# CicadaTAK — A TAK App for CicadaTak Radios

> Tactical communication and mapping app for offline mesh networks. (iPhone/iPad app by Merbella Studios Inc.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cicadatak/id6763765541 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Merbella Studios Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869014492)
- Category: Utilities
- Price: $2.99
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.1 · 29 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-06-17
- Data updated: 2026-08-24
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cicadatak/id6763765541/reviews.md

## What is CicadaTAK?

CicadaTAK turns your phone into a live tactical display for places with no
  cell service and no internet — backcountry, disaster response, large
  properties, search grids, event perimeters.

  It is the companion app for CicadaTAK mesh nodes: 900 MHz radio gateways you
  build yourself from a fully documented hardware recipe (parts list and
  instructions at cicadatak.com). Nodes form a self-healing mesh that reaches
  over a mile per hop and relays through every teammate, so coverage grows as
  the team spreads out. Your phone joins a node's WiFi and the radios do the
  rest.

  WORKS WITH ATAK AND iTAK
  • Nodes speak Cursor-on-Target in both directions — positions, chat and
  markers pass between this app and ATAK or iTAK devices on the same node
  • No TAK server, no data plan, no setup beyond joining the node's WiFi
  • Run this app, run ATAK, or run both side by side on one team

  LIVE TEAM MAP
  • Teammates update live with callsigns, colors and breadcrumb trails
  • A position that stops being current turns grey and shows its age instead of
  vanishing, so you always know how old the picture is
  • Offline maps — download aerial, topo and street layers onto the node and use
  them with zero internet
  • Drop markers, draw geofence zones, measure distance and bearing, save routes

  ENCRYPTED TEAM CHAT
  • End-to-end encrypted with your team passphrase — the key never leaves your
  team
  • Share photos from camera or gallery, carried over the radio, never through a
  server
  • Delivery receipts, canned quick replies, and roll call for fast
  accountability
  
  PUSH-TO-TALK VOICE
  • Live streaming PTT to the whole team — real voice traffic, not recorded
  clips
  • Tuned to stay intelligible on marginal links

  LONG-RANGE LoRa BRIDGE
  • Nodes fitted with LoRa hardware bridge to Meshtastic radios, carrying
  positions and text far beyond the main mesh
  • Three privacy modes, from open interoperability to fully dark

  RUN THE NETWORK FROM YOUR POCKET
  • Set up a new node from the app — no laptop, no terminal
  • Live topology graph of every radio link, colored by measured throughput
  • Node list with signal, battery and hardware status; one-tap ping for
  round-trip time
  • Trade speed for range across the whole team at once, with automatic revert
  if a node doesn't come back
  • Update node firmware over the air

  YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS
  • No accounts, no sign-up, no cloud, no analytics
  • Everything travels phone to your own radio to your teammates' phones
  • There is no server in the path, so there is nothing for us to see

  IMPORTANT
  • Full functionality requires CicadaTAK node hardware. Without a node the app
  runs in Standalone Mode: your own GPS on the map, offline map browsing, and
  every screen navigable — mesh chat, PTT and team positions activate when you
  connect to a node.
  • Nodes operate in the 902–928 MHz license-free ISM band on the United States
  channel plan, which is also licence-exempt in Canada,Mexico, and Australia. No radio
  license required.
  • Build your nodes at cicadatak.com — an open, fully documented hardware build
  on an open-source radio and mesh foundation.

## Key features

- Live tactical display without cell service
- Self-healing mesh network with custom radio nodes
- Real-time teammate location and breadcrumb trails
- Encrypted team chat and photo sharing
- Push-to-talk voice communication
- Offline map browsing and layer downloads
- Node setup and management from the app


## Frequently asked questions about CicadaTAK

### What is CicadaTAK?

CicadaTAK is a mobile application that functions as a live tactical display, enabling communication and mapping in areas without internet or cell service. It requires companion CicadaTAK mesh node hardware to operate fully.

### Does CicadaTAK have ads?

No, CicadaTAK does not contain advertisements. The app is designed with user privacy in mind, with no analytics or cloud services involved.

### What devices does CicadaTAK support?

CicadaTAK is available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. Full functionality requires connection to CicadaTAK mesh nodes.

### How much does CicadaTAK cost?

CicadaTAK is a paid application, priced at $2.99. This one-time purchase grants access to its offline tactical communication features.

### Can CicadaTAK be used with ATAK or iTAK?

Yes, CicadaTAK is designed to work with ATAK and iTAK devices. Positions, chat, and markers can be shared between these applications when connected to the same CicadaTAK node.

### How often is CicadaTAK updated?

The latest version of CicadaTAK is 1.2.23 (40), last updated on August 22, 2026. Updates typically include improvements to functionality and reliability.

### What is the age rating for CicadaTAK?

CicadaTAK has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users. The app focuses on utility and communication features.

### What happens if I don't have CicadaTAK node hardware?

Without CicadaTAK node hardware, the app runs in Standalone Mode. You can still use its offline map browsing and navigate all screens, but mesh chat, PTT, and team positions will only activate when connected to a node.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.2.23 (40) — 2026-08-22

• Import your own maps. Load .mbtiles and .kmz files onto your node, or straight onto your phone
  with no node needed.
 • Offline map downloads are far faster. Hours became minutes.
 • Fixed downloads failing with "Unknown layer".
 • Choose your LoRa protocol: Meshtastic or MeshCore.
 • Teammate dots move smoothly now instead of jumping.
 • Push-to-talk tells you why it can't transmit.
 • The setup wizard is clearer, and you can now exit it.

### 1.2.21 (37) — 2026-08-17

- Bring your own maps: import .mbtiles files (ATAK exports, QGIS, MOBAC)
  straight from your phone and they become offline map layers served to every
  phone on your mesh.
- Import .kmz imagery overlays (ATAK GRG) — the node converts them to map
  tiles automatically.
- Import placemark .kmz files like repeater directories or camera maps as
  toggleable map overlays — even huge files stay fast, and tapping a point shows
  its details.
- On iPhone, the CicadaTAK folder now appears in the Files app, so you can
  AirDrop or USB-copy map files in before importing.
- Fixed custom map layers not appearing until you visited Settings, and a
  selected custom layer showing the wrong basemap at app launch.

### 1.2.20 (36) — 2026-08-15

-Region added for Australia
-Map Tile Downloader Optimized

### 1.2.17 (33) — 2026-08-12

-Meshcore can down be used on the LoRa Radio
-Seamlessly switch between Meshcore or Meshtastic in the App

### 1.2.14 (31) — 2026-08-11

• Tap the map to put a panel away — chat, PTT or the node list slide out of 
 the way, keyboard included.
• The chat input now stays visible above the keyboard.
• The mesh topology view opens fit to your whole mesh.
• A node running on its operator's phone GPS now shows a phone icon — on the
  map, in the node list, and in node details.
 • Meshtastic-only mode: messages now land in the right chat tab no matter 
  how your radios' channel lists are ordered, the message popup shows which 
  tab it went to, and chat history survives an app restart.

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## More apps by Merbella Studios Inc

- [Merbella App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merbella-app/id6757802626)

All apps by Merbella Studios Inc: https://appshunter.io/developer/1869014492

## Related topics

[cicadex](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/cicadex) · [cecad](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/cecad)

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-24.*