If you own a Garmin watch, you probably know that good maps are hard to come by unless you buy one of the company’s most expensive models. A new app called Awesome Maps is trying to change that.
The app lets users stream high-quality maps directly to almost any modern Garmin watch made since 2022. It brings premium mapping—like the UK’s Ordnance Survey, Switzerland’s Swisstopo, and detailed satellite imagery—to devices that usually do not support them
How It Works
The app was created by an independent developer who goes by the name CrispGarmin. It connects to your phone’s data connection and streams high-quality map pictures straight to your watch while you move.
Instead of forcing you to download huge files before you leave the house, it loads the map automatically as you walk or run. It also saves a small part of the map in the watch’s temporary memory (cache) so it loads faster and doesn’t use too much data.
You can view the maps in two ways:
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As a “glance” widget on your main watch face.
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As a small data field that you can look at while you are tracking an activity.
The Best Maps in the World
The biggest draw of the app is the quality of the maps. It links up with real national mapping services. This means users can see highly detailed Ordnance Survey maps in the UK, Swisstopo in Switzerland, IGN in France, and standard satellite imagery from TomTom.
What are the limits?
Because the app is new, there are a couple of things it cannot do yet:
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No offline routing: You cannot upload a route from your computer and have the watch give you turn-by-turn directions. It only shows you where you are and leaves a “snail trail” of where you have been.
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Needs a phone signal: The very first time you load a map in a new area, your watch needs to talk to your phone’s internet to download the picture.
How much does it cost?
The app uses a “freemium” model. You can download a trial version for free, but it limits how many map pictures you can load each month.
If you want unlimited access, it costs $3.49 every three months. If you want the premium national maps (like Ordnance Survey), it costs $4.99 every three months. The developer explains that these maps cost money because the national mapping agencies charge a fee to use their data.
If you want to try it, Awesome Maps is available right now to download on the Garmin Connect IQ store for almost any Garmin watch made from 2022 onwards.
I use this app on my Enduro 3 alongside native Topoactive and custom maps. It is very good.