mendhak

gpslogger

Java2020–2025

mendhak / gpslogger

gpslogger

:satellite: Lightweight GPS Logging Application For Android.

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8Distinct people

8Mentions

0Explicit recommenders

2.6KGitHub stars

REPOSITORY AT A GLANCE

What to know before exploring

What it is

:satellite: Lightweight GPS Logging Application For Android.

GitHub

Where it is used

No documented product use has been verified yet.

What people are saying

No recommendation phrase was found in the indexed comments.

No classified warning is attached to this page. Read the discussions before treating silence as approval.

Also in these discussions

freika/dawarich · linked in 2 of the same discussions

Mentioned in the same Hacker News threads. That is not proof they are substitutes.

This week on Hacker News

Nov 7–Nov 14 UTC · Direct repository links and separately labeled related project stories. Indexed through 11/14/2026, 3:56:07 PM UTC.

No direct repository links were found in the indexed HN discussions over the past seven days. Older discussions are available below.

Mentions over time

HN mentions by year8 dated mentions

Observed mentions: 2020-10-09 22:42:42 UTC to 2025-08-26 05:43:10 UTC.

Counts come from the repository’s dated source evidence. Index cutoff: 2026-11-02 08:16:59 UTC.

View mention counts and date ranges

UTC ranges include their start and exclude their end. Select a period to filter the source evidence.
Period	Start (UTC)	End (exclusive, UTC)	Mentions	Submissions	Comments
2020	2020-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2	1	1
2021	2021-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	0	0	0
2022	2022-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2	0	2
2023	2023-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	0	0	0
2024	2024-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2	1	1
2025	2025-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2026-01-01 00:00:00 UTC	2	0	2

What Hacker News says

8 sources

RainyDayTmrw·Aug 26, 2025

There's an Android app called GPSLogger.[1] It does exactly what it says on the tin. Runners use it to track their own progress. Photographers use it to geotag their own photos. The thing is, GPS access as a permission is a bit scary. You could imagine some dubious uses for it. Moreover, you could imagine some such dubious uses creating a public relations nightmare for Google. So, Google just forces them out of the Play Store. (Technically, it's a routine renewal, but the GPS permission causes them extra scrutiny, to the point where the author burned out and gave up.[2]) Do we expect that this author should, or for that matter will, give their identity to Google after this? Or is GPSLogger just dead after this change lands? [1]: https://gpslogger.app/ [2]: https://github.com/mendhak/gpslogger/issues/849

In Google will allow only apps from verified developers to be installed on Android

sdht0·Mar 21, 2025

I've since enabled https://github.com/mendhak/gpslogger/ and sync the output files to my home server using syncthing. Also checkout Dawarich: https://dawarich.app/docs/tutorials/import-existing-data https://github.com/Freika/dawarich/wiki/How-to-track-your-lo...

In Tell HN: An update on your Google Maps Timeline

simonmysun·Nov 20, 2024Submission

Ask HN: Open-Source Alternatives to Google Location History?

I've been using Google Timeline (Location History) for years to remind me of what I have been doing on a specific day. However, Google will no longer store data in its cloud (https://www.techradar.com/phones/google-maps-will-soon-delete-your-location-histor… ). This brings me troubles because I really don't like to operate the cell phone when I have a much more powerful PC at hand. I would like to ask for advises for open source self hosted alternatives that collect location data quietly in background. Here are what I've found: https://github.com/traccar/traccar (server, client) https://github.com/mendhak/gpslogger (client) https://github.com/home-assistant (server, has location tracking integration) https://github.com/owntracks (server, client) https://github.com/Freika/dawarich (server)

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https://github.com/aaronpk/Overland-iOS (iOS client) https://github.com/OpenHumans/overland_android (Android client, inactive) https://github.com/aaronpk/Compass (server) https://github.com/julien-nc/phonetrack (web client, use Nextcloud as server) Any recommendations or tips? Thanks!

14 points · Open discussion

mikae1·Sep 3, 2024

heatmap.py[1] + GPSLogger[2] for a low(er) tech solution. [1] http://sethoscope.net/heatmap/ , https://github.com/sethoscope/heatmap [2] https://github.com/mendhak/gpslogger/

In Dawarich: Self-hosted alternative to Google Location History

qwertox·Nov 6, 2022

Why not a dedicated phone? A small app like https://github.com/mendhak/gpslogger and use it in airplane mode. Add a prepaid SIM card so that you can use it as a backup in case of emergency. That's basically what I'm doing to record my bike rides, with the exception that I leave the display and mobile internet on, since I use it as my bike computer. In my case it lasts around 3 hours, but the screen is at max brightness and there's a continuous websocket connection to my server, GPS is recorded in realtime, accelerometer and magnetic field multiple times a second. So I guess that if I'd only record GPS once a minute with the screen off and no mobile connection that battery would last for more than a day. You could also use it as a camera. Plus, when you get home, you connect it to wifi and let it upload the data to your server. I mean a ch

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eap phone with a big battery.

In 3D map of the Czech Republic, made from 12.5cm/px imagery (2017)

takeda·Jul 5, 2022

> I personally like knowing that Facebook can't ask people to sideload some privacy destroying crap on iOS). No company like Facebook requires app side loading on Android. The side-loading is used for other apps that one way or another couldn't be on Play Store. For example other stores (F-Droid is the most popular with open source applications) or other apps that one way or another are not allowed in the store. Another example is GPSLogger[1], Play Store makes it very difficult to support older versions or Android. Author got frustrated and just moved to alternative store. [1] https://github.com/mendhak/gpslogger/issues/849

In EU approves legislation to regulate Apple, Google, Meta, and other tech firms

lazyjeff·Oct 10, 2020

Surprised to see GPSLogger here on Hacker News. I've been using it for 8 years now, basically ever since it's been possible to track location on a phone all day without recharging. This app is a gem. Besides Google Location History / Google Timeline, GPSLogger is pretty much the only way to have records of your location. I've used it for research (we mention it in an academic paper on location-based memories), for my own records to see where I've been (like "how many times have I been to this area before"), and statistical analysis of my everyday habits. If you want long-term location history, GPSLogger is probably the only way to do this. The alternate, Google Location History, has only been really reliable for the past few years, whereas there was a long period when GPSLogger beat it hands down in terms of accuracy because it would do G

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PS with cell tower fallback, which is probably the best setup in terms of battery-accuracy tradeoff. The author implemented this in 2013 (it was an issue I filed [0]), and combined with the configurability of when it should try to get your coordinates, you can get long/lat records for almost no battery. If you want to own your own data, and export data automatically, GPSLogger is also the only way since Google doesn't let you automate data export as far as I know (plus if they did, you'd have to rewrite that code every year). My instance of this app has run in the background, syncing data hourly for months without needing a restart. GPSLogger is one of the reasons I stick with Android. I'll keep using it even if I have to sideload the APK. It's really sad that the author has had to go through all this stress. But it's also worth noting there isn't a way to collect location records on iPhone at all, or sideload an app (ipa/apk), so Android is still the more open of the two platforms. The buffet of apps that used to do this type of location tracking (Moves, Gyroscope, Foursquare, and a bunch of indie apps) are basically all gone or pivoted away. I'm disappointed that there's such a mindset here that apps should have subscriptions / revenue to be worth maintaining. Freeware and "indie" open source supports the long tail of usage. The popular apps can only get to 80% of the use cases out there. This also shows the inadvertent double-edged sword of privacy/security of indie apps, as they often use more hack-ey techniques which are the first to get blocked out. The most private/secure app is one that does nothing more than a website. [0] https://github.com/mendhak/gpslogger/issues/184

In GPSLogger has been removed from the Play Store, and development has been paused

NelsonMinar·Oct 9, 2020Submission

GPSLogger has been removed from the Play Store, and development has been paused

181 points · Open discussion