New Mobile Apps

June 22, 2025

We recently completed a full rewrite of our mobile applications-both Traccar Client and Traccar Manager.

The new apps are built on the Flutter cross-platform framework, allowing us to share a single codebase across iOS and Android. This was one of the main reasons for the rewrite. While functionality is currently on par with the legacy apps, sharing code will let us deliver new (and frequently requested) features much faster.

Traccar Manager

Traccar Manager is essentially a thin wrapper around the Traccar web app, but it offers capabilities that a browser alone cannot provide-for example, securely storing the access token, using biometrics for login, and supporting native push notifications.

The new version is largely identical to the old one, but there are a few notable improvements:

• The initial server-selection screen is gone. In the past it was confusing that you could set the server only once. The new flow makes server selection more obvious and flexible.
• The Single Sign-On (SSO) process now opens in an external browser instead of an in-app view. Some providers block in-app SSO entirely, so this change removes that limitation and lets the app reuse your existing browser session.
• The file-download flow has been revamped and now triggers the standard system share sheet.

Traccar Client

Traccar Client received larger updates. We iterated extensively to make it highly configurable and suitable for many use cases.

• Background location SDK - We use flutter_background_geolocation, a partially open-source framework for background location tracking.
• Moving and stationary states - To conserve battery, the app switches to a stationary state in which GPS is disabled until motion is detected.
• Distance-based tracking - For most scenarios we recommend distance-based tracking instead of time-based tracking; it greatly conserves battery life.
• Highest accuracy - If you need very precise and consistent reporting, enable the Highest accuracy option; it behaves similarly to the legacy app.
• Stationary heartbeat - In stationary mode the app normally stops reporting, but you can enable a heartbeat interval for periodic updates.
• New protocol format - We now use a JSON-based format. Upgrade to the latest Traccar server to ensure full compatibility.

For an in-depth look at the new tracking logic, see the Philosophy of Operation in the background location SDK documentation.

For configuration details, refer to the Traccar Client configuration guide.

Discuss it on the forum.