Marking Areas
An area is a closed polygon, a shape that marks a zone, sector, boundary, or region on the map. Use it to define a search grid, an exclusion zone, a staging area, or any region your team needs to be aware of.
How to mark an area​
Tap the Command Grid button on the map.
Select Draw Area.
Drawing mode activates.
Tap on the map to place your first corner point.
Keep tapping to add more corners around the perimeter of your zone.
- Undo, removes the last placed point
- Use Current Location, adds a point at your current GPS position
- The toolbar shows a live area measurement as you draw
When you've outlined the shape, tap Finish (requires at least 3 points).
- The area automatically closes, the last point connects back to the first
Name and style the area:
- Label, name the zone (e.g., "Search Sector A", "Exclusion Zone", "Parking")
- Color, the area fills with a semi-transparent version of the color you choose
- Description (optional)
Tap Create.
The area appears on everyone's map immediately.
Area appearance​
Areas are displayed as filled polygons with a semi-transparent color overlay and a solid border. The label appears at the centroid of the shape.
Area details panel​
Tap anywhere inside the area polygon or on its border to open the details panel. The panel shows:
- Area label, color, and description
- Total area measurement (hectares or m²)
- Creator name and creation time
From the panel you can:
- Navigate, opens your maps app pointed at the area's center
- Edit, update label, color, or description; tap Save to sync changes
- Copy Coordinates, copies the center point's lat/lng
- Share Link, copies a direct link to this area (online groups only)
- Delete, removes the area from the group
Attaching photos to an area​
Members and admins can attach photos and files to any area.
Tap anywhere inside the area or on its border to open its details.
Tap Edit.
Tap the + tile in the attachments grid.
Take a photo or pick one from your library.
Tap Save.
All group members can view the attachments when they open the area's details panel.
Limits per area: up to 10 attachments, each no larger than 10 MB. Images are compressed automatically before upload.
Reshaping an area​
You can redraw the boundary of an existing area without losing its label, color, or attachments.
Tap the area to open its details panel.
Tap the pencil icon in the header to enter edit mode.
Tap the reshape button (the path icon, next to Save Changes).
Drawing mode opens, pre-loaded with the area's current boundary.
Redraw the boundary, tap to add corner points, Undo to remove the last one.
Tap Finish when done (requires at least 3 points).
The save dialog reappears with your existing label and style, adjust if needed, then tap Save.
The updated boundary syncs to all group members immediately, including radio group members.
Any Member or Admin can reshape an area. Viewers cannot.
Deleting an area​
Tap the area to open its details.
Tap Delete.
Confirm.
Geofencing​
Any area can be turned into a geofence that notifies the group when members enter or exit. Enable the Alert Zone toggle in the Create or Edit sheet and choose whether to alert on entry, exit, or both.
See Geofencing → for full details.
In Radio groups, area boundaries with more than 200 points are automatically simplified before transmission. For detailed shapes, aim to keep the point count under 200.
Tips​
- For complex shapes, place points slowly and deliberately, each tap adds a corner
- For large areas, zoom out first so the entire zone is visible before you start placing points
- Use contrasting colors for overlapping areas so they're visually distinct