Squadrats now draws your squadrats on a Garmin. The Squadrats app splits the map into squares about 1.5km across, plus smaller squadratinhos about 200m, which you collect by riding, running, or walking through them using activities synced from Strava. A new Connect IQ data field shows the grid around you as you ride or run, shaded by the squares you already own, so you can see the edge of your coverage coming and plan a detour to the next new square without taking out your phone. It runs on most Garmin watches and Edge bike computers, but requires a Squadrats Pro subscription for £29.99 a year.
The data field arrives with the biggest update yet to the Squadrats phone app, adding offline regions and, Squadrats says, up to 50% longer phone battery life on a hunt. A free alternative, Tiloscope, has been on Garmin watches and Edge computers since spring, and it does a couple of things the official field can’t.
What Squadrats shows on a Garmin
The field takes over a full data page and centres the grid on your position.
- Squadrats and the smaller squadratinhos around you, shaded by what you already own.
- Roads, railways, and rivers run under the grid, so an empty squadratinho becomes a lane on the far bank.
- Your track is drawn behind you.
- A tone plays the moment you enter a squadratinho you didn’t have, and you can turn it off.
- Heading-up or north-up, with + and − zoom on touchscreen devices.
Squadrats calls the display a live preview. Squares are still credited from the uploaded activity, and the field doesn’t change what your Garmin records or what reaches Garmin Connect and Strava.
What it needs to work
The field reaches Squadrats through your phone, so the phone has to be with you, with Bluetooth on, Garmin Connect running in the background and a data signal. A red NO PHONE or NO INTERNET stripe appears when either link drops. The new offline regions apply only to the phone app, so that Garmin Field won’t help deep in a forest with no signal.
It is a separate page next to your map. Garmin doesn’t let Connect IQ apps draw on its own map page, so you can’t see squadrats on the navigation screen while following a course, and the field offers no routing or turn prompts. Linking the field to your account is a one-off: on the first run, it shows a QR code and a short code, and you approve it while signed in to Squadrats.
Which Garmins are supported
The Edge list covers the 540, 550, 840, 850, 1040, 1050, Explore 2 and MTB. On the wrist, it runs on most current and recent Garmins, from Forerunner 165 and 265 up to Fenix 9 Pro, plus Venu 3 and 4, Vivoactive 5 and 6, Enduro 2 and 3, Epix, MARQ and tactix models.
There are gaps. Edge 1060 and Edge Explore 3, both launched this month, aren’t listed yet (likely will arrive soon). Forerunner 255 appears only in its Music versions, Forerunner 955 only as the Dual Power model, and Instinct 3 only in AMOLED form.
The Squadrats phone app update
Version 2026.10.25 of the app, out on 25 October, brings these changes.
- Whole regions download to the phone for hunting with no signal.
- Squadrats claim up to 50% longer phone battery on the same outing.
- An arrow points to the nearest squadratinho and shows how far away it is.
- Your yard and übersquadrat progress updates live on the map.
- New readouts show speed, moving time, and squadrats or squadratinhos per hour.
- Bad GPS points are filtered out of recordings.
- The app is now in Czech, French, Dutch, German, Polish and Spanish.
Pro adds Live Hunt, which lights up squares as you collect them, plus regional standings, the heatmap, satellite maps and the Garmin field. The free tier still syncs your history and shows your squares, and there is a 14-day Pro trial.
Tiloscope: the free Garmin alternative
Tiloscope is a solo developer’s project that puts the same kind of live tile map on a Garmin. The account is free, and the developer gives coffee donors more device pairings than the default three.
Once you paste in a Statshunters API key, it pulls your full tile history from Statshunters, the free Strava stats site, and refreshes it automatically. Squadrats and VeloViewer athletes can upload a KML export of their tiles instead, but that copy goes out of date after the next ride unless you upload it again.
Tiloscope comes in several forms, which is where it pulls ahead of the official field.
- A full-screen data field that shows visited and missing tiles, the count of new tiles or the distance to the next unvisited one, and the distance to the edge of the current tile.
- A widget that draws your tiles over Garmin’s map, with your loaded course and trail, and lets you open it mid-activity for orientation.
- A separate data field for squadratinhos (zoom 17 tiles of about 200m), fed by the Squadrats KML export.
- A version for older Connect IQ 3 watches, which refreshes every five minutes and drops some extras.
- A watch face showing your biggest cluster on 3D terrain, for AMOLED devices.
Tiloscope also needs the phone. It downloads the tiles around you when you press start, using the phone’s Bluetooth and data link, and fetches more as you leave that area. Its web app plans routes through missing tiles and can score a group ride for everyone taking part.
Squadrats or Tiloscope on Garmin
| Squadrats | Tiloscope | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Squadrats Pro, £29.99 a year | Free |
| Tile history | Your Squadrats account, always current | Statshunters, refreshed automatically; Squadrats or VeloViewer by manual upload. |
| Squadratinhos | Yes, in the same field | Separate data field, via manual upload |
| Roads and rivers under the grid | Yes | Widget only, on Garmin’s map |
| Older Connect IQ 3 watches | No | Yes, with a five-minute refresh |
| Phone needed | Throughout | At start and when leaving the downloaded area |
A Squadrats regular who already pays for Pro gets the simplest setup: squadratinhos and the base map in one field, plus a history that is never goes out of date. Anyone hunting VeloViewer or Statshunters tiles, or using an older watch, is better served by Tiloscope, and it costs nothing to try first.
Other tile hunting tools
- VeloViewer started tile hunting in 2015. The free version syncs only your most recent 25 activities, so a full tile history needs PRO at £10 a year.
- Wandrer counts new roads rather than squares.
- Squadroute plans the shortest ride through the missing tiles you pick and exports a GPX file for a Garmin or Wahoo.
- Hammerhead Karoo owners have an open-source tile hunting extension on GitHub.
- Kraina swaps the grid for a fog of war that creeps back over places you stop visiting.
- Tiles maps Apple Health workouts privately on an iPhone.
For proper maps on a cheaper Garmin rather than tiles, Awesome Maps adds Ordnance Survey and satellite mapping, and our bike computer hub compares the Edge range with its rivals.
Quick answers
Is Squadrats on Garmin free?
No. The Connect IQ data field requires a Squadrats Pro account, which costs £29.99 a year and includes a 14-day free trial.
Does Squadrats on Garmin work without a phone?
No. The data field reaches Squadrats through your phone, so you need the phone with you, Bluetooth on, Garmin Connect running and a data connection. Offline regions work in the Squadrats phone app, not on the Garmin.
Can I see squadrats on the Garmin map page?
No. Garmin doesn’t let Connect IQ apps draw on its own map page, so Squadrats runs as a separate full-screen data page. Tiloscope’s widget can show tiles over Garmin’s map, but you open it as a widget, not on the activity’s map page.
Which Garmin Edge computers support Squadrats?
Squadrats lists the Edge 540, 550, 840, 850, 1040, 1050, Explore 2 and MTB. Edge 1060 and Edge Explore 3 were not on the list at launch.
Does Squadrats work with Strava and Komoot?
Yes. Squadrats builds your squares from the activities you upload to Strava, and its browser extension adds your squadrats to the route planners in Strava and Komoot, so you can plan a ride through the squares you are missing.
Can Tiloscope show squadratinhos?
Yes. Tiloscope has a separate zoom 17 data field for squadratinhos, which uses your tile history from a Squadrats KML export. Upload a fresh export to keep it up to date.
Last Updated on 28 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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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. See the gear tfk uses. ID
