TouchTrails: flexible GPX route planning with standalone Apple Watch navigation
Finding the right route for a trail run is rarely straightforward. Sometimes you want to build one from scratch to a target distance or elevation. More often, you have a GPX file that is close to what you need but not quite right: a detour would improve it, a steep section should be removed, or two separate routes should be merged.
Most outdoor apps handle one of those workflows well. Few handle both. TouchTrails, built by Austrian independent developer Wolfgang Knecht, is designed around the premise that route planning should adapt to the run, not the other way around. The app covers drawing from scratch, GPX import, multi-file merging, and standalone navigation on Apple Watch without an iPhone. It is available on Android and iPhone, with the Apple Watch component as a separate companion app.
How the planning workflow works
A typical session starts with either a blank map or an imported GPX file. Drawing works by tracing directly on the map with a finger; an optional Snap to Road mode keeps the line on known paths, though going fully off-road is also supported. Distance and elevation gain update in real time as you draw, and the elevation profile is visible throughout planning.
Where TouchTrails differs from most route planners is in how it handles existing files. GPX routes imported from other apps or websites can be edited rather than treated as fixed. Sections can be removed with an eraser tool, detours added, or two separate GPX files merged into a single route. The app’s own worked example illustrates the case clearly: a 10.9 km scenic route and a 5.6 km forest loop imported separately, merged, then trimmed to 12.8 km with 380 m of elevation gain.
Finished routes can be exported as GPX files for use in other apps and devices. They can also be shared as 3D flyover videos and images, which give a terrain preview before heading out.
Standalone Apple Watch navigation
Once a route is ready, it can be sent to the Apple Watch. The transfer includes the route, offline maps, and navigation data. The watch then navigates independently: no iPhone connection is required during the activity.
During navigation, the watch shows position on the offline map alongside the planned route, upcoming turn-by-turn instructions, remaining distance, elevation gain, and an elevation profile of what lies ahead. Haptic alerts fire at turns and when you leave the route. Because maps and routing data are stored locally on the device, there is no dependency on a mobile signal or the phone’s GPS.
Standalone Apple Watch navigation remains a niche capability. Most running apps that include a Watch component require the phone to be present for full navigation; the Watch functions as a display rather than an independent navigator. Apps such as Komoot and WorkOutDoors offer offline map support on Apple Watch, so TouchTrails is entering an established but small field rather than creating one.
Free and premium tiers
TouchTrails is free to download on both platforms. Route planning, GPX import and editing, and 3D image and video generation are all available free of charge. The premium tier adds GPX export, offline maps, turn-by-turn navigation on iPhone, and standalone offline navigation on Apple Watch. No account or login is required to use the app at either tier.
Platform and feature summary
| Category | Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning | Draw routes on the map | Yes | Yes |
| Planning | Snap to Road routing | Yes (3/day) | Yes |
| Planning | GPX import and editing | Yes | Yes |
| Planning | Merge multiple GPX files | Yes | Yes |
| Planning | Elevation profile while planning | Yes | Yes |
| Planning | 3D flyover images and videos | Yes | Yes |
| Planning | GPX export | No | Yes |
| Navigation | Turn-by-turn navigation on iPhone | No | Yes |
| Navigation | Offline maps on iPhone | No | Yes |
| Navigation | Standalone Apple Watch navigation | No | Yes |
| Navigation | Haptic turn and off-route alerts | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Android | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | iPhone | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | Apple Watch (standalone) | No | Yes |
TouchTrails is available on the App Store and Google Play.
Authored by the developer, Wolfgang Knecht, and edited by the5krunner.
Quick answers
Does Apple Watch navigation require carrying an iPhone?
No. After the route is transferred from the iPhone app, the Apple Watch stores the route and offline maps locally and uses its own GPS throughout the activity. The iPhone can be left behind.
Is TouchTrails free to use?
TouchTrails is free to download. Route planning, GPX import and editing, and 3D route imagery are available without a subscription. Premium adds GPX export, offline maps, turn-by-turn navigation on iPhone, and standalone Apple Watch navigation.
Do I need to create an account to use TouchTrails?
No. TouchTrails requires no account or login. Install the app and begin planning immediately.
Last Updated on 7 July 2026 by the5krunner
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
