Getting Maps from the Map Store – Avenza Maps

As of v3.8, the in-app Avenza Map Store has a whole new look and feel. We have done a complete overhaul of the Map Store to make the searchability more user-friendly and accurate, introduced a new way to see and view maps, as well as new ways to search using filters and keywords.

This article will help walk users through the new in-app Map Store, how to search and find maps, how to purchase them, and how to access your maps once they have been purchased.

Map Store Account

To purchase maps from the Map Store, you are required to have a Map Store account. If you haven’t created this already, you can do so by tapping the head/bust icon at the top of the screen from the My Maps, or Map Store tabs, and choosing the option to Register. Once you have your account created, you can go ahead and purchase maps from the store. Maps purchased while logged in with your account can be accessed on up to 5 devices by logging into your account. You can also use this account to purchase maps directly from our website (avenzamaps.com).

Accessing the Map Store

To access the Map Store in the app, all you need to do is tap the Store icon in the lower right corner of the main toolbar. Alternatively, from the My Maps tab, you can tap the Import icon in the bottom right corner, and select “Get a map from the store”.

Once you are in the Map Store, your current location will be automatically detected, and maps for that area displayed either on the list view, map view, or both (depending on the device you are using). From here, you can begin searching for a map using a series of gestures (panning the map, zooming in and out), or by using keyword and filter searches.

Searching for a map

Once you are in the Map Store you can begin searching for a map. As mentioned earlier, depending on your device, you have the option to view maps as a list, on the map view, or if you are using a large-screen device (tablet) you will see both options at the same time. For smaller devices, you can toggle between the map and list view using the “Map” button at the bottom and the back arrow at the top of the screen (available only when you are in the Map view).

You also have the option to change the base map view between a Google Earth topographic view (with and without labels), and street view (with and without major roads displayed).

To search for maps, you can pan around the map, as well as zoom in and out on the desired area. If the results do not update right away, you can tap the “Search this area” tab in the upper right corner to prompt the search of the desired area.

Alternatively, you can also search using keywords and locations. To do this, tap the search bar at the top of the screen where you can then enter the desired location, and/or keywords that you wish to search for.

If you would like to filter your search results further, you can tap the filter icon in the upper right corner of the Map View, or the “Filter” button at the bottom when on the List View. From here you can narrow your results by category (e.g. recreation, topographic, etc.), max price, and how you want to order the results. If you are having difficulty finding the specific map you are looking for, please be sure to check that your search terms and/or filters are not too narrow that you might be excluding the map you want.

If you are using the Map View, you may notice a few new icons on the map. Orange circles that have numbers inside them indicate how many maps fall within that area - please tap on this icon to zoom in further. The blue icon that looks like a folded map, indicates a single map product or bundle - tap on this icon to see more information for that map.

Viewing Map Details

When you find a map that you might be interested in, there are a couple of options to view the map details.

“Map Extents” button - This will show you a footprint of the map extents (the rough area the map covers) on the overview map. Please note that while the map extents do give an idea of the area that the map covers, some maps with a border or other non-map area may make this extent inaccurate (i.e. the extent is for the entire map document regardless of the actual map space).

Selecting the map title - This will show you all the details regarding the map, including title, description, category, size, language, when it was published, what version it is, as well as the map store ID. From here you can also select the purchase/download the map.

“Preview” button - this will allow you to view a sample of small snippets of the map you are interested in in order to help determine if the map suits your needs (e.g. labels, detail, etc.)

Purchasing a Map

Once you have found the map you wish to purchase or download, you can do so by tapping on the price icon (or “Free” if it’s a free map), and proceeding with the steps provided. If the map you are wanting to download/purchase is a paid map, you will need to ensure that you have a valid payment option set up in your Google Play account as all purchases made through the app are handled through Google. Once you have purchased your map, it will automatically be downloaded to your My Maps list and will be linked with your Map Store Account.

Accessing Previously Purchased Maps

If you have switched devices, or want to access your purchased or free maps on another device, you can do so by logging into your Map Store account on the other device. To do this, open Avenza Maps > tap the head/bust icon at the top of the screen and log in with your account details. Once logged in you have the option to change any of your account details (email or password), as well as see your purchase history, where you can select which maps you wish to download. New in v3.8 users are also able to search and filter their purchased maps so that you can find the map you are looking for more efficiently.

Updating Maps

Vendors now have the option of providing map updates for maps that you may have purchased. These updates, which include an updated map, can be offered for free, or for a discounted cost. To check for any updates that may be available, tap the 3 dot icon available from the My Maps tab, and select "Check for Map Updates". If an update is available for a specific map that you have installed, you will see the update option available below the title. Tap on this to go to the Map Store listing for the map, where you can see what changes were made, as well as to download (or purchase) the update. Please note that not all vendors choose to participate in this versioning system, and some may still provide a completely new map listing which would need to be purchased separately if desired.

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