{"id":15180,"date":"2025-03-04T07:45:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T05:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/?p=15180"},"modified":"2026-04-16T15:42:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T13:42:04","slug":"qfield-3-5-fangorn-background-tracking-a-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/2025\/03\/04\/qfield-3-5-fangorn-background-tracking-a-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"QField 3.5 \u201cFangorn\u201d: Background tracking a reality!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Let\u2019s not bury the lead here: the long-awaited capability to track position while QField is in the background or the device is locked has arrived in this brand-new version of QField. This feels like a magical moment, so we settled for a fantastical forest for our release name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Main highlights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/splash.png?resize=750%2C460&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/splash.png?resize=1024%2C628&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/splash.png?resize=300%2C184&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/splash.png?resize=768%2C471&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/splash.png?w=1272&amp;ssl=1 1272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As highlighted above, QField 3.5 has unlocked <strong>background position tracking<\/strong> on the Android platform. This allows users to keep track of their positions even as they put QField in the background to conduct other tasks on their devices. It also means that tracking has become far more battery efficient, as users can lock\/suspend their phones and tablets for long periods while QField continues to collect and track positions. On top of it all, this will work out of the book with internal GNSS as well as external high-precision GNSS devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t<figure class=\"wp-block-jetpack-videopress jetpack-videopress-player aligncenter\" style=\"\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"jetpack-videopress-player__wrapper\"> <iframe title=\"VideoPress Video Player\" aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='750' height='750' src='https:\/\/videopress.com\/embed\/RqiQKWXY?cover=1&amp;autoPlay=0&amp;controls=1&amp;loop=0&amp;muted=0&amp;persistVolume=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;preloadContent=metadata&amp;useAverageColor=1&amp;hd=0' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent=\"true\" allow='clipboard-write'><\/iframe><script src='https:\/\/v0.wordpress.com\/js\/next\/videopress-iframe.js?m=1739540970'><\/script><\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\n\n\n<p>This is a <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">long-requested functionality for QField, and we couldn\u2019t be prouder to deliver it to our hundreds of thousands of Android users. Big thanks to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.groupementsforestiers.quebec\/\" target=\"_blank\">Groupements forestiers Qu\u00e9bec<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biotope.fr\/\" target=\"_blank\">Biotope<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.terrexseismic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Terrex Seismic,<\/a><\/span> who jointly sponsored the development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moving on to the next major feature added to this new version. Users can now easily import folders from WebDAV services and subsequently upload and download content to that remote folder within QField itself. This functionality eases friction on Android and iOS platforms where storage access is heavily regulated. This implementation highlights our commitment to providing QField users with the freedom they need to build their workflows; thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prona-romandie.ch\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.prona-romandie.ch\/\">Prona Romandie<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.agaricig.com\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"www.agaricig.com\">AgaricIG<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/oslandia.com\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/oslandia.com\/\">Oslandia<\/a> for commissioning this work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to note <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">that the WebDAV functionality does not provide data synchronization. The download and upload operations will overwrite datasets stored locally or remotely.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/qfield.cloud\/\" target=\"_blank\">For users in need of synchronization and smooth project distribution, QFieldCloud is the way to go<\/a>. With this new version of QField, downloading\u00a0<\/span>large datasets from QFieldCloud has become much more reliable, especially on devices with low memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last but not least, QField has gained <strong>support <\/strong><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><strong>for project-configured grid decoration<\/strong>. When activated, a grid is overlayed on top of the map canvas, which will dynamically render while panning and zooming around. The grid is configured and activated<\/span> while setting up projects within QGIS itself.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"681\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/griddialog.png?resize=600%2C681&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/griddialog.png?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/griddialog.png?resize=264%2C300&amp;ssl=1 264w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Pro tip: this functionality can replace heavy grid datasets when covering a large dataset, something to consider when trying to optimize projects\u2019 storage size. Big thanks to <a href=\"https:\/\/messtechnik.ch\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/messtechnik.ch\/\">Oester Messtechnik GmbH<\/a> for supporting the implementation of this fourth decoration following the arrival of title, copyright, and image decorations in earlier releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other improvements in this release include <strong>\u201cforward\u201d angle snapping<\/strong> to digitize perfectly angled polygons, <strong>pinch gesture-driven feature rotation<\/strong>, and a new print template which unlocks printing of map canvas to PDF even when their projects have no layouts defined.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/alwayspdf.png?resize=750%2C550&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15185\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/alwayspdf.png?w=764&amp;ssl=1 764w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/alwayspdf.png?resize=300%2C220&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Plugin-specific improvements<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><br>One of the main additions to QField\u2019s plugin framework is the <strong>capability to integrate custom results into the search bar<\/strong>.  Thanks to Kanton Basel-Landschaft for supporting the development, users can enjoy OpenStreetMap Nominatim search result integration by <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/opengisch\/qfield-nominatim-locator\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/github.com\/opengisch\/qfield-nominatim-locator\">installing this plugin<\/a> (instructions available on the repository). This integration also opens up many new possibilities, such as enabling plugins to send prompts to AI, just like <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/mbernasocchi\/qfield-ask-ai\">this plugin<\/a> does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Other noteworthy improvements include shipping <strong>Quick3D QML modules, which allow authors to develop 3D overlays<\/strong>, a new API to customize QField\u2019s colour appearance and a new mechanism for plugins to<\/span> add a configuration button within the plugin manager.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"368\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/configuration.png?resize=750%2C368&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/configuration.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/configuration.png?resize=300%2C147&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/configuration.png?resize=768%2C376&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><br>Users and plugin authors can expect an exciting year ahead as the QField plugin framework continues to grow with new functionalities and improvements. Watch this space!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Track positions in the background, even when your device is locked, for more efficient fieldwork. Enjoy seamless WebDAV folder integration, grid decorations, improved QFieldCloud downloads, and new plugin enhancements, that allow for example OpenStreetMap search integration or AI prompting. Big thanks to our sponsors\u2014this release is a game-changer! \ud83d\ude80<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":15181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,38,165],"tags":[125],"class_list":["post-15180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gis","category-qfield","category-highlights","tag-qgis-org"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/splash.png?fit=1272%2C780&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13811,"url":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/2023\/06\/29\/qfield-background-tracking\/","url_meta":{"origin":15180,"position":0},"title":"QField background tracking","author":"Marco Bernasocchi","date":"29. Juni 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Years ago, the QField community and its users showed their love for their favourite field app by supporting a successful crowdfunding to improve camera handling. Since then, OPENGIS.ch has continued to lead the development of QField with the regular support of sponsors. We couldn\u2019t be prouder of the progress we\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;crowdfunding&quot;","block_context":{"text":"crowdfunding","link":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/category\/crowdfunding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/gps-tracking.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/gps-tracking.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/gps-tracking.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/gps-tracking.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/gps-tracking.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15582,"url":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/2025\/06\/03\/qfield-3-6-gondwana-locking-on-greatness\/","url_meta":{"origin":15180,"position":1},"title":"QField 3.6 \u201cGondwana\u201d: Locking on greatness","author":"Mathieu","date":"3. Juni 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Building on top of the last release which introduced background tracking, this development cycle focused on polishing functionalities and building on top of preexisting features. The variety of improvements is sure to make our diverse user base and community excited to upgrade to QField 3.6.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;QField&quot;","block_context":{"text":"QField","link":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/category\/gis\/qfield\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/splash.png?fit=1200%2C736&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/splash.png?fit=1200%2C736&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/splash.png?fit=1200%2C736&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/splash.png?fit=1200%2C736&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/splash.png?fit=1200%2C736&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14227,"url":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/2024\/04\/04\/qfield-3-2-congo-making-your-life-easier\/","url_meta":{"origin":15180,"position":2},"title":"QField 3.2 \u201cCongo\u201d: Making your life easier","author":"Mathieu","date":"4. April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"QField 3.2 introduces project-defined tracking for automated device position recording and improved cloud project synchronization that allows near real-time tracking. New features include automatic data pushing, undo\/redo actions, enhanced visuals for titles, and copyright decorations. Enhanced QFieldCloud provides better user feedback, and Android integration sees stability improvements.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;GIS&quot;","block_context":{"text":"GIS","link":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/category\/gis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/qfield32.png?fit=956%2C597&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/qfield32.png?fit=956%2C597&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/qfield32.png?fit=956%2C597&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/qfield32.png?fit=956%2C597&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13401,"url":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/2022\/11\/14\/qfield-2-5-is-here-reaching-new-heights\/","url_meta":{"origin":15180,"position":3},"title":"QField 2.5 is here, reaching new heights","author":"Mathieu","date":"14. November 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Our ninjas have been so busy that less than a month after we released QField 2.4, we find ourselves with so many new features we simply can't wait any longer to present to you the latest version of QField: 2.5 \"Fancy Flamingo ?\u201d. Exciting new features QField\u2019s main new feature\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;QField&quot;","block_context":{"text":"QField","link":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/category\/gis\/qfield\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/25.png?fit=1200%2C751&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/25.png?fit=1200%2C751&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/25.png?fit=1200%2C751&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/25.png?fit=1200%2C751&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/25.png?fit=1200%2C751&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18014,"url":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/2025\/12\/17\/qfield-4-0-aare-unlocking-a-great-spatial-experience-for-a-larger-audience\/","url_meta":{"origin":15180,"position":4},"title":"QField 4.0 \u201cAare\u201d: Unlocking a great spatial experience for a larger audience","author":"Mathieu","date":"17. Dezember 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"QField 4.0 \u201cAare\u201d marks a major usability milestone, making mobile field mapping more accessible than ever. With a streamlined project creation wizard, improved cloud workflows, and a leaner, clearer user interface, QField 4.0 unlocks a great spatial experience for both GIS professionals and newcomers\u2014while launching a new release cycle dedicated\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;QField&quot;","block_context":{"text":"QField","link":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/category\/gis\/qfield\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image.png?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image.png?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image.png?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image.png?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image.png?fit=1200%2C714&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13565,"url":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/2023\/01\/26\/qfield-2-6-perfecting-high-accuracy-positioning\/","url_meta":{"origin":15180,"position":5},"title":"QField 2.6: perfecting high-accuracy positioning","author":"Mathieu","date":"26. Januar 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s only been a few weeks into the new year, but we\u2019ve got great news for you: a brand new QField 2.6 \u201cGeeky Gecko ?\u201d has been released with a focus on positioning improvements, including Bluetooth support for Windows. And with that, we are delighted to remove the \u2018beta\u2019 status\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;QField&quot;","block_context":{"text":"QField","link":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/category\/gis\/qfield\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/26_cover-1.png?fit=800%2C501&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/26_cover-1.png?fit=800%2C501&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/26_cover-1.png?fit=800%2C501&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.opengis.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/26_cover-1.png?fit=800%2C501&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbdBtI-3WQ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15180"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15180\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15224,"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15180\/revisions\/15224"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.opengis.ch\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}