My thoughts on the new app, what's missing and what's good.

[+Bobo Frett]

So I've been using the new app for a fortnight now. I'm a gps user and the paid for app also.

I've been trying to solely use the new app to give it a fair chance BUT I can't use it alone as it does not allow me to post field notes.

My thoughts...

 

1) 'Post field notes' is the most useful feature that I use from the original app. It negates the use for pen and paper altogether. We like to write long logs (gc.com encourage that too) so having a our field notes saved instead of logging on the fly is of great benefit.

 

2) When we select a cache to navigate to (normally driving) all other caches disappear from the screen, this is unhelpful for us when we are planning our route to the next cache.

 

3) It's still glitchy. Caches vanish, the app freezes up.

 

4) See hint is very far down through the info

 

5) When clicking onto my offline list I'm not allowed to map the whole list. Which is a bit odd as I don't know which cache I am looking for so have to click through each of them until I find the right one as to where I am positioned.

 

7) If my wife is navigating (she most always is) from the phone and the 'You're nearly there' pops up it obscures the whole map. Not very helpful when going through roads with lots of junctions...also, we are geocachers and have been for five years, we know we are nearly there!

 

8) No options for owner logs/notes/etc. No options for maintenance/archive logs either.

 

9) The dots representing the caches. Two of the colours are too similar! Please make them icons instead of dots.

 

What we do like.

 

1) It looks nice.

 

2) The add waypoint feature is really good, much better than the old app AND it saves it! Thumbs up.

 

3) I like the live logs instead of just five.

 

It has loads of potential but it's not very good at minute. I would rather be using the original.

Edited March 28, 2016 by Bobo Frett

[+Glycereine]

I was going to post my own thread but basically agree with everything here.

 

Additionally, I am now unable to award a favorite point from my phone. It seems like the app is a shinier but less functional version of the old app that I paid for and can now no longer use?

[+The A-Team]

...the old app that I paid for and can now no longer use?

If you still have it on your phone, you can continue to use it. They haven't disabled its functionality; it just isn't available to purchase or download from the App Store anymore.

[+j&a tagarro]

I have just discovered a wonderfool feature in the Classic app missing in the new one. When you clic no the map of a trackable it permits you to suffer al the way of the TB, are we going to lose that !?

Edited April 7, 2016 by j&a tagarro

[+jortarky]

Bobo Frett -

Thanks for posting, I was going to add my own list but you hit on almost all of mine.

 

The "almost there" feature I HATE. It blocks the screen and I have to stand there and wait for it to go away!

and Color color color of those dots - dark blue and dark green are WAY too close. Please evaluate some new shades as aging eyes have a hard time differentiated between the two!

 

I would add the following:

- It's difficult to log a TB. In the classic version, when logging a find, it was simple to click on the TB's that also visited or were dropped. We have dogs that go with us, walking sticks, and vehicles, all of which have TB's that we frequently log. It's big extra steps to go back to the beginning and find each TB in "my inventory" and log them all. Seems like this could be streamlined better.

 

I am very comfortable with the classic version, having used it for a couple of years. But I am forcing myself to use the new one knowing the classic won't be supported after June. I hope to see some improvements on stability and the input of the people in the field actively using the app.

 

Here's to caching!

JORTARKY

[+Delios001]

Agree with your list 100%. I have some additional needs for this App to work for me... so far it is unusable.

 

 

- I do a lot of geocaching in different countries. I therefore need to be able to load maps off-line, so I do not have additional and unnecessary data roaming costs.

 

- The list synchronisation is a good feature, but lists are useless in the field if you can not see the list-content in a map. So this needs to be added.

 

- When a mystery is solved at home (they usually are and not in the field) and I put the "corrected" coordinates in the listing and save the cache on a list, I only want to see the corrected coordinates on a map and not the original ones.

 

- The mysteries with corrected coordinates should be identifiable through color or icon on the map, so you can distinguish between solved and unsolved mysteries without additional clicking on cahe-listing or other additional handling.

 

- Map detail needs to be a lot better. A lot of caches that are hidden in a forest, lie somewhere near a footpath, which a lot of them, you currently you can not see on the map. So one sees a cache somewhere in the woods, but can not make out a clear path towards the cache. There are OSM maps available that he the necessary detail required.

 

 

All features available are available to cachers in independent non-groundpeak related geocaching apps, and should be "must have" features for the official geocaching app.

[+dan415]

I am just having issues with getting used to the new app. I also have serious issues with the GPS functions. The other app seemed a lot more stable as you approached GZ. This one is all over the place. I am not sure what is causing that. I guess it's a huge learning curve change, but I now prefer my Garmin now versus the app - not good when I am doing the target of opportunity cache that I don't have loaded in my GPS.

[+nwpvr]

I totally agree with all the things mentioned here

 

I also still miss the personal cache note option, so would like to add that one.

Edited May 4, 2016 by nwpvr

[+AKraft69]

I still use the old app and will continue to do so for as long as I can. My main issue is that the new app just has way too much information. When I'm caching with my phone, it's usually a spur of the moment thing and I just need the basics.....Find nearby caches, Description, Recent Logs, Hints, and above all give me icons so I can tell immediately what type of cache it is. The new app looks pretty, but as was mentioned in #9 above, I can't tell the different between the color of some of the dots. It seems like they designed it with a PC and large monitor in mind, rather than a small hand held phone.

[+NeverSummer]

The "You're almost there" pop-up is annoying. I wish we could shut it down.

 

Also, the "This is a ____ cache" screen is nice for newbies, but it doesn't get buy-in to actually watch the videos. And, as a caching veteran, it would be nice if it would go away when I ask it to.

 

And, I wish the full description came up right away instead of having to click the tab to make it appear. I'd like to be able to pop over to the "Activity" tab for example, and back without having to reload the cache description.

 

Lastly, it would be nice if the "Open in Browser" option were less hidden.

 

Other than those gripes, it's not that bad. I'm using it 99% of the time now for caching...which I never thought I would be doing.

 

I like the waypoint functionality, and appreciate that it shows the descriptions that owners have entered for each.

[+cerberus1]

The "You're almost there" pop-up is annoying. I wish we could shut it down.

 

Also, the "This is a ____ cache" screen is nice for newbies, but it doesn't get buy-in to actually watch the videos. And, as a caching veteran, it would be nice if it would go away when I ask it to.

 

And, I wish the full description came up right away instead of having to click the tab to make it appear. I'd like to be able to pop over to the "Activity" tab for example, and back without having to reload the cache description.

 

Lastly, it would be nice if the "Open in Browser" option were less hidden.

 

Other than those gripes, it's not that bad. I'm using it 99% of the time now for caching...which I never thought I would be doing.

 

I like the waypoint functionality, and appreciate that it shows the descriptions that owners have entered for each.

+1

A recent thread started with one calling it "the beginner's app", and I believe it may be because of the simple commands/reminders those playing a while (really) don't need.

[+Dawn&Dave]

The app for me is useless on the iPhone 5s & c. You cannot view tb info. Or download online data. Also lists cannot be downloaded I have posted this many times and the same thing is happening to others. Is anyone listening out there on the geo app team??? It works fine on the iPad.

[+Dawn&Dave]

This is groudspeaks answer. I have an iPhone 5c

 

Thank you for contacting Geocaching HQ.

 

As technology advances, so does the free Geocaching® app The new app will not work in older devices. Compatibility for each phone and app versions:

 

Free iPhone Geocaching® App

Free Android Geocaching® App

Retired Geocaching Classic iPhone app

Retired Geocaching Classic Android app

Please note we are only updating the free Geocaching® app from this point forward. The Classic app will have access to Geocaching functionality through September 2016. However, updates to your phone may cause the app's features to stop working. We can't guarantee the Classic app will work if you update your device after June 30, 2016.

[+MMGeoGeezer]

Well, Dawn and Dave, I'm not sure why offline data downloads don't work on your 5s or 5c. Just checked it out on my wife's 5, and list downloads worked just fine.

 

Of course, this only downloads the lists, not the maps to go with them, so if we had been stuck with the new cutesy app, it would have been worthless on our recent trip to SE Utah where there was often no cell service (and therefore no map detail).

 

And I'm not pleased with being required to use my data for live maps. Yeah, I have a Garmin GPS, but my wife likes her iPad mini app.

 

Speaking of our 2-week trip to Utah -- Field Notes. The app is totally worthless to us without Field Notes.

 

We could kinda get along without Field Notes if we could at least "Save for later", but nope.

 

You can turn data off so the Finds/DNFs/Notes don't get sent, but as soon as you accidentally open the app after checking your mail, all those logs with the virtual cache answers in them (which you would normally cut and paste to the required email when you are updating the Field Notes) are sent out for all to see.

 

Once you have created a log, it goes out. No thinking about it and editing it later. Fact of the matter, if you turned data off so it won't go out right away, you STILL can't go in and edit or delete it. You can only turn on the data and send it.

 

But thanks for sending your info request to Geospeak. We now know that unless the cutesy app becomes more functional for real Geocachers, we can stop geocaching when the real app apparently will go non-functional in September, depending on what is meant by "non-functional". If it means "cut off", then so will Groundspeak.

 

If Field Notes and offline maps aren't added to the cutesy app, we'll be able to save $30 on our renewal in December. (better make sure it isn't on auto-renewal, I guess.)

 

Yeah. We have my Garmin GPS, but we ALWAYS use Field Notes so we can move along while caching and do our Hemingway thing on the logs on the website later.

 

And my wife really likes the map "from here to there" line while navigating to the cache. Totally gone.

Edited June 15, 2016 by MMGeoGeezer

[+The A-Team]

If Field Notes and offline maps aren't added to the cutesy app, we'll be able to save $30 on our renewal in December. (better make sure it isn't on auto-renewal, I guess.)

Keep in mind that there are alternatives. I hesitate to name any particular apps by name in case that's deemed to be advertising, but you can search the App Store and find several that should have good ratings and can do all the things you want, plus much more.

[+HistDrew]

Things to think about when updating:

 

1. Ability to put this on an iPad.

2. Ability to see all the photos from one button, rather than having to scroll through each and every log.

3. Ability to write draft logs for expansion and uploading later, all at once.

 

 

These are three features I used regularly on the old app. It would be great if they could be brought back.

[+TeamPlys]

In general the search options are too limited. It should be possible to search on nearly everything.

[+Hellomarci]

As said earlier, the

 

1.: More search options,

2.: Mapquest maps,

3.: Photos in one button

 

would be a really good feature.

[+HistDrew]

Add to that the ability to mark caches as "Needs Maintenance" from the app.