Maps app planning overview

This came out of a lunch meeting at the Nextcloud Conf, 1 October 2025.
Participants: @julien-nc @emberfiend @kra-mo @marcoambrosini @jamiethecat @susnux @mahibi @jancborchardt

Feel free to link related issues where it makes sense. :)

High priority

Clear focal points of Nextcloud Maps.

• Point of interest search and metadata viewing
• Favorites
  • Sync favorites with other apps: GNOME Maps, CoMaps, OsmAnd, Organic Maps, etc. https://github.com/nextcloud/maps/issues/92
  • TODO: Reach out to those apps and see what they would need from our API, rather than just handing them an API that might not make sense
• Routing, incl public transport (using Transitous?)
• Elements from Nextcloud on the map: photos, contacts, (calendar events)
• Maps embedded in other apps: Photos sidebar, Contacts detail view, Calendar events detail view
• (Simple editing: Easy way to add opening hours?)

Medium priority

Partly things we already have, but are outside of the scope of the first focus of a Maps app so could be descoped or realigned.

• Show ratings & reviews (from Yelp, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Google Maps, etc.)
  • Or integrate an open rating platform, if it exists. Discussion happening at https://github.com/osmandapp/OsmAnd/issues/11111
• Device tracking ("Find my")
• Collaborative maps (like Google My Maps, @tacruc had a concept)
• Placing photos on map
• GPS track display

Lower priority

Either cause they are less common use cases, or would rather be done using specified apps, or mobile apps.

• Editing maps – for now a link to the node on OpenStreetMap will have to be enough.
• Share a layer of a map or a combination
• GPS track recording (there are mobile maps apps for this)
• Share your location (can be done in Talk)
• Filter photos shown based on subfolders
• Filter contacts shown based on groups
• Time filter slider

The issue names no files, tests, or entry points and lists many possible Maps features. Start by reviewing the priority list, linked issue #92, and related discussions; done would require an agreed, bounded implementation scope with acceptance criteria, which this planning overview does not provide.