Instant navigation. No app install required.
Deliver digital maps and real-time navigation with zero friction.
What is Situm’s App-Free Wayfinding?
Situm App-Free Wayfinding includes two powerful technologies that allow users to access maps and navigation without installing any app:
- App Clips (iOS only): Deliver indoor navigation with real-time positioning via a lightweight mini-app that requires no install, launching instantly after scanning a QR code or tapping a link/NFC tag.
- Browser-Based Positioning (Android & iOS): Provide outdoor positioning directly from the mobile browser using the phone’s built-in geolocation services.
Together, these solutions enable quick and easy access to maps, positioning, and step-by-step directions — ideal for airports, malls, hospitals, events, and office campuses.
Key Features
Situm App-Free Wayfinding turns navigation into an effortless experience, right from the moment a user scans a QR code or taps a link. Whether providing indoor or outdoor positioning, Situm delivers smooth, branded, and accessible journeys — without requiring an app download.
App Clips (iOS only): Indoor navigation without installation
An App Clip is a lightweight part of a full app that users can launch instantly — no full install required (though the complete app must be available on the App Store)
Situm is compatible with App Clips, offering full indoor navigation with real-time positioning without the friction of installing an app.
- Instant launch: Users don’t need to download anything from the App Store. They just need to open an URL or scan a QR code/AppClip code/NFC tag.
- Indoor positioning: Uses WiFi, BLE and motion sensors via Situm SDK.
- Full featured experience: Every Situm functionality, from indoor positioning to navigation and 3D maps, will be available.
- Web Entry Point: Let your website act as the gateway to your App Clip.
- Integrate it into your own app: Seamless integration with iOS apps built using iOS, Flutter, React Native, Cordova & Capacitor.
Ideal for: Airports, hospitals, malls, corporate campuses, venues with complex indoor spaces.
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Browser-Based Positioning (Android & iOS): Outdoor guidance from the browser
Allow users to open a map in their browser and get their real-time location outdoors — no app, no SDK integration, just pure browser geolocation.
- Mobile and desktop compatible: Works from any modern browser.
- Outdoor positioning: Uses GPS via standard browser APIs.
- Step-by-step navigation: Route planning and wayfinding available directly in Map Viewer.
- Simple activation: Just scan a QR code, or enter an URL, and he will be good to go!
- Embeddable: Display the maps of your venue and enhance them with outdoor positioning & navigation within your own webpage.
Ideal for: Events, parking areas, open campuses, quick outdoor-only guidance.
When to use each option
Looking for a seamless way to offer positioning without a full app install? This quick comparison shows you the strengths of App Clips vs. Browser Positioning. Discover which option is the perfect fit for your user experience goals!
| Feature | App Clips (iOS) | Browser Positioning (Android & iOS) |
|---|---|---|
| Works without full mobile app install? | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Indoor positioning | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Outdoor positioning | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Can be embedded in a website? | ✅ Yes, iPhone visitors can be easily directed to the App Clip | ✅ Yes, by integrating our MapViewer via iFrame or as an independent URL |
| Platform Support | iOS only (Android requires regular app) | Android & iOS |
| Best for | Indoor and outdoor navigation in complex venues | Quick outdoor orientation and directions |
| Development required? | Yes — App Clip must be a part of a host app published in the App Store | No — just enable it in the Situm Map Viewer |
Easy Integration
Just like all Situm products, App-Free Wayfinding is easy to deploy and customize:
- Quick deployment: Launch with minimal development time.
- White-label ready: Customize icons, colors, fonts, and branding.
- QR, NFC & links: Deliver maps with a single tap or scan, or embed them in your webpage.
- No SDK needed (browser): Enable outdoor positioning with no coding.
Benefits
Situm App-Free wayfinding reduces the friction to view maps and retrieve turn-by-turn directions, allowing your users to quickly find what they’re looking for.
- Frictionless access: No app store downloads, no downloads, no barriers.
- Faster onboarding: Perfect for visitors, one-time users, and tourists.
- Platform flexibility: Tailored for both iOS (App Clip) and Android/iOS (browser).
- Brand control: Fully customizable look & feel.
- Instant engagement: Boost adoption of your app.
FAQs
Yes, on iOS devices via App Clips. The App Clip loads instantly and offers full indoor positioning and navigation.
An App Clip is a lightweight version of your app that lets users access a specific feature instantly. It requires a full app to be published on the App Store, but users can launch the App Clip without installing the entire app.
Browser-based positioning works on Android, but only for outdoor GPS positioning. For indoor positioning, you’ll need to build or use a mobile app with Situm’s SDK (or we can build it for you!)
No, browser geolocation is limited to GPS and generally doesn’t work reliably indoors.
Via QR code, URL, or NFC tag. As long as the full app isn’t installed, the App Clip will launch automatically.
Yes. You can insert a link or iframe to the Map Viewer and enable browser positioning via configuration.
Yes. Turn-by-turn instructions are spoken aloud, just like in a full app.
Sure! Click on “Ask for a Demo” and we will guide you.