Quick Start
4x4buddy is a mobile-first off-road navigation app. You can use the live map, local objects, recording, GPX import/export, and local tracks without signing in. Sign-in unlocks account-backed workflows such as cloud track sync, Tribes, Convoy membership, and offline pack download where the app requires account access.
Permissions
| Permission | Requested when | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Location while using the app | First map/GPS use | Position arrow, speed, heading, live map context, and foreground recording. |
| Always location | First recording start | Lets recording continue when the screen turns off or the app moves to the background. |
| Bluetooth | OBD connect | Scans for and talks to ELM327-class Bluetooth LE OBD adapters. |
| Camera/photos | POI photo actions or QR scanning | Take or attach POI photos, and scan Convoy or Tribe QR codes. |
| Motion sensors | Tilt indicator/calibration | Pitch and roll display. |
Map HUD Buttons
The main screen is the driving view. There is no separate Tribes button on the map. Tribes live inside the signed-in Account sheet and can also be opened from Convoy where the host wires that shortcut.
Right-side controls
| Button | What it does | Extra behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Record track | Starts a track recording. While recording, the same button becomes Pause. If recording is paused it is amber and opens Continue/Stop choices. | Idle state is a neutral round button with a red record dot. Running state is red. Paused state is amber. |
| OBD connect | Connects, disconnects, or cancels an OBD session depending on state. | Only appears when the OBD panel overlay is enabled. |
| Layer | Switches between live map layers, including Premium satellite when entitlement allows it. | Long-press opens Offline Maps. If an offline pack is pinned, tapping returns to the live map. If satellite is gated, the icon shows a lock and tapping routes to entitlement/sign-in handling. |
| Offline maps | Starts the download flow for the current region. | Requires sign-in. The icon color carries offline readiness; long-press shows readiness detail. |
| Show on map | Opens the Map View settings sheet. | This is the main settings entry point for overlays, map data, style, recording cadence, gauges, help, and licenses. |
Left-side controls
| Button | What it does | Extra behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Convoy | Opens the Convoy sheet. | Shown on convoy-capable online builds. It is dimmed while signed out and turns green when an active convoy session is broadcasting. |
| Tracks | Opens the Tracks sheet. | Use it to show/hide tracks, import GPX, export GPX, edit, delete, share to Tribe, sync, download cloud-only tracks, and open recaps. |
| Drop POI here | Creates a POI at the map center/current drop position. | The button turns orange while placement is active. |
| Objects | Opens the Objects sheet for POIs, lines, areas, and text labels. | The button turns orange while drawing or label placement is active. |
| Recenter | Centers the map on your current position and resumes follow-me. | Orange means the map is currently following. Neutral means you have panned away. |
Top status controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Profile chip | Opens Account. The ring shows connectivity state: online/off-grid. Signed-out uses a person glyph; signed-in uses the user avatar. |
| Compass rose | Toggles north-up and heading-up map orientation. |
| Heading mode pill | Cycles heading source between Auto, magnetic compass, and GPS course when available. |
| GPS readout | Shows detailed location/speed/altitude/heading when enabled in settings. |
| Error banner | Appears when location permission, GPS service, or another visible app state needs attention. |
Show On Map Settings
Open this sheet with the tune/slider button. Settings persist across launches.
Map style
| Choice | Effect |
|---|---|
| Day | Forces the light outdoor basemap style. |
| Night | Forces the dark outdoor basemap style. |
| Auto | Follows the device light/dark setting. |
Recording
Controls how often saved track samples are logged. Choices are Per fix, 0.5 s, 1 s, and 2 s. The map still updates at full GPS rate regardless of the recording interval.
Overlays
| Setting | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| GPS readout | On | Shows the detailed GPS readout on the map. |
| Scale bar (debug) | Off | Shows a scale bar and zoom debug overlay. |
| Compass rose | On | Shows the compass/orientation control. |
| OBD panel | Off | Shows OBD gauges and the OBD connect button. |
| Tilt indicator | Off | Shows the pitch/roll indicator. |
Gauges
When OBD is connected, this section lists only gauges that currently have live data. Checking a gauge shows it on the OBD panel; unchecking hides it.
Map data
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| POIs | On by default. Shows or hides your own POIs. |
| SOT 2026 | Off by default. Shows or hides built-in Sweden Offroad Tour 2026 pins. Enabling this layer prompts once per session to join the SOT Convoy. |
| Show sponsored places | Off by default. Shows or hides sponsored read-only places. |
| Destinations | On by default. Shows or hides curated Destination pins. |
| Objects | On by default. Shows or hides drawn lines and areas. |
| Text labels | On by default. Shows or hides text-only labels. |
| Tracks | On by default. Shows or hides tracks. When enabled, the Color by choices appear. |
| Color by | Colors visible tracks by the selected telemetry mode. RPM is disabled unless a visible track has RPM samples. |
Help and About
Show app guide replays the first-run walkthrough. Open-source licenses opens license information.
Objects: POIs, Lines, Areas & Labels
The Objects sheet is the single list for POIs, drawings, and text labels. Open it from the gesture/Objects button.
Create buttons
| Button | Function |
|---|---|
| New line | Starts a line draft. Tap the map to add points. Save when at least two points exist. |
| New area | Starts an area draft. Tap the map to add polygon points. Save when at least three points exist. |
| New POI | Opens the POI dialog. |
| New text label | Starts label placement. Tap the map, then enter label text and color. |
POI dialog
POIs have a required name, optional description, color, symbol, and optional photo. Available symbols include Circle, Square, Triangle, Destination, Fuel, Camp, Recovery, Meeting point, Viewpoint, Obstacle / hazard, Water, and Parking. Photo actions are Take photo, Choose from gallery, and Remove photo when a photo exists.
Object list row actions
| Object type | Tap row | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| POI | Zooms to the POI. | Share to tribe, Edit, Delete when available. |
| Line or area | Zooms to the drawing. | Share to tribe, Rename, Delete. Lines show length; areas show area and perimeter. |
| Text label | Zooms to the label. | Share to tribe when sharing is available. |
Tracks, GPX & Recaps
Record a track
- Tap Record track.
- Grant location permissions. Grant Always location if you want background/screen-off recording.
- Tap the red Pause button to pause. Use Continue or Stop when the pause prompt appears.
- Stop and save to add the track to the Tracks sheet.
Tracks sheet
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Tap a track row | Shows or hides that track on the map. |
| Download all | Downloads all cloud-only tracks when available. |
| Cloud icon | Uploads, re-syncs, downloads, retries, or explains sync failure depending on the track state. |
| Row menu: Recap | Opens post-drive stats and share-card workflow when available. |
| Row menu: Edit | Edits name, color, and optional description. |
| Row menu: Export GPX | Shares the track as GPX 1.1 through the OS share sheet. |
| Row menu: Share to tribe | Shares the track to a selected Tribe when signed in and available. |
| Row menu: Delete | Deletes the track. |
Cloud labels
Track labels state where the track lives: Local only, Syncing, Cloud + Local, Local edits (not synced), Cloud only, Incomplete, or Failed.
GPX import
Use Import GPX in the Tracks sheet to import route files from device storage. Free users import one track per file. Premium unlocks multi-track GPX import.
Offline Maps
Offline packs let the app render an area without network. The map download button is sign-in gated and doubles as an offline-readiness indicator by icon color. The manager sheet is titled Offline maps and includes an orange Add region button.
Download flow
- Sign in.
- Tap the Offline maps button.
- Tap Add region and pick the region/detail offered by the app.
- Keep the app open for the most reliable progress.
- Activate a ready pack when you want to pin offline rendering.
Manager actions
| Action | Function |
|---|---|
| Use offline / Stop using offline | Activates or deactivates a ready pack. |
| Retry download | Retries a failed pack. |
| Pause | Pauses an active download. |
| Resume | Continues a paused download. |
| Delete | Removes the pack from the device. |
Destinations
Destinations are curated read-only places and route collections shown as map pins when the Destinations layer is enabled.
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Tap Destination pin | Opens the Destination detail sheet with cover image, linkified description, Active/POI-count/track-count chips, and bundled tracks/POIs. |
| Close | Closes the detail sheet. |
| Activate & download | Downloads tracks, POIs, and overlays. The full button label is Activate & download tracks, POIs and overlays. It is disabled if there is nothing to download. |
| Deactivate | Opens a confirmation dialog to remove the destination's downloaded tracks, POIs, and drawings from the device while keeping the Destination pin on the map. |
| Open links | Opens any website/social link shown in the destination description. |
Account, Profile & Tribes Entry
Open Account by tapping the profile chip in the top status cluster. This is the entry point for Tribes after sign-in.
Signed out
| Button | Function |
|---|---|
| Sign in with Apple | Signs in on Apple platforms when supported. |
| Sign in with Google | Signs in with Google. |
Signed in
| Row/button | Function |
|---|---|
| Signed in as / Email | Shows the current account identity. |
| Call sign | Shows the current display name/call sign state. |
| Vehicle | Shows the selected vehicle icon label. |
| Tribes | Opens Tribes. This replaces the old map-level Tribes button. |
| Edit profile | Edits profile fields such as call sign and vehicle icon. |
| Premium active | Shows entitlement status when Premium is active. |
| Upgrade to Premium | Opens the paywall for signed-in non-Premium users when billing is enabled. The row subtitle is Satellite maps, cloud sync, unlimited offline & more. |
| Account & Privacy | Opens data export, delete, privacy policy, display name, and live-position disclosure. |
| Sign out | Signs out of the app. |
Tribes
Tribes are persistent groups. Open them from Account after signing in, or from the Convoy sheet if that shortcut is visible.
Tribes list
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Refresh | Reloads your Tribes. |
| Tap a Tribe row | Opens that Tribe roster and shared content. |
| Join by code | Joins a Tribe using a code. |
| Scan QR | Scans a Tribe QR code. |
| Create | Creates a new Tribe and makes you the owner. |
Open Tribe
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Back | Returns to the Tribes list. |
| Start a convoy | Creates a live Convoy for the Tribe and shows a join code. It does not notify members yet. |
| Copy code | Copies the Tribe join code. |
| Show QR to scan | Expands the scannable join QR. Tapping the QR opens a larger dialog. |
| Remove member | Removes another member. Your own row uses Leave tribe instead. |
| Refresh tracks | Reloads tracks shared to this Tribe. |
| Tap shared track | Downloads/opens the shared track when available. |
| Remove from tribe | Unshares a shared track for everyone without deleting the track itself. |
| Refresh objects | Reloads shared POIs, drawings, and text labels. |
| Leave tribe | Leaves the Tribe. |
| Delete tribe | Owner-only destructive action to delete the Tribe. |
Convoy
Convoy is live group driving. It shows member positions while active and uses explicit Activate/Deactivate controls so viewing a convoy does not automatically share your location.
Convoys list
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Tribes | Optional shortcut to the Tribes sheet. |
| Refresh | Reloads convoys. |
| Tap convoy row | Opens the roster. Active convoys are highlighted. |
| Join by code | Joins with a manually entered code. |
| Scan QR | Scans a convoy QR code. |
| Create | Creates a convoy and shows a join code. |
Roster
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Back | Returns to the convoy list. |
| Activate | Starts broadcasting your live position and subscribing to member dots. |
| Deactivate | Stops broadcasting your live position. |
| Copy code | Copies the convoy join code. |
| Show QR to scan | Expands the scannable convoy QR. Tap the QR to enlarge it. |
| Filter by tribe | Loads your Tribes and lets you highlight or show only convoy members who are in a selected Tribe. |
| Show only tribe-mates | When a Tribe filter is active, hides non-Tribe members from the roster display. |
| Tap member | Centers the map on that member when live member positions are available. |
| Leave convoy | Leaves the convoy. If it was active, live sharing is stopped. |
SOT Convoy prompt
When the SOT 2026 map layer is enabled, the app offers to join the pre-created Sweden Offroad Tour 2026 convoy once per app session. The prompt title is Enable the SOT Convoy? and the body says Join the Sweden Offroad Tour 2026 convoy to see other tour drivers live on the map as you go. Actions are Not now and Join.
OBD, Gauges & Tilt
OBD connect states
| State | Button behavior |
|---|---|
| Disconnected/error | Tap to scan and connect. |
| Scanning/connecting | Shows a spinner. Tap to cancel. |
| Connected | Shows connected blue. Tap to disconnect. |
The app supports ELM327-class Bluetooth LE adapters including Veepeak/ELM327, Vgate iCar Pro, lelink, and compatible BLE adapters with writable/notify characteristics. Gauges can include RPM, speed, engine load, throttle, manifold pressure, coolant temperature, oil temperature, intake-air temperature, and battery/module voltage when the vehicle reports them.
Tilt indicator
The tilt indicator shows side and rear car silhouettes with pitch/roll color moving from green to yellow to red. It can show MUST CALIBRATE when calibration is required and Unavailable at speed when the app cannot provide a reliable tilt reading. Use Calibrate when the phone mount angle changes so the display treats the current mount as level.
Privacy & Premium
Account & Privacy screen
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Display name field | Sets the name/call sign other drivers see in Convoy roster and map. Blank falls back to account name. |
| Save name | Saves the display name. |
| Live position in convoys disclosure | Explains that active convoy members see your live position, and destination-hosted convoy operators/staff can also see it until you deactivate. |
| Export my data | Downloads account data as JSON through the share flow. |
| Delete account | Starts irreversible delete confirmation. You must type DELETE before confirmation is enabled. |
| Privacy Policy | Opens the privacy policy. |
Premium
Premium is entitlement-gated. Cloud track sync is account/sign-in backed. Premium covers paid-cap behavior such as satellite maps, higher hosted-convoy limits, longer hosted-convoy sessions, more active offline packs, and multi-track GPX import when enabled for your account. The Account sheet shows Premium active for entitled users and Upgrade to Premium for signed-in non-Premium users when billing is enabled.
Screenshots
Every screenshot on this page reflects the current app and matches the buttons, sheets, and states described in each section above.
Troubleshooting
I cannot find Tribes
Sign in, tap the profile chip, then tap Tribes in the Account sheet. There is no map-level Tribes button.
Satellite is locked
Sign in and confirm Premium entitlement. If the layer button shows a lock, the app will route you to the required sign-in or paywall flow.
Offline download is dimmed
Sign in first. Offline download is gated from the map button behind signed-in state.
Recording paused
If Always location was declined or the app loses background access, recording may pause. Tap the amber record button and choose Continue or Stop.
OBD will not connect
Confirm the adapter is Bluetooth LE, the ignition is on, Bluetooth permission is granted, and no other app is connected to the adapter.
Convoy positions are not visible
Open the Convoy roster and tap Activate. Viewing a convoy does not start live sharing by itself.