Home > Motors

Gaia GPS Brings In-Car Backcountry Navi to Android Auto

Gaia GPS app on screen dash in car looking out on desert back road
Support us! GearJunkie may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More

Gaia GPS brings its exhaustive map collection and backcountry capability to Android Auto and Google.

Android Auto’s navigation technology has gone off-road. Today, Gaia GPS announces its compatibility with Android Auto. The long-awaited development makes Gaia GPS the first backcountry navigation app built for Google’s in-vehicle system.

Gaia GPS for Android Auto allows users to pull up any Gaia GPS map right on the car’s dashboard screen. The new rollout includes satellite, Gaia Topo, Nat Geo Trails Illustrated, MUVM, and more of the software’s partners and integrated displays. Drivers can then navigate anywhere, including offline — and with turn-by-turn directions.

The release catches Android-based Gaia GPS users up with their iOS counterparts the company completed Apple CarPlay compatibility in February 2020.

New Gaia GPS & Android Auto Capabilities

Gaia GPS on screen dash

Let’s get one thing straight: If you have a phone equipped with Gaia GPS and Android Auto, you really shouldn’t get lost. Like ever.

The list of standout features is enough to turn Clark Griswold into Jeremiah Johnson. It includes:

  • Turn-by-turn guidance on obscure backroads not available on Google or Apple Maps
  • In-vehicle and on-foot navigation to get you to the trailhead, down the trail, and back again
  • Landmark and detail ID that sources Gaia GPS’s entire map collection to pinpoint land boundaries, viewpoints, trailheads, restrooms, and more
  • A zoomed-in phone screen view to allow overlanders to safely see the map on HUD

Again, if you get lost, it’s on you. There’s nothing wrong with a hand-drawn map on a beer-stained napkin, but it does tend to lead to the long way around. 

Gaia GPS for Android: How to Get It

All you need to make any of this work is a car that has a compatible dash display. And that list is growing because nobody makes a car without a tablet in the dash anymore. Download the Android Auto or Gaia GPS app to try it out.

Or, to learn more, visit Android Auto or Gaia GPS.

gaia gps android auto feature on screen on car dash

2022 ram 1500 backcountry

New-Look Dodge Ram 'BackCountry Edition' Adds Off-Road Muscle to 2022 Pickup Truck

The new Ram BackCountry package, which includes off-road features and aesthetic tweaks, will debut at this weekend's Chicago Auto Show. Read more…

Subscribe Now

Get adventure news and gear reviews in your inbox!

Join Our GearJunkie Newsletter

Get adventure news and gear reviews in your inbox!