How do I transfer my maps & layers to my new device?

All of your maps & layers are stored internally on your device so you can access this offline. This means when you change devices you will need to transfer all of your data to your new device. There are several ways to do this depending on your old/new device. 

This is also good practice for backing up your data (layers, placemarks, tracks) so that if anything happens to your device you will be able to retrieve it in the future. 

If you want to restore your Avenza Maps Pro or Plus subscription please see this support article - Moving subscriptions between devices

Maps purchased from the Avenza Map Store: 

These can be downloaded on your new device by logging into your Map Store account downloading them from your Download History: 

1. Open the Avenza Maps App to the My Maps screen
2. Select the head/bust icon 
3. Log into your Map Store Account using your email address 
4. select Download History 
5. select the maps you wish to download to your new device.

Top Tip: it is recommended to download maps in batches (8 - 10 maps at a time) and have a solid internet connection. 

Note: your Layers are separate to your Map Store Maps so if you have any layers these will need to be exported from your old device. 

iOS to iOS: 

There are two options when transferring your data from on iOS device to another. The first is using AirDrop to share custom maps & layers. The second is an Encrypted iTunes Back-Up (note - a general iTunes back up will not restore your data within the Avenza Maps app it only saves files saved directly to the OS of your device). 

Using AirDrop to share layers & custom maps: 

1. Turn on WiFi, Bluetooth, and AirDrop on both iOS devices. WiFi and Bluetooth can be found under iOS Settings. To turn on AirDrop, open device Settings > General > AirDrop, and set it to 'Everyone'
2. Make sure both devices have the same version of Avenza Maps installed (this can be checked by going to Settings > scrolling to the bottom of the page (e.g. 4.2.2). 
3. Maps can be shared from two spots within Avenza Maps: the My Maps tab, or from the Map View. At this time only 1 Map can be shared at a time. 

My Maps List

Map View

While exporting, users can select to export just the map, or the map and a selection of layers linked to the map (e.g. when you need to add your layers to a Map Store map). 

Encrypted iTunes Back Up

The other option is to use a feature exclusive to iOS devices - an encrypted iTunes back-up. Encrypted back ups include information on your device that an unencrypted back-up doesn't including app data, passwords, and browsing history. 

This support article from Apple shows how you can encrypt your iTunes back up, check whether it is encrypted & restore from back up - https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT205220

Android to Android

One of our new features is Android nearby share. This allows you to share custom maps & layers from one Android device to another: 

For Custom Maps:

1. From the My Maps List tap  
2. Select 'Share'
3. Select Nearby Share and follow the remaining prompts to select the receiving device
4. Receiving device receives the file and automatically imports it into Avenza Maps

For Layers: 

1. open the Layers Tab 
2. Select the orange symbol at the bottom of the page 
3. Select Export Layers
4. Choose the layers you wish to export 
5. Select 'Share'
6. Select Nearby Share and follow the remaining prompts to select the receiving device
7. Receiving device receives the file and automatically imports it into Avenza Maps

All devices & cross-platform

The following steps are for users who are transferring from iOS to Android/Android to iOS. These instructions also work for same platform devices if you do not have access to AirDrop or Android Nearby Share. There are two steps to this - exporting your layers from the Avenza Maps App & importing your layers and custom maps to the Avenza Maps App. 

Exporting:

For Layers they need to be exported out of the app (as a .kml, .gpx. or .shp(pro only)) from the Layers tab. Tip: save these to an easily accessible location such as cloud storage or share via email! - Exporting and sharing map features and custom maps

Importing:

Custom import maps cannot be exported out of the app. All custom import maps need to be imported from their original storage location (such as email, Dropbox, Google Drive) - Importing maps from custom locations

 For Layers these can be imported from the location you saved the exported layers (e.g. email, Google drive) - Importing map features