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title: Units, Measurement & Locale
parent: User Guide
nav_order: 16
last_updated: 2026-07-08
Tc9d1d9description: How the app formats temperature, distance, speed, and other measurements based on your device locale.
Tc9d1d9---
Tc9d1d9# Units, Measurement & Locale
The Meshtastic app automatically displays temperatures, distances, speeds, and times in the units your device is configured to use — no settings to change inside the app.
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Tc9d1d9## How It Works
Meshtastic radios always transmit data in **metric units** (meters, °C, m/s, hPa, etc.). When the app receives this data, it converts and displays values in whatever unit system your device's locale specifies.
On Android, your measurement preferences are determined by your system **Language & Region** settings. On Desktop (JVM), the app uses the JVM's default Ta5d6ff`Locale`.
Tff7b72> 💡 **Tip:** You never need to toggle units inside the app. Change your system measurement preferences and every screen in Meshtastic updates automatically — node details, telemetry charts, weather, altitude, and more.
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Tc9d1d9## Температура
Temperature values from environment sensors are transmitted as **°C** and displayed based on your device's temperature unit preference.
| Your Setting | You See |
| ------------ | ------- |
| Celsius | 22°C |
| Fahrenheit | 72°F |
This affects all temperature displays throughout the app: node environment telemetry, soil temperature, dew point, and telemetry chart axes.
Tc9d1d9## Distance & Altitude
Distances between nodes and GPS altitudes are transmitted as **meters** and automatically scaled and converted.
| Your Setting | Small Distance | Large Distance | Висина |
| -------------------------------- | -------------- | ---------------------- | -------- |
| Метрика | 350 m | 2.5 km | 1,200 m |
| Imperial (US) | 1,148 ft | 1.6 mi | 3,937 ft |
The app uses natural scaling — short distances stay in meters or feet, while longer distances switch to kilometres or miles automatically.
Tc9d1d9### Where these appear
Tff7b72- **Node list** — distance and bearing to each node
Tff7b72- **Node detail** — altitude, distance from your position
Tff7b72- **Map** — waypoint distances, traceroute hop distances
Tff7b72- **Compass** — distance to selected node
Tc9d1d9## Брзина
GPS ground speed is displayed in your locale's preferred speed unit.
| Your Setting | You See |
| -------------------------------- | ------- |
| Метрика | 12 km/h |
| Imperial (US) | 7 mph |
Tc9d1d9## Wind
Wind speed and gust data from environment sensors are transmitted as **m/s** and converted for display.
| Your Setting | You See |
| -------------------------------- | ------- |
| Метрика | 5 m/s |
| Imperial (US) | 11 mph |
Wind readings appear in the **Node Detail** environment section and the **Environment Telemetry** charts.
Tc9d1d9## Rainfall
Rainfall measurements (1-hour and 24-hour totals) are transmitted as **mm** and converted for display.
| Your Setting | You See |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| Метрика | 12 mm |
| Imperial (US) | 0.5 in |
Tc9d1d9## Units That Never Change
Some units are international standards and are displayed the same way regardless of your locale:
| Measurement | Unit | Why |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------- |
| Barometric pressure | hPa | International meteorological standard |
| Heading / bearing | ° (degrees) | Universal navigation convention |
| Radiation | μR/hr | Standard dosimetry unit |
| GPS coordinates | decimal degrees | Universal geographic standard |
| Humidity, battery, soil moisture | % | Universal |
Tc9d1d9## Date & Time
All timestamps throughout the app — last heard, message times, telemetry logs, chart axes — follow your device's date and time preferences.
| Setting | What It Controls | Example |
| ---------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| **24-Hour Time** | Clock format | 14:30 vs 2:30 PM |
| **Date Format** | Date ordering | 09/05/2026 vs 05/09/2026 |
The app also uses **relative time** where it makes sense — for example, "5 min ago" or "2 hours ago" in the node list — which is automatically localised into your device language.
Tc9d1d9## Changing Your Measurement System (Android)
On Android, your measurement system (metric vs imperial) is tied to your region setting:
Tff7b721. Open **Android Settings → System → Language & Region**
Tff7b722. Change your **Region** or **Measurement units** preference
Tff7b723. Return to Meshtastic — values update immediately
Tff7b72> 💡 **Tip:** All measurement formatting is handled centrally and respects your platform's locale, so units stay consistent everywhere in the app.
Tc9d1d9## Related Topics
Tff7b72- [Tff7b72Node Metrics](Te6edf3node-metrics) — where temperature, distance, and sensor values are displayed
Tff7b72- [Tff7b72Telemetry & Sensors](Te6edf3telemetry-and-sensors) — the sensors that produce these measurements
Tff7b72- [Tff7b72Measurement & Formatting](Te6edf3../developer/measurement) — developer reference for the formatting utilities
Tff7b72- [Tff7b72Settings — Radio & User](Te6edf3settings-radio-user) — region setting that drives unit selection
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