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Ask Android @lemdro.id ijeff @lemdro.id

Local Only GPS location to GPX file trackers?

cross-posted for [email protected]

I'm into Photography as one of my hobbies, but the curse of using a Sony camera is that they don't have GPS built into their bodies. On top of that, their app which is supposed to connect to your camera via bluetooth sucks, and often loses connection randomly (or doesn't get a connection at all) leaving many, or all, photos without GPS data.

Right now, Ive been using 'Geotag Photos 2' which records GPS location data, sends it to their server, then lets you download/tag your photos from a 'trip' with GPS data.

Obviously, I hate that.

I know of OwnTracks, but I don't believe it offers any way to export data to a GPX file for tagging photos with.

I have Home Assistant accessible from the outside, which tracks location, but I don't believe it can be exported to a GPX and I don't believe it records location if it can't "phone home". If Im out on a hike, that would interrupt service and kill the usage of it.

If the app just records data, and doesn't send it to any server, I can live with that - I just want something fully local that isn't sending my location to any companies servers.

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  • Given your requirements, here are some Android apps that can record GPS tracks locally on your device and export them as GPX files. These should be suitable for geotagging your photos without needing to send your data to any servers.

    1. GPS Logger for Android: This is a lightweight, battery-efficient GPS logger that logs GPS information into GPX, KML, and/or CSV files. It's open-source and doesn't require an internet connection to log data, which should be suitable for your needs.

    2. OsmAnd: This is an open-source navigation app that has a built-in trip recording plugin. It can record your GPS tracks and save them as GPX files. The app also functions fully offline, so you don't need to worry about it trying to "phone home".

    3. My Tracks: This is a simple, no-frills app that logs your GPS tracks and exports them as GPX files. It's not as feature-rich as some other options, but it's lightweight and easy to use.

    4. GPX Viewer and Recorder: This app allows you to record your path, save your paths and share your position. It can save the data as GPX files which you can then use for your photography geotagging.

    All of these apps should be able to run in the background while you're using your camera, so you can just start them up at the beginning of your hike and then forget about them until you're ready to export your GPS track. Then, you can use a software tool to add the geotags to your photos based on the GPX file and the timestamps on your photos.