FlosForge Survival Tools for Android

Offline Compass, Barometer & Survival Toolkit for Android

An all-in-one navigation and field instrument toolkit engineered for off-grid outdoor use. Featuring nine compass dials, a barometric storm alert monitor, GPS track recording with backtrack guidance, celestial calculations, peak identification, and emergency signaling. Operates completely offline with zero account sign-ups, no ads, and zero telemetry.

  • Works without cell service
  • 20 offline tools
  • Zero tracking & no ads

Coming soon

Email me when it is out See it working

Demo data: the position, tracks, times, pressure history, alerts and sensor readings shown are invented, captured from a separate demo build. Place and peak names are real public landmarks. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors, SRTM; style © OpenTopoMap (CC BY-SA).

Runs on
Android 8.0 and later
Network
Offline (optional map tiles only)
Tools
20 standalone tools
Language
English

  • No AI

    Every chart, score and insight is plain arithmetic over your own entries, worked out on the phone. Nothing you log is sent to a model, and there is none built in.

  • No telemetry

    No analytics, no crash reports, no ads and no account. There is no FlosForge server for the app to report to. Internet access is entirely optional and used exclusively to download map tiles when you enable the online map view.

  • Your data stays on the phone

    Kept in the app’s private storage and left out of cloud backups. It leaves the phone only as a file you choose to export.

Precision compass navigation for field work

Nine specialized dials — including classic needle, marine compass rose, lensatic dial with NATO mils, orienteering baseplate, and aircraft heading indicator. Navigate using true or magnetic north, with automatic local declination computed entirely on-device.

  • Bearing lock with intuitive left and right turn correction cues
  • Target waypoint navigation with on-dial heading markers and real-time distance
  • Continuous display of back-bearing, magnetic declination, and sensor field strength
  • Real-time warnings for uncalibrated sensors and nearby magnetic interference

Barometric tracking with automated storm alerts

An aneroid-style gauge with a 3-hour reference hand, meteorological tendency bands, and comprehensive historical logs. The app continuously tracks pressure trends in the background — even when closed — and alerts you if air pressure drops rapidly.

  • Configurable storm alert sensitivity thresholds, disabled until you choose to turn them on
  • Interactive pressure graphs spanning from six hours up to a full year
  • Smart elevation filtering to prevent rapid climbs or drives from triggering false storm alarms
  • 12-hour localized weather forecasts based on pressure trends and seasonal patterns

GPS track recording with reliable backtrack navigation

Record hiking tracks in the background with the screen turned off. When you are ready to head back, Backtrack guides you along your original path with clear directional arrows, off-trail distance warnings, and haptic feedback when you veer off course or reach your destination.

  • Live distance remaining, cross-track error, and estimated time to arrival based on your pace
  • Direct compass guidance pointing straight back to your track’s start or finish
  • Full GPX import and export for seamless workflows with handheld GPS units and hiking apps
  • Optional topographic map layer with automatic local caching for viewed areas

Celestial orientation and solar calculators

Monitor daylight hours, every twilight phase (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and current lunar illumination to gauge nighttime visibility. Use the augmented sky viewfinder to locate Polaris or the Southern Cross and determine your latitude without GPS.

  • Precise sunrise and sunset azimuths, solar paths, and shadow-stick orientation
  • Moon phases, moonrise and moonset schedules, and a full-month lunar calendar
  • Dynamic celestial sky chart aligned in real-time with device orientation
  • Built-in field guides for natural direction finding by day and night

Custom modular instrument dashboards

Assemble customized instrument pages from modular live blocks — compass headings, barometric pressure, altitude, coordinates, sun and moon status, battery telemetry, and target waypoints. Set any custom layout as your default launch screen; only active sensors draw power.

  • Add, arrange, resize, and inspect blocks; tap any widget to launch its full tool
  • Customize your bottom navigation bar with up to three primary tool shortcuts
  • Low-intensity red night-vision theme to preserve dark adaptation
  • Export or share instrument snapshot cards complete with coordinates and timestamps

Every feature, in full

A list of features you can find in the application.

FlosForge Survival Tools feature categories

  • Compass

    9 dial styles, true and magnetic north, bearing lock, waypoint tracking, and integrated level bubble.

  • Barometer

    Sea-level pressure in hPa, inHg, or mmHg, 3-hour tendency, 1, 3, and 24-hour delta changes, and short-term forecast.

  • Pressure history

    Continuous pressure logs charted from 6 hours to 1 year with interactive timeline scrubbing.

  • Storm alerts

    Background notifications when pressure drops 2, 3, or 4.5 hPa within three hours, with severe storm classifications.

  • Background recording

    Periodic sensor sampling (15, 30, or 60 min intervals) running reliably even after device restarts.

  • Map & tracks

    Background track recording, zoomable map with active trails and waypoints, and GPX import/export.

  • Backtrack

    Reverse trail navigation with directional arrow, cross-track error, remaining distance, and haptic course alerts.

  • Location

    Coordinates in DMS, Decimal, UTM, and MGRS formats, waypoint management, and satellite constellation sky plot.

  • Coordinates

    Coordinate format converter, distance and bearing calculator, waypoint projection, and two-landmark resection.

  • Sun

    Remaining daylight, twilight stages (civil, nautical, astronomical), 24-hour sun path, and solstice/equinox dates.

  • Moon

    Current phase, moonrise/moonset times, illumination percentage, supermoon ranges, and monthly phase calendar.

  • North Star

    Polaris position, celestial pole finder with camera viewfinder alignment, and latitude estimation.

  • Weather

    Zambretti barometric forecast, feels-like temperature, frostbite/heat warnings, dew point, and cloud base ceiling.

  • Altimeter

    Barometric altitude, vertical ascent/descent rates, elevation profiles, and physiological altitude stages.

  • Peaks

    Built-in offline catalog of ~475,000 summits with compass-synced panorama, 3D elevation cones, and distance lists.

  • Level

    Surface bubble and tubular spirit level in five styles, with sensor calibration, hold lock, and haptic feedback.

  • Horizon

    Artificial horizon attitude indicator in classic and glass-cockpit layouts, with optional live camera backdrop.

  • HUD

    Customizable heads-up display overlaying sensor readouts directly over a live camera feed with high-contrast night mode.

  • Flashlight

    Steady beam with hardware brightness control, strobe frequencies, SOS distress signal, and custom Morse transmission.

  • Screen light

    Full-screen lantern with white, red (night vision), amber, and flashing SOS distress modes.

  • Whistle

    Audible 3 kHz emergency acoustic signal with distress patterns, Morse SOS, and continuous tone.

  • Battery

    Real-time battery telemetry: charge percentage, power draw, temperature, runtime projections, and power-saving tips (Beta).

  • Dashboards

    Customizable multi-widget instrument screens; set any layout as the default app home screen.

  • Start page and bar

    Configurable launch screen and customizable bottom navigation bar with up to three shortcuts.

  • Themes

    System, light, dark, and red monochrome night-vision themes with custom accent color options.

  • Backup

    Local JSON and CSV export/import for pressure history, storm alerts, and custom waypoints.

  • Compass

    9 dial styles, true and magnetic north, bearing lock, waypoint tracking, and integrated level bubble.

  • Barometer

    Sea-level pressure in hPa, inHg, or mmHg, 3-hour tendency, 1, 3, and 24-hour delta changes, and short-term forecast.

  • Pressure history

    Continuous pressure logs charted from 6 hours to 1 year with interactive timeline scrubbing.

  • Storm alerts

    Background notifications when pressure drops 2, 3, or 4.5 hPa within three hours, with severe storm classifications.

  • Background recording

    Periodic sensor sampling (15, 30, or 60 min intervals) running reliably even after device restarts.

  • Map & tracks

    Background track recording, zoomable map with active trails and waypoints, and GPX import/export.

  • Backtrack

    Reverse trail navigation with directional arrow, cross-track error, remaining distance, and haptic course alerts.

  • Location

    Coordinates in DMS, Decimal, UTM, and MGRS formats, waypoint management, and satellite constellation sky plot.

  • Coordinates

    Coordinate format converter, distance and bearing calculator, waypoint projection, and two-landmark resection.

  • Sun

    Remaining daylight, twilight stages (civil, nautical, astronomical), 24-hour sun path, and solstice/equinox dates.

  • Moon

    Current phase, moonrise/moonset times, illumination percentage, supermoon ranges, and monthly phase calendar.

  • North Star

    Polaris position, celestial pole finder with camera viewfinder alignment, and latitude estimation.

  • Weather

    Zambretti barometric forecast, feels-like temperature, frostbite/heat warnings, dew point, and cloud base ceiling.

  • Altimeter

    Barometric altitude, vertical ascent/descent rates, elevation profiles, and physiological altitude stages.

  • Peaks

    Built-in offline catalog of ~475,000 summits with compass-synced panorama, 3D elevation cones, and distance lists.

  • Level

    Surface bubble and tubular spirit level in five styles, with sensor calibration, hold lock, and haptic feedback.

  • Horizon

    Artificial horizon attitude indicator in classic and glass-cockpit layouts, with optional live camera backdrop.

  • HUD

    Customizable heads-up display overlaying sensor readouts directly over a live camera feed with high-contrast night mode.

  • Flashlight

    Steady beam with hardware brightness control, strobe frequencies, SOS distress signal, and custom Morse transmission.

  • Screen light

    Full-screen lantern with white, red (night vision), amber, and flashing SOS distress modes.

  • Whistle

    Audible 3 kHz emergency acoustic signal with distress patterns, Morse SOS, and continuous tone.

  • Battery

    Real-time battery telemetry: charge percentage, power draw, temperature, runtime projections, and power-saving tips (Beta).

  • Dashboards

    Customizable multi-widget instrument screens; set any layout as the default app home screen.

  • Start page and bar

    Configurable launch screen and customizable bottom navigation bar with up to three shortcuts.

  • Themes

    System, light, dark, and red monochrome night-vision themes with custom accent color options.

  • Backup

    Local JSON and CSV export/import for pressure history, storm alerts, and custom waypoints.

See it working

Take a look at the user interface of the application.

Important limitations and boundaries

A smartphone is a helpful aid, not a foolproof survival lifeline. Keep these limitations in mind:

  • Not a substitute for a physical topographic map and magnetic compass. Phone batteries can drain quickly in extreme temperatures, and internal digital compass sensors can be skewed by nearby metals or electronic interference.
  • Not an official meteorological weather service. The 12-hour outlook is an automated estimate computed from local barometric pressure changes using Zambretti algorithms. Always verify official weather forecasts when a connection is available.
  • Requires built-in hardware sensors. The compass requires a hardware magnetometer, while the barometer, storm alerts, and altimeter require an internal pressure sensor.
  • Offline map caching is regional. Only map tiles you have previously viewed while connected are cached on the device; outside those areas, the map renders a clean navigation grid with your active tracks and waypoints.
  • Peak visibility is calculated mathematically. Summit line-of-sight estimates rely on relative summit elevations and distance rather than full 3D terrain elevation models.

Questions about FlosForge Survival Tools

Does it work without a phone signal?

Yes. All 20 tools function completely offline, including the 475,000-peak database, sun and moon positions, and star calculations. The only feature that connects to the internet is downloading new map tiles for the optional online map layer, and previously viewed tiles stay cached for offline use.

Can it warn me before a storm?

Yes, provided your phone has an internal barometric pressure sensor. When you enable storm alerts in Settings, the app monitors pressure in the background every 15 to 60 minutes and alerts you if air pressure drops sharply.

Can it lead me back the way I came?

Yes. Tap Record Track on your way out. If you need to retrace your path, open Backtrack: a prominent directional arrow guides you along your recorded route, alerting you if you wander off-trail and showing the remaining distance and estimated time.

Does it track my location?

Only on your device. Location is queried strictly while an active tool that requires it is open on your screen, or while you are actively logging a track (which displays an ongoing Android status notification). Your location is never sent to any server.

Does my phone need special sensors?

The compass requires a built-in magnetometer (compass sensor), and the barometer, storm alerts, and altimeter require an internal barometric pressure sensor. Most modern Android devices have these. All other tools (GPS navigation, sun/moon tables, bubble level, flashlight, whistle) run on any standard Android phone.

Which phones does it run on?

Any phone running Android 8.0 (Oreo) or later. The interface is in English.

How every FlosForge app works

  • No telemetry

    No analytics, no crash reporting, no usage pings. Not configurable — simply absent.

  • Local storage only

    Your data stays on your own device, stored in private application sandboxes under your control.

  • Open exports

    Everything exports to standard formats you own (CSV, GPX, JSON, Markdown), with zero lock-in.

Coming soon

FlosForge Survival Tools for Android is in active testing in real-world scenarios, and will be released in the near future.

  1. Development (done) Features being built
  2. Active Testing (current stage) In daily use, tested in real-world scenarios
  3. Release prep Store listing and final checks
  4. Released Available to download

More private apps for Android

Trademarks and affiliation

FlosForge is an independent, one-person project. It is NOT affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, certified by, approved by or connected in any way to any of the companies or organisations named below, or to any other company whose products, services or trademarks appear anywhere on this site or inside its screenshots. None of them has reviewed, approved or supported this software, and no such relationship is claimed or implied. Their names appear here for one reason only: to identify the software the pages are talking about.

Apple Inc.
Apple, macOS, Mac, the Mac App Store, Touch ID, Keychain and Apple Intelligence
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft, Windows, Visual Studio, WinUI and .NET
Google LLC
Google, Android, Google Play, Google Drive, Health Connect and Gemini
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung, Galaxy, Samsung Health and S Pen
the WordPress Foundation
WordPress
Linus Torvalds
Linux, registered in the U.S. and other countries
The MITRE Corporation
CVE (registered trademark) and CWE
Docker, Inc.
Docker
the OpenJS Foundation
Node.js and Electron
Cloudflare, Inc.
Cloudflare and R2
Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates
Amazon Web Services, AWS and Amazon S3
GitHub, Inc.
GitHub
the OpenStreetMap Foundation
OpenStreetMap
Yoast BV
Yoast
reMarkable AS
reMarkable, reMarkable 2 and reMarkable Paper Pro

cURL, Python, Ollama, Backblaze, Wasabi, MinIO, GeoNames, OpenTopoMap, NVD (National Vulnerability Database), the security advisory databases named on the project pages, and every other product, brand or company name shown on this site or inside its screenshots are the property of their respective owners. This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Each mark is used nominatively — to identify the software, platforms or data sources concerned — and never as a badge of origin, quality or endorsement.