- Price$8.99
- CategoryNavigation
- First releasedNovember 30, 2009
- Versions3 archived
- Installable2 of 3
- AvailabilityStill on the App Store
- SellerHunter Research and Technology, LLC
- Bundle IDcom.hunter.theodolite
RequirementsCompatible with iPhone and iPod touch. Requires iOS 3.0 or later.
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Report an issueTheodolite is a multi-function viewfinder that combines a compass, two-axis inclinometer, rangefinder, GPS, map, nav calculator, and geo-overlay photo/movie camera into one indispensable app. Theodolite was one of the very first augmented reality (AR) apps when it was released in 2009, and it’s been downloaded and used by millions of customers since then. Uses are endless, and the app is great for land measurements, outdoor sports, sightseeing, navigation, and finding your way around. Theodolite is a pro grade app and is used extensively by surveyors, geologists, architects, engineers, competitive sportsmen, first responders, military personnel, and search and rescue workers around the world.
Theodolite lets you take data-overlay photos and movies with 2X-8X zoom. Overlay geographical data, angle markings, date/time, author/company info, and project notes directly on photos and movies for later reference. The same data is written into the metadata record of images, making image files self-contained data records. Third-party apps can tap into Theodolite's advanced camera functions with a camera sharing feature.
View current position on the built-in map with optional offline Outdoors maps that include topo contours, roads, trails, landmarks, campgrounds, ski lifts, and more. Live map markers continually update distance/heading relative to the current location and also show wayfinding info in the main viewfinder. Draw polygons on the map to mark things like property boundaries and trails, and import/export polygon data via KML.
Share map markers and nav calculator points with other users of Theodolite via text messages or e-mail. This powerful capability opens up a wide range of collaborative uses including team land surveying, accident investigations, spotting wild fires, triangulation of landmarks, and advanced tactical observation and targeting. With an optional in-app purchase to enable team tracking, you can share location with up to 20 people on Theodolite's map.
Theodolite includes features for serious users like a reference angle mode, nav calculator, map marker import/export, manual and automatic data logging with CSV and KML export, clipboard integration, %grade display, mil compass readout, optical rangefinders (including a mil-based reticle, sniper-style stadiametric graphs, and a variable 4X-24X scope), and night filters to improve use in dark conditions.
Theodolite can provide location in military grid reference system (MGRS) coordinates, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinates, British/Irish National Grids, US National Grid, Maidenhead locator system, Map Grid of Australia, and six latitude/longitude formats. Optional US State Plane coordinates include SPCS27 and SPCS83 zones covering all US States. The optional Datum Pack adds over 230 geodetic datums to the app to improve position computation from GPS data, covering regions and countries on all continents around the world.
AR Layers include navigational aids like the sun, moon, planets, and Polaris (North star), and the optional US Mountain Summits layer that shows over 70,000 US mountain summits in the viewfinder.
Theodolite has been shown in Apple Keynotes, featured on the App Store, and has been a #1 selling Navigation app in App Stores around the world. Since its introduction in 2009, Theodolite has defined augmented reality navigation. The app continually introduces new technologies, pushing the limits of iOS app development and taking advantage of new hardware capabilities.
Find out why Apple named Theodolite one of the most amazing apps available and showed it being used to explore the Great Wall of China. Where will you take it on your next adventure?
Note: Theodolite is an iPhone app -- see “Theodolite HD” for use on an iPad. And be sure to check out the all-new "Theodolite for Watch" and put Theodolite on your wrist!
Chart History
Ratings Over Time
sampled from 8 archived captures| Date | Version | Rating | Ratings | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 14, 2010 | 1.1 | — | 178 | $1.99 |
| February 16, 2011 | 2.3 | — | 387 | $3.99 |
| January 13, 2012 | — | — | 587 | $3.99 |
| June 19, 2013 | — | — | 1,142 | $3.99 |
| December 12, 2018 | — | ★ 4.8 | 647 | $5.99 |
| November 29, 2020 | — | ★ 4.7 | 738 | $7.99 |
| December 3, 2023 | 9.0.3 | ★ 4.7 | 826 | $8.99 |
From archived App Store listing data, captured by the Wayback Machine.
Archived Reviews
8 of 25This app will give you a lot of info on the lay of the land. The only caveat I have is the camera button placement. I would like to use my right hand index finger at the upper right hand corner with a decent size button and right underneath it the zoom button. At the moment I have to search for it which in turn disrupts the photo.
Great app! With the extra peaks, it adds a great layer for fun.
The calibration button does not work on a horizontal surface. When the phone is lying on a surface
Found true North and angle of declination for my solar panel all with one app.
What a great tool!
Visually beautiful. Clear on-screen layouts and useful outdoor navigational information in the theodolite and compass apps. Altimeter…meh, informative but not eye-catching but maybe that’s its point (?). Weather? Yeah, there are hundreds of apps that do that, so it’s not really the selling point of the app. However, I am very disappointed that (1) the bundle does not include the Apple Watch apps and the various datum sets and (2) even more puzzled/peeved that the purchase of the datum for one app in the bundle does not make those datum available for use with the other apps in the set. It doesn’t really seem like a “bundle” especially when there are other apps available from other vendors that do as much but without the “nickel and dime” price escalation every time you open the preferences. In short, I’m pleased with the compass (on the phone) but will likely not find use for the rest of the apps as they each require additional purchases for base map datum($3) and localized maps/state plane coordinates ($25).
Almost useless in bright sun where I use the app. Cant see the camera trigger Other than that this is a great app. Needs option for big button easy to see like Solo has
It is difficult to get information when the instructions are given by users in India.
Period reviews recovered from Apple's customer-review feeds via the Wayback Machine.