# Patchly — Offline gold prospecting maps > Offline gold prospecting and metal detecting map and recording app. (iPhone/iPad app by Patchly Labs Pty Ltd.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patchly/id6773024636 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Patchly Labs Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/6773024638) - Category: Navigation, Travel - Price: Free - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.5 · 91 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-09-01 - Data updated: 2026-09-27 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patchly/id6773024636/reviews.md ## What is Patchly? Know the ground you're working. Patchly is the all-in-one gold prospecting and metal detecting app for exploring and understanding the goldfields. It puts the layers that matter on one map and records where you have been and which detector you used. PRIVACY Patchly asks for no account, runs no server that stores or processes your field history, and does not track you. Your sessions, finds, photos and Stash live in a plain database on your phone that you can export any time. Optional backups and exports go only to storage you choose. Map and content downloads still use network services. MAPS AND RESEARCH • 100+ curated layers and growing: geology, geochemistry, tenements, land access, terrain, historic activity and more, chosen for prospecting • Tenements refresh nightly, so leases, applications and expiries are current before you drive out • Bare-earth LiDAR relief for New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania, with Victoria as a separate add-on • Stacks: build your own layer setups, reorder them, and switch between saved maps in a tap • Layer controls: every layer has its own settings, filters and thresholds • 3D terrain: tilt, rotate and exaggerate the ground to read its shape • Section 40E permit builder for Western Australia, with Form 1A export • Offline search for places and watercourses, with no reception • Light and dark, for the hour you are in FIELD RECORDING AND NAVIGATION • Smart classification: Patchly works out which parts of a session were travelling, detecting or stopped • Logbook+ draws detecting as lines or as Coverage, the honeycomb showing how hard a patch has been worked • Record a session and see where you detected, and which detector was active for that section • Off-road go-to: navigate to any find, pin or map point by bearing, distance and ETA • Multi-stop routes: build an ordered route and work through it • Classify finds by type, size and condition, each with its own symbol • Pins that mean something: a colour dot, or an icon for camps, vehicles, water and hazards • Draw and save lines and areas for boundaries and plans RECORDS AND GOLD • Logbook: filter and sort every session, inspect it, and return to the exact ground • Stash: track nuggets, specimens, bars and coins in a simple or purity-aware mode, valued against the live gold price • Overview and Calendar: totals, value, categories, daily hauls and season statistics • Add photos to finds and pins, and link a find to its Stash item OFFLINE, BACKUP AND PORTABILITY • Offline regions: pick an area, download its satellite and layers, and the map keeps working out of range • Automatic backup of records, photos, Stash, detectors and Stacks to your own cloud • Guided import wizards for Trilobite CSV, Detector Maps KML and Gaia GPS exports, step by step • Generic GPX, KML and KMZ import for everything else • Share .patchly files for Stacks, sessions, finds, pins and shapes PATCHLY FREE Free is a real field tool, not a trial. The offline map, the land-access and place-name layers, full session recording, your Logbook, finds, pins, Stash and cloud backup. Free tracks up to one troy ounce in Stash and allows one active detector. PATCHLY PRO Patchly Pro adds the deeper curated Library including LiDAR relief, Logbook+ classified travelling and detecting sections, the Coverage honeycomb drawn over the ground you have already searched, and offline region downloads. Unlimited Stash and detectors. • Patchly Pro annual: A$79.99 per year (first year A$23.99) • Patchly Pro monthly: A$13.49 per month • Victoria LiDAR relief add-on: A$59.99 per year, requires Patchly Pro Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Terms of Use: https://patchly.gold/terms Privacy Policy: https://patchly.gold/privacy Patchly is made in Australia by Patchly Labs Pty Ltd. ## Key features - 90+ curated prospecting layers - Offline map and search functionality - Field recording and smart classification - Off-road navigation to finds - Stash for tracking gold and value - Automatic cloud backup ## Recent user reviews (10 of 10) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patchly/id6773024636/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Huge Thumbs Up 👍 *2026-09-21* I am using Patchly Pro on the Palmer and loving it. I would recommend it to other gold prospectors without hesitation. 👍 ### 5/5 — The best on the market *2026-09-19* This app is simply the best for features. Ease of use, updates automatically, differentiates between travelling and detecting. I have used the others and none compare to this. If you’re going to get serious, get Patchly. ### 5/5 — Saves me time…makes me happy! *2026-09-11* Patchly is reliable, easy to use, fun and saves me time (something I really value). The user interface is fresh, clean and intuitive. Importing my old finds/tracks from my other apps was a smooth and easy process and it’s awesome to now have all my prospecting history in the one location. There are so many cool features. I’m particularly loving the gold finds categorisation toggle buttons eg for size, type, condition. This is time saving to be able to quickly select what type and size of nugget it is (eg saves me from manually typing those details in myself)… meaning I can record my find and get back to detecting asap. This will be the only app I’ll be using from now on. Highly recommend. ### 5/5 — Game changer for the prospecting community *2026-09-10* Patchly is so much better than the other app's I've tried, including Detector Maps. It's so easy to use, right from the get go. It records everything the way I want it recorded. And the import feature to import my tracks/finds from other apps worked really well. There's so many helpful features; for example, you can choose which detector you're using when you're recording a track. Which means when you look back at it in a year's time, you know exactly which areas you've done with which detector. It's also got far more features (than other apps) which are relevant to gold prospecting (rather than having redundant features that just get in the way). You can tell it's been developed by a prospector, who knows what a prospector needs and doesn't need. I prefer Patchly over the other apps by far. ### 5/5 — Excellent Gold Prospecting App *2026-09-09* An excellent new app! I’m finding it really easy to use and loving all the customisable options, especially the maps, track colours and pin selections. It’s also really cool being able to distinguish between travelling, detecting and stopped with different colours. The 3D terrain view is another very handy feature, especially for understanding the ground and planning where to explore. ### 5/5 — A cut above the rest! *2026-09-09* After a few weeks of using this app I am more than impressed. Easy to use, straight forward, yet complex app that is completely customizable. So many small and thoughtful ideas and tools in one app, it’s a game changer. Will not be using anything else! ### 5/5 — User focus *2026-09-09* I have spoken to Kevin the creator. Kevin is so different to every other prospecting app developer as he is so keen to develop an app for the people not the developer. Kevin was not fully satisfied with other apps so he decided to produce one that better suited his needs with the intent to satisfy others. It is in its early stages so bare with him. If there is anything you wish to see implemented let him know. LiDAR is available for some states with it available for other states on the way. Everyone should get on board considering the amazing cost. ### 5/5 — Awesome App 10/10 *2026-09-06* Absolutely awesome App. Shows the 100metre mark around leases. The 3D feature is great, the headlights on the circle which shows your tracking shows your direction. Love the way all same tracks merge into one. And the tracking is a white line so very clear to see where you are going, and then you can change tracking colours on your detectors depending which one you use. It also shows all the main gullies. Highly recommend I could keep writing for ages about all the great features. 10/10 ### 5/5 — Best app for prospectors! *2026-09-02* Great app, super intuitive and easy to follow. Some great features and to be honest, blows its competition out of the water! Easy to follow steps to bring all your tracks and marks over from trilobite or detector maps. Can’t fault this app so far! ### 5/5 — Easy to Use & Great for Research *2026-09-02* I am currently using Patchly while prospecting at Palmerville Station. It was very easy to import all my Trilobite data and I no longer have to deal with data loading lags or track glitches. I also like the host of pre-loaded research features in the Palmer bundle, makes it easier to plan my sessions. I now run the tracking from when I start driving to when I return back to camp, and really like how it automatically codes driving/detecting/walking/stopped in the log. ## Frequently asked questions about Patchly ### What is Patchly? Patchly is an all-in-one app for gold prospecting and metal detecting. It provides detailed maps of goldfields, records your field activity, and helps you classify and track your finds privately on your device. ### Does Patchly work offline? Yes, Patchly is designed for offline use. You can download map areas and layers to use them out of reception range, and it offers offline search for places and watercourses. ### How does Patchly handle user privacy? Patchly prioritizes privacy by not requiring an account, running no servers that store your data, and not tracking you. Your field history, finds, and photos are stored locally on your phone and can be exported. ### What kind of map layers does Patchly offer? Patchly offers over 90 curated layers relevant to prospecting, including geology, geochemistry, tenements, land access, terrain, and historic activity. Tenements refresh nightly for up-to-date information. ### Can I track my gold finds with Patchly? Yes, Patchly includes a 'Stash' feature to track nuggets, specimens, bars, and coins. It can be used in a simple mode or a purity-aware mode, and can be valued against the live gold price. ### What devices is Patchly compatible with? Patchly is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. It is rated for ages 4 and up. ### How often is Patchly updated? The latest version of Patchly is 1.1, last updated on September 15, 2026. Updates typically include new features and improvements to existing ones. ### Does Patchly have ads? No, Patchly does not contain advertisements. The app is free to use and does not display any ads to users. ## Version history (last 4 releases) ### 1.2 — 2026-09-22 Bare-earth LiDAR over Victoria's goldfields, the Palmerville campground integrated into the app, and a Western Australian permit builder that fills in your Form 1A. NEW - Bare-earth LiDAR over Victoria's surveyed goldfields. Trees are stripped away, so old workings, races and puddling pits stand out. A separate add-on on top of Pro. - A free layer shows where Victoria's LiDAR actually reaches. Coverage is incomplete, including in the Golden Triangle. - The Palmerville campground is integrated: a Camp tab appears while you are on the station, carrying the operator's own notice board of closures, claims and track conditions. - Offline LiDAR detail is chosen by looking at it: a sample picture per level, each saying in words what it costs. - Set offline LiDAR depth per region, or follow one choice for the whole device. - A section 40E permit builder for Western Australia. Draw your permit area and export a filled Form 1A to lodge yourself (Pro). - Western Australia's graticular blocks draw from zoom 10, labelled by block (Pro). - Victoria gains real geological depth: 5,000+ statewide faults, dykes, chert horizons and 388 shallow workings (Pro). - Coordinates can be read in UTM. - A High-Vis palette gives the curated layers stronger colours, and the picker shows what each palette changes before you pick it. - A new setting keeps the screen awake while the phone is charging. - The floating compass appears whenever the map is rotated. - The Minelab GPX 4000 series is in the detector list. IMPROVED - Relief is one zoom sharper across New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania, and Tasmania is now island-wide. - An offline area is priced and downloaded only where survey actually exists. - Adding a layer downloads its offline regions in the background. - Geochemistry is cleaner in every state: one gold-assayed point per site, and the sample medium drives the marker shape (Pro). - The idle map no longer wakes on every GPS fix, and stops refetching your tracks each time you open it. - A tap that falls through a layer's zoom floor now offers to zoom in. - Tenement halos follow the year filter, and a lease expiring within four weeks draws dashed (Pro). - A streamed layer names its real download size instead of a dash. - The offline region preview has a Close that keeps you on the map. FIXED - An iCloud restore can no longer wait forever behind a frozen bar. - A backup is pushed when a recording stops. - Relief no longer asks for ground it has no survey for, or vanishes while you pan. - A bundle you have just bought is no longer offered again. - A Library or tutorial link now clears whatever is open and lands in view. It used to resolve underneath a sheet, where you found it later. ### 1.1 — 2026-09-15 Pause a recording for a break, edit routes and shapes by hand, and read the map without the sheet covering what you tapped. NEW - A recording can be paused for a break: the clock stops with you, and Patchly offers to resume when you start moving again. - Go-to routes and saved shapes are editable by hand: tap a + on a route to add a stop, or reopen a shape to reshape it. - Guided tutorials for offline regions, navigating to a spot, and building a Stack. - The satellite map's roads are readable over bush at last, redrawn in warm sand, and can be switched off per Stack in Base map settings. - A Patchly link on the website opens straight to the layer, bundle or tutorial it names. - New goldfields bundles for Warwick and Palmerville. - Library layers show a picture of what they draw. - First-run setup asks how to lock your Stash and which marker colours to use. - After an update, a What's New screen lists what changed. - Settings sets whether Detecting draws as a line or as coverage, and any Stack can override it (Pro). IMPROVED - Offline downloads stretch much further: the device limit is now 500 map packs instead of 200. - Startup is quicker: the intro screen no longer holds you once the map is ready, and Library layers no longer blink out as it comes up. - Tapping a feature on the map marks it, and the sheet rests below it instead of covering it. - Downloaded regions keep drawing after weeks offline. - Library layers recover on their own instead of leaving the map blank. - The Stack hub shows which Stack is active. - Scrolling stays smooth while a backup runs. - Following a line starts from the nearest point on it, not from where your finger landed. - Zoomed out, the map offers the goldfield you are standing on rather than the whole state. - Broad shaded areas fade back as you zoom in. - A bundle's stated download size matches what it downloads. - A Stack row for a layer that needs a newer Patchly offers the update, not a download. - A locate, record or go-to tap that needs location says so, and points at the setting. FIXED - Patchly tells you on screen when a recording stops being saved. - Find and pin markers no longer sink under your session tracks. - A long recording keeps drawing its full line. - Tenement dates read correctly, including leases held for decades. - The map rotates while a drawing tool is armed, and a drawn point can no longer land too close to edit. - The layer detail page stays inside the screen, and the back swipe works after leaving the Library. - Patchly asks before deleting a backup another of your devices is using. - A restore offer that went missing on first launch now appears. - The tab bar highlight no longer stutters. - Slow, careful detecting no longer logs as travelling (Pro). ### 1.0.1 — 2026-09-05 Dragging the map with one finger works again. On iOS 17 and later the map only moved with two fingers, which made it feel broken. Also in this update: • Tenement outlines stay in their proper place instead of drawing on top of the layers above them after reordering a stack. • The recording line dashes across gaps where the GPS signal dropped, instead of drawing a straight line across ground you did not cover. • Restoring from an iCloud backup is quicker when files are already on the device, and the progress bar counts files that have actually arrived. • The Backup screen shows every warning that applies, each with the step that fixes it. • A map feature list with many results scrolls instead of stretching. ### 1.0 — 2026-09-01 No release notes. --- *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 2026-09-27.*