Map & Waypoints
The Map tab shows all nodes that have shared a position, overlaid on an Apple Maps base layer.
Node Pins
Each node that has reported a GPS position appears as a colored circle pin on the map. The green solid line shows a directly connected node; orange dashed lines show nodes reached via the mesh. A purple star marks a waypoint. Tap a pin to see the node name, last heard time, signal info, and a shortcut to send a direct message.
Pins update automatically when a new position packet is received from the mesh.
Filtering Nodes on the Map
Tap the filter button (funnel icon, line.3.horizontal.decrease.circle) in the bottom-right toolbar to open the Map Filters sheet. When any filter is active, the icon appears filled to indicate filtering is in effect.
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Via LoRa | Show only nodes heard directly over LoRa radio |
| Via MQTT | Show only nodes bridged through MQTT |
| Online | Show only nodes heard within the last 2 hours |
| Encrypted | Show only nodes using PKI encryption |
| Favorites | Show only nodes you have starred as favorites |
| Distance | Limit to nodes within a chosen radius of your current location |
| Hops Away | Slider from All to 7 — restricts by hop count (0 = direct only) |
| Roles | Filter by one or more device roles (e.g. Router, Client, Repeater) |
Tip — Checking LoRa range Enable the Via LoRa filter and disable Via MQTT to see only nodes reachable directly over radio, which is useful for assessing whether a direct LoRa link is feasible.
Map Layers
Tap the layer icon (top-right) to switch between:
| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| Standard | Default Apple Maps street/satellite hybrid |
| Satellite | Aerial imagery |
| GeoJSON Overlays | Custom map layers loaded from .geojson files in the app’s file storage |
Map Options
Tap the info button (info.circle) in the bottom-right toolbar to open the Map Options sheet. Alongside the base layer picker it offers:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Waypoints | Show or hide waypoint markers on the map |
| Precise Locations Only | Hide nodes that broadcast an approximate (reduced-precision) location. Imprecise nodes are normally drawn with a translucent circle showing how large the possible area is; turn this on to show only nodes reporting an exact position. Both the imprecise pins and their precision circles are hidden. |
| Convex Hull | Draw an outline around the outermost LoRa nodes to visualize mesh coverage |
| Traffic | Show Apple Maps live traffic |
| Points of Interest | Show Apple Maps points of interest |
Waypoints
Waypoints are named points of interest you can share across the mesh.
Creating a Waypoint
- Long press anywhere on the map.
- Enter a name, optional description, and lock icon (to limit editing to the creator).
- Tap Save — the waypoint broadcasts to all nodes on the primary channel.
Editing a Waypoint
Tap an existing waypoint pin, then tap Edit. Changes broadcast to the mesh immediately.
Deleting a Waypoint
Tap the waypoint, then tap Delete. The deletion broadcasts to all nodes.
Geofences
A geofence turns a waypoint into a watched area: when a node’s reported position crosses into or out of it, your device raises a local notification. Open a waypoint, tap Edit, and use the Geofence section.
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Radius | A circular geofence centered on the waypoint, from 0.1 to 10 miles. Choose Off for no circle. |
| Bounding Box | A rectangular geofence. Tap Set Bounding Box to draw one on the map, Edit Bounding Box to adjust it, or Remove Bounding Box to clear it. |
You can use a radius, a bounding box, or both — a node counts as inside if it falls within either shape.
Once a radius or bounding box is set, notification options appear:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Notify on Enter | Alert when a node moves into the geofence. |
| Notify on Exit | Alert when a node leaves the geofence. |
| Favorites Only | Shown when Enter or Exit is on. Limits alerts to nodes you have starred as favorites. |
Note Geofences are evaluated on your own device as position packets arrive from the mesh, so alerts reflect what your radio has heard rather than live tracking. Tapping an alert opens the waypoint on the map. Favorites Only uses the favorite status set on this device, so each receiver decides which nodes are worth an alert.
Trace Routes on the Map
A trace route can be drawn on the map to show the path a packet took through the mesh. Open Settings → Logging → Trace Routes (or a node’s Trace Route log), select a route, and tap Show on Map.
Reading the Route
- Colored legs — each hop is colored by its signal quality (SNR), using the same scale as the LoRa signal meter: green (good), yellow (fair), orange (bad), red (none).
- Solid vs. dashed — the solid line is the outbound path toward the target; the dashed line is the return path back to the originator.
- Arrows — chevrons along each line point in the direction of travel.
- Endpoints — a green marker is the originator; a red marker is the target.
3D Flyover
Tap ▶ in the route banner for a guided 3D flythrough over satellite imagery: it flies the outbound path, lands at the target, then flies the return path and eases back to the map. Tap the speed control to cycle the pace from 1× up to 5× (1×, 1.5×, 2×, 2.5×, 3×, 4×, 5×) — adjustable mid-flight — and ■ to stop.
Tap the legend button (map icon, bottom-right) for a key to the colors and markers.
Node Trail
When a node has reported multiple positions over time, a trail line connects the historical positions on the map, showing the node’s path.
Your Location
Your current GPS position appears as a blue dot (standard iOS location indicator). Enable position broadcasting in Settings → Position to share your location with the mesh.