Offline first
Each accepted location fix is saved on the Android device before the app tries to send it. Capture keeps going through ordinary network gaps.
Offline route tracking
Record your route beyond coverage.
Backcountry Tracker records your route on Android even when coverage fades. Every location fix is saved on your device first, then sent as a small queued update when a connection returns.
Interim debug build, v1.8. Android 8.0+ (API 26). This is a testable APK, not a production release.
TRACKING VIEW / CURRENT STATEStopped / collection paused
Capture firstLocation fixes persist before any upload attempt.
Keep it smallQueued reports are batched and compressed for constrained links.
Deliver laterRetries and backfill continue when connectivity returns.
Built for uncertain connections
The useful part is what happens offline.
Capture and upload are independent. That means a disappearing signal can delay delivery without erasing the route you are still recording.
Small by design
Queued points travel in compact, compressed batches. Retries use backoff instead of repeatedly filling a slow or metered connection.
Delayed, not lost
When a connection returns, the queue can catch up. Once a track exists, share its private viewing link with the people you choose.
Field workflow
Three steps from trailhead to shared map.
Backcountry Tracker records the route; a lightweight web viewer shows the points that have reached the server. The app does not fetch map tiles, ads, or analytics.
Start a track
Choose capture and upload intervals, then start tracking. A foreground notification confirms when the recorder is active.
Move through the gap
Location fixes stay in a durable on-device queue. Upload can wait independently while you keep moving.
Reconnect and share
Queued batches retry when connectivity returns. Share the private viewer link deliberately after the track is available.
Direct-to-cell, qualified
Designed for T-Satellite with Starlink.
The Android app is designed for T-Mobile's T-Satellite with Starlink direct-to-cell service, not Starlink Wi-Fi or a hotspot. It also works over ordinary mobile data and Wi-Fi. The app can keep traffic efficient on constrained networks, but it cannot provide satellite service or guarantee a connection.
Privacy by possession
Private links, not public profiles.
There is no account directory or public track feed. Each track has separate reporting and viewing capabilities, and you decide who receives the private viewing link.
Treat the viewing link like a key.
Anyone who receives a track's viewing link can view that track. Links are not published or indexed from this homepage, and the tracker does not add analytics or advertising to the recording flow.
Interim Android build
Bring the recorder along.
Try the current debug APK on a compatible Android phone. It is clearly labeled here because the production release and update path are still separate work.
Get the v1.8 debug build
- Status
- Debug / interim
- Android
- 8.0+ (API 26)
- Network
- Mobile, Wi-Fi, constrained
- File
- APK for direct install
Installation: Open the downloaded file and follow Android's prompt. You may need to allow your browser or file manager to install unknown apps.
Before you head out
A few practical details.
Start with ordinary connectivity, then test the exact phone, plan, permissions, and environment you expect to use. Satellite behavior is dependent on the device and service, not just the app.
Use Android 8.0 or newer
The interim APK targets Android API 26 and above. Download it directly, then review Android's installation and location-permission prompts.
Start tracking yourself
Choose your intervals and begin from the app. Keep the foreground notification visible while tracking is active.
Check what has arrived
The web view shows received points, not a promise of a continuously current position. Queued points can arrive later in a backfill.