS Test button -- by Gonzalo Pesquero

Most iOS fixes by Kiryl Kaveryn

• Fixed freezing on iOS 13, 14
• "Zoom in to see isolines" message does not cover buttons
• CarPlay Search button now properly shows search results -- by Fabian Wüthrich
• Improved user interface for the Search on iPad

Styles -- a lot of fixes by Konstantin Pastbin

• Any feedback on the Outdoors style is appreciated
• Singapore metro icon -- RedAuburn
• Hackerspace -- RedAuburn
• Fix Porto metro icon -- Matheus Gomes
• Fixed residential leisure garden area fills disappearing on some zoom levels
• Display house numbers regardless of buildings' sizes
• Fine-tuned priorities of many POIs in the main style
• Less "gaps" in highways on the World map
• Removed very short ferry lines from the World map

Translations

• Improved Chinese, Dutch, Finnish, Polish, Russian translations
• Added Dutch, French, Polish, Romanian, and Russian translations for edition Opening Hours instructions
• Fixed missing parking translations

Linux

• Show Wikipedia articles in a separate dialog
• Touchscreen pinch-zoom support -- by Ferenc-

We wish you Organic Christmas and Organic New Year!