View and Track Subjects in EarthRanger Mobile

Last Updated: June 09, 2026

The Subjects view displays a list of subjects and subject groups based on your user permissions. This article covers how to navigate subjects, control map visibility, view subject tracks, and sync subject data.

Note: A subject does not appear on the map until it has been added to a subject group. You can only view subject groups you have been granted permission to access. See: Granting Permission to View Subject Groups

 

 

Subject Tab

 

Tap the Subjects icon in the Navigation Bar to open the Subjects view. This displays all subject groups the logged-in user has permission to view.

 

 

 

To open a subject group and see its contents, tap the arrow next to it. The view that opens shows:
  • Subject groups within that group, each with an arrow to expand further
  • Individual subjects listed below any nested groups
  • A back button to return to the previous level — the back button is not shown at the top-level root view

Subjects display their last known position and how long ago it was recorded. The list is sorted with the most recently updated subjects first.

 

Search

Tap the search icon to open the search bar. 

 


Type any letters to filter the subject list — results include subjects at all levels of the hierarchy.

Control subject visibility on the map

Each subject and subject group in the list has an eye icon that controls whether it appears on the map:

  • Eye icon visible — the subject displays on the map (default for all subjects)
  • Eye icon crossed out — the subject is hidden from the map

Configure subject sync settings

 

In Settings, you can configure how many days of subject data the app stores and displays in the list and map view.

 

After changing this setting, a manual sync is required. Go to Settings and tap the Sync button to apply the change.

 

To ensure you receive live updates, maintain a stable network connection. Without connectivity, you will only see the most recent data downloaded before losing connection.

 

 

Subjects On The Map

All subjects in the Subjects list are visible on the Map view:

  
  • Closely grouped subjects are clustered, with a number showing how many are in the cluster
     
  • Individual subjects are shown with their default marker icon
     

 

Tap a subject icon on the map to open a details panel showing:

 
  • Subject name and icon
  • Distance from your current location (in km)
  • Time and date of the subject's last recorded position
  • Last position coordinates in your preferred coordinate units

    Tap the close icon to dismiss the panel.

 

Subject Tracks

If a subject has tracking data from the last 3 days, tapping its icon on the map displays its track line:

 

 
  • Direction arrows show along the track line
  • Arrows scale with zoom level and are hidden when zoomed out below level 12

 
  • Tap a track arrow to see a callout showing the observation's coordinates in your preferred unit

 

 

 

 

 

 Tap a subject icon on the map, then tap Go To in the details panel. A navigation overlay appears showing:
  • Distance to the subject
  • A directional compass that updates as you move
  • A line drawn from your location to the subject, which adjusts as you move closer or farther away

Tap the X button to close the navigation overlay and return the map to its default state. All overlays (compass, basemaps, patrol/tracking panel, line to subject) are hidden when the overlay closes.

 

 

 

Sync subject data

Subject data updates when you relaunch the app or manually trigger a sync. To sync subjects:

  1. Ensure your device has a stable network connection
  2. Go to Settings and tap Sync
  3. Wait for the Sync button to become active again
  4. Navigate to the Map view — subject locations are now updated

Subjects are updated, added, or removed to reflect the current state on the EarthRanger server.

Example: You want to fetch Fatu the rhinoceros's latest location. Open Settings, tap Sync, wait for it to complete, then tap Fatu's icon on the map — the latest position is now shown.

 

 

 

 

EarthRanger version 3.0.0