AI summary
Privacy-focused maps and navigation client for Android devices without Google Play Services. Uses OpenStreetMap for base maps and queries Google's public web endpoints directly from your device for search, routing, and traffic data — no account, no backend, no ads. Features offline maps, AMOLED true-black theme, EV charging locations, bike routing, and transit preferences.
Generated by AI. May contain inaccuracies.
About this app
A degoogled maps and navigation client for Android — what NewPipe is to YouTube, Vela is to Google Maps. Open vector tiles provide the basemap, while the device itself scrapes Google's public web endpoints (per-user, no backend) for the things Google does best: POI quality, routing, and traffic-aware ETAs. Built to run on GrapheneOS and other no-GMS ROMs.
Why a degoogled app uses Google
A phone without Google Play Services cannot run Google Maps, and open map datasets fall well short on search, reviews, hours, and live traffic. So Vela is a thin client over Google's public web endpoints. It queries them the same way a logged-out browser does — once per user, with no account, no shared API key, and no server in between. NewPipe does the same for YouTube. There are no ads, and your searches, saved places, and history stay on the phone. If you run GrapheneOS or another no-GMS ROM, this gives you working maps again.
The map itself — streets, labels, and house numbers — all come from OpenStreetMap. Google is used only for places, search, routing, and traffic. As a result, street names and house numbers may differ from what Google Maps shows, and the level of detail available offline depends on how well OpenStreetMap covers your area. I am exploring ways to improve OSM and fill data gaps. Stay tuned.
Privacy
There is no Vela backend, no account, and no telemetry. Vela fetches data from Google directly from your phone, acting like a logged-out browser — Google sees your IP, query, and map area, but not a Google account or any app key, much like using google.com/maps in an incognito window. Your saved places, history, and settings never leave the device.
License
GNU General Public License v3.0
What's new
- Critical Fix
- Fixed a launch crash affecting some Android 10 devices and head units (introduced in 0.4.1270).
- Improvements
- AMOLED true-black theme for the map, navigation overlays, and route line. - Searching from a close zoom keeps your view instead of flying out to frame every result. - Every icon on the open places layer keeps its name; labels now try four positions. - Icons in a dense strip of shops no longer hide each other when zoomed in. - Speed-limit badge and romanized road names now come from downloaded region files and work offline. - Reroutes no longer wait on Google once the open router has a route. - Offline maps: a downloaded region now shows the map picture, not just routes and pins. - Download a whole country from its pieces in one tap. - The update card lists every release between the installed version and the offered one. - Added EV charging chip beside Gas, on the map and along the route. - Rename a saved place from its row menu. - Prefer bus, subway, train, or tram on transit trips. - Congestion colors on every route, alternates, and multi-stop trips. - Bike routes prefer bike lanes and quiet streets (on by default). - The mic dialog lists the phrases it understands. - Zoom buttons on touch phones (behind Prefer buttons over swipes). - Clear history in one place: recent searches, recent places, parking history, and recorded trips. - Settings search now lands on the matched row. - Diagnostics exports record the network state, so a dropout is visible next to a failed fetch.
- Fixes
- Fixed the boot crash from the speeding alert holder. - The date picker now shows all seven days on narrow phones. - Transit Depart at and Arrive by now send the local clock Google expects, not UTC. - A tapped house number keeps the geocoder's street when the geocode is number-exact. - A tapped town label resolves only to a listing near the tap. - Offline taps never ask Google. - Various stability and layout fixes.
About this version
- Version
- 0.4.1430 (3430)
- Size
- 99.89 MB
- Requires Android
- 8.0
- Target SDK
- 26
- Architecture
- x86, x86_64, arm64-v8a, armeabi-v7a
- Downloads
- 65
- Updated
- Sep 15, 2026
- Package
- app.vela
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