OS Maps for PC

You're planning a walk across the Lake District, and you'd rather plot the route on your computer while sitting at a desk than squinting at your phone. OS Maps brings Great Britain's detailed leisure mapping to your desktop, letting you design your outdoor journeys with precision before you head out. Free access to standard, greenspace, and aerial maps covers the whole country, and a Premium subscription unlocks the full Explorer and Landranger detail that walkers and cyclists rely on. Running OS Maps on PC transforms route planning from a mobile task into something you can do alongside other windows, with a proper keyboard and mouse to refine every waypoint.

OS Maps for Windows PC gives you the same map quality and route-planning tools as the mobile app, but with the space and input precision of a full screen. When you're preparing for a weekend hike, a cycling trip, or simply exploring the British landscape, the desktop version sits comfortably in your workflow: open alongside a weather app, your calendar, or a gear checklist. The app syncs your routes and activities across your devices, so a route you sketch on your computer shows up on your phone when you're out the door.

Core mapping and route design

The heart of OS Maps is its access to the most detailed leisure maps of Great Britain. Free users get standard mapping, greenspace layers, and aerial views. Premium subscribers unlock the full Explorer 1:25,000 and Landranger 1:50,000 maps: the same printed maps walkers have trusted for decades, now in digital form on your PC. If you've bought a physical OS map, you can redeem the digital version using the code inside the cover, giving you offline access on your computer.

How a desktop session flows

Setting up a route on PC follows a natural rhythm. You begin by viewing your chosen area, pinching and zooming to focus on the terrain you'll cover. Then you plot waypoints by clicking on the map, building your path step by step. The app displays distance estimates as you add points, so you know the length before you leave home. Once satisfied, you save and name your route, ready to follow it on your phone using turn-by-turn navigation, or to share it with friends who can view or modify it themselves. The 3D Aerial Layer on desktop lets you preview terrain and elevation: a feature that pairs well with sitting at a computer where you have room to study the landscape in detail.

Offline travel maps navigation and data sync

A defining strength of OS Maps is support for download map areas to your device for offline use: essential if you're walking in zones without mobile signal. On your desktop, you can prepare these downloads before a trip, ensuring your phone has the maps cached and ready. Your activities and routes sync across all your devices when you're signed in, so the walk you recorded on your phone automatically appears in your desktop account, and any routes you create on PC download to your mobile when you head out. CRE tools platform thinking applies here: this cross-device flow makes the computer version invaluable for trip prep and record-keeping from a full keyboard and larger display.

Additional features and AR exploration

OS Maps includes an Augmented Reality mode that uses your device's compass and motion sensors to overlay nearby landmarks (hills, forests, water features, and settlements) onto the landscape view. You can export routes to compatible GPS devices in GPX format, bridging OS Maps with dedicated outdoor equipment. The app also serves as an advanced map viewer where you can simply browse and explore, zooming through satellite imagery, studying contours, or discovering new walking territory without any route-planning intent. Regular updates improve stability and add features based on user feedback.