Congratulations, if you’re reading this, you made it to the end of 2024! That means it’s time for another year in review article, and what a year it has been. As we look forward to what’s to come in the next year, we think it’s a good time to take a look back at everything that has happened with Mergin Maps in the last year. The team has been working hard to bring about some major improvements to the experience of our users to make Mergin Maps the best way to collect data for your QGIS project in the field. These are a few of our proudest achievements this year:
App redesign
For those of you who have been using Mergin Maps for a while, you would have noticed some pretty big improvements in the app’s interface in the last year. In April we launched a complete redesign of the app interface to include a cleaner appearance, a decluttering of the map view and a few new features to make it easier to collect data on your mobile device. This redesign took into consideration many rounds of feedback from users and was a major milestone for our development plan for the year. We hope you’ve enjoyed the new layout and always welcome feedback you might have.
Editor permissions
This was the most-requested feature for the year! The addition of Editor permissions makes it easier to manage your project and gives you more control over what users can change when recording data. The new permission level restricts users from changing or removing project files and only allows them to record features and attach photos.
Measurement tool
The measurement tool launched in October was another one of the most-requested features from our users. The tool allows users to measure distances and areas from within the app. Now you can check to see the distance of a path or area on the map with just a few easy clicks.
Improved webmaps
As part of our redesign of the Mergin Maps Dashboard, we added improvements to the webmaps available for Team subscribers. The improved overview now loads faster and is more reliable, allowing you to view all of the layers in your project and view the details of individual features. It’s also a great way to check the status of your project when you don’t have access to QGIS or the mobile app, as long as you can connect to the website. This feature is still in BETA testing so we’d love to hear about any ways we can improve this part of the service.
And much more…
These were just a few of the biggest improvements we’ve made to Mergin Maps this year. You can find out about other features such as multiple feature selection, loading PDFs in your project or fused locations for Android by going to the changelog on our Wishlist page.
Speaking of the Wishlist page, yes you know what I’m going to say next
If there are some features you’d like to see in Mergin Maps, you should check out our Wishlist page. This is the primary way we decide which features to add to the app. You can request new features or vote and comment on other features that you’d like to see in the app.
That’s enough about us, let’s talk about you
One of the best things about making Mergin Maps is helping with all the interesting and impactful projects that our users are using the app for. Sometimes we get the opportunity to sit down and talk with you about how you are using the app. There have been some very interesting projects that our users have been involved with this year. Just a few of those we’d like to highlight include:
- Mapping Megafauna in the Maldives
- Improving Wildfire Prevention in Western Australia
- Road Research and Accessibility Innovations in Belgium
- Precision Agriculture in South Africa
What’s to come in 2025
We think it’s been a great year for Mergin Maps but we’re really excited about what’s to come. We’ve got a few big developments coming for the new year including a new tool for the Mergin Maps Plugin to visualise and manage project history. As always, we’re also excited to see what you’re going to do with Mergin Maps!