Is beta version is still working ??

[Tronpo]

Thank you for the clarification sincerely. For me, whether the product is paid or free does not influence its quality. Whether it is open source or not depends on the creator, I simply as a user do not enter into this policy about the work of others, if I like it I use it if I don't like it I don't use it. This is simply my position I do not ask that it be that of the rest, if at any time it was misunderstood I apologise. At all times I try to respect the work and the opinion of others. The only job I can price or give for free is my own.

[Maki]

There's free as in speech and free as in beer. And there is free as in "if you don't like this you are free to switch to something else", this is not a printer driver or OEM software that forces you to throw away some piece of hardware. And good luck with FOSS, I've lost count of dead projects on that side.

It's astonishing to see how people turns can against a nice person for egoistic reasons. For all we can know Jose can be in big trouble and all you folks care about is your little app. Please quit bitching.

[LaurentG]

FREE has two completely different meanings.
In french, we have two words : "Libre" and "Gratuit".

Applied to a software, "Libre" means what Richard Stallman describe, and José never said that OruxMaps was a Free (Libre) Software, but always said that it was what is commonly called a "Proprietary Software" (ie. the opposite of a "Free (libre) software").
It is his absolute right, and if someone is not happy with that, he is not obliged to use it...

For the second meaning, yes, in the past, Oruxmaps was free (gratuit), ie no payment was required to use it.
An this time too, it is the absolute right of José to change this aspect of his tool.

Personally, I regret it, and I remember that in a past discussion on this forum with José, I tried to convince him that let Oruxmaps free (gratuit), and ask to users a voluntary contribution could be even more "profitable" for him (and surely less profitable for Google, that wouldn't have any more its commission...).
José answered me that his experience was different, and that he never got as much money with voluntary contributions than with required payment...

Moreover, he explained me that when he began OruxMaps, he was young and free in his life (3rd meaning of "Free"...), but now was in couple, and had a child with major health problems, and so he didn't see the things the same way than before...
Maybe he regretted afterwards to have been so "personal" in his answer... Anyway, this exchange has been removed since from the forum...
 
And, BTW, I hope that his silence is not due to a more dramatic problems with his child...


My conclusion: Oruxmaps is a fantastic tool. Even if we all have some ideas that could improve it.
And since we find it fantastic, let's use it with pleasure, and a big big thank you to José.
Otherwise, you're all free to go your own way and use whatever you want (good luck to find as good as OM  )

[kkolesar]

Orux was active on the forum on January 6th, 2026, and I see there's an updated version of OM on the Apple Store from January 2026, so he's obviously still around.

You guys have shared a lot of thoughts on the current situation. I've used OM for at least 10 years, if not more, and it's a great piece of software. It's solely Orux's decision how he handles the Android app, but what I don't find fair to the users (especially those of us who participated in beta development with bug reports and suggestions all these years) is this silence.

A short statement like "OM is dead" or "OM is on hold" would stop the guesswork and give us a clear picture for future decisions. At least for me, bad information is better than no information at all.