GeoShare: Jump Between Maps

Share a map link with GeoShare and the app will open it in another installed map app.

Example use cases

When someone sends you a Google Maps link, but you prefer using OpenStreetMap, you can quickly open the same location in OsmAnd or Organic Maps.

When you like Google Maps for finding places, but you prefer a different app for navigation, you can easily switch from Google Maps to your favorite navigation app.

Other features

Shows the geographic coordinates of a map link and allows copying them to clipboard in various formats, for example as a geo: link.
Shows all points of a place list link.
Allows performing an action automatically when a map link is processed.
Allows launching navigation in all apps that support it, including TomTom.
Allows opening a location in web maps, pre-installed ones or your own.
Allows saving a location as a GPX file.
Allows sending a location via a messaging app.
Allows saving a location to a contact.
Retries on patchy internet connection.
Allows pasting map links directly into the app, instead of sharing them with it.
Interface adapts to tablets.

How it works

GeoShare converts map links (e.g. https://maps.app.goo.gl/...) into geo: links that can be opened by other map apps. To create a geo: link, geographic coordinates are required. GeoShare extracts them from the map URL.

However, not all map URLs include coordinates. In such cases, GeoShare will prompt you for permission to connect to the map service (Google Maps, Apple Maps etc.) and retrieve the coordinates from:

either HTTP headers, e.g. Location: https://google.com/maps/@40.78,-73.96,19z
or HTML document, e.g. <meta property="place:location:latitude" content="40.78">
or the whole web page with running JavaScript.

If you don’t allow connecting to the map service, then GeoShare creates a geo: link with a search term instead of coordinates, or it stops, depending on the particular link.

To permanently allow or deny connecting to the map service instead of always asking (the default), go to the app’s preferences.

Privacy considerations

When possible, GeoShare converts map links offline. If the map link requires online conversion, the app will ask you before connecting to the map service ( Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc.). If you allow the connection, the map service will receive the map link, it will be able to read your IP address, and in some cases GeoShare will load the live web page of the map service and execute its JavaScript. This happens in a restricted environment, which blocks tracking scripts and doesn’t store cookies.

Location permission

GeoShare asks for location permission when launching the TomTom navigation and when sharing a GPX route, because in these cases the app needs to create a GPX route that starts at your current location. The location information is discarded immediately after the creation of the route.

Reporting issues

GeoShare supports many types of map links. If you still find a link that doesn’t work, please report an issue.

License

Feel free to remix this project under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3 or later. See COPYING and NOTICE.

Some components are derived from third-party code under other compatible licenses; see individual subdirectories.

Map data is derived from Natural Earth and Marine Regions.

References

Flanders Marine Institute (2023). Maritime Boundaries Geodatabase: Maritime Boundaries and Exclusive Economic Zones (200NM), version 12. Available online at https://www.marineregions.org/. https://doi.org/10.14284/632