Jump to content

My only (remaining) iPhone app complaint


actualsize

Recommended Posts

I can do everything I need to do with the new app. Today, after a series of steady improvements, I really love it. I've only ever cached with an iPhone, so I was PO'd when the old app was retired and this one replaced it. It was a rough start, but it's golden now. Better than the old one ever dreamed of being. (And better than its Android counterpart.)

But...

My one remaining complaint has to do with the filter section of the live search page. It has a pair of sliders - one for difficulty, one for terrain. That's great, but both of them have a serious flaw: you cannont swipe the sliders so their endpoints overlap at a single D or T. You can only ever do a range: If you want 3.5 you have to settle for 3 and 3.5 or 3.5 and 4. You can never set the filter to 3.5 by itself.

So if I want to look for a specific D/T -- let's say 1/3.5 -- I have to create a desktop pocket query to do that. (I do love how PQs now automatically show up on the phone as a List, but I digress.) It does me no good to use the sliders in the field because I'll get 1/3, 1.5/3, 1/3.5 (the only one I care about) and 1.5/3.5. This is essentially useless, especially since the D/T info is not included on a list's Details page - I have to select a cache and open its page before I can see the D/T rating. This is a royal pain when I'm working on my Fizzy grid.

What gives? The Android version of the app allows its endpoint sliders to overlap at a single D or T, and the old version of the iPhone app could do it, too.

Please fix. I know you can! I keep waiting for it in one of your updates, but it never arrives!

 

Thanks,

actualsize

 

PS: not vital, but I would like to have the Needs Maintenance log type added back to the app for in-the-field use. Notes do not cut it because a prolific CO probably doesn't read every log about every cache they own, and I don't ever do much at my desktop when I get home. As a result, it is hard to give the CO a heads-up about any broken or Muggled caches, or GZs ruined by landscaping or construction I run across. I can see why this may be a conscious decision to prevent overuse by n00bs, though. Maybe only let this show up if one is a Premium member? I suppose I could use the Message feature and do it that way, but then the reviewer doesn't see it, which makes it hard to move a deserving neglected cache into Needs Archived territory.

Edited by actualsize
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
2 hours ago, actualsize said:

I can do everything I need to do with the new app. Today, after a series of steady improvements, I really love it. I've only ever cached with an iPhone, so I was PO'd when the old app was retired and this one replaced it. It was a rough start, but it's golden now. Better than the old one ever dreamed of being. (And better than its Android counterpart.)

But...

My one remaining complaint has to do with the filter section of the live search page. It has a pair of sliders - one for difficulty, one for terrain. That's great, but both of them have a serious flaw: you cannont swipe the sliders so their endpoints overlap at a single D or T. You can only ever do a range: If you want 3.5 you have to settle for 3 and 3.5 or 3.5 and 4. You can never set the filter to 3.5 by itself.

So if I want to look for a specific D/T -- let's say 1/3.5 -- I have to create a desktop pocket query to do that. (I do love how PQs now automatically show up on the phone as a List, but I digress.) It does me no good to use the sliders in the field because I'll get 1/3, 1.5/3, 1/3.5 (the only one I care about) and 1.5/3.5. This is essentially useless, especially since the D/T info is not included on a list's Details page - I have to select a cache and open its page before I can see the D/T rating. This is a royal pain when I'm working on my Fizzy grid.

What gives? The Android version of the app allows its endpoint sliders to overlap at a single D or T, and the old version of the iPhone app could do it, too.

Please fix. I know you can! I keep waiting for it in one of your updates, but it never arrives!

 

Thanks,

actualsize

 

PS: not vital, but I would like to have the Needs Maintenance log type added back to the app for in-the-field use. Notes do not cut it because a prolific CO probably doesn't read every log about every cache they own, and I don't ever do much at my desktop when I get home. As a result, it is hard to give the CO a heads-up about any broken or Muggled caches, or GZs ruined by landscaping or construction I run across. I can see why this may be a conscious decision to prevent overuse by n00bs, though. Maybe only let this show up if one is a Premium member? I suppose I could use the Message feature and do it that way, but then the reviewer doesn't see it, which makes it hard to move a deserving neglected cache into Needs Archived territory.

Thanks for the constructive feedback.

  • We are aware with the bug you described regarding the iPhone D/T filter sliders and we're investigating fixes.
  • Needs Maintenance logs are available in the app already, just in a different spot than you may be used to. When you have a cache open in the app, tap the (...) menu at the yop right, then tap Report a Problem and you'll see the option the create a Needs Maintenance or Needs Archived log.

I hope those answers help!

Link to comment

Thanks, as for the Report a Problem option, I do not see it in the iPhone app. Are you perhaps thinking of the Android app?

If a cache is selected, but I have not pressed "start" to begin navigation, I do indeed see three dots in the upper right. But the choices are 1) Add selected to list; 2) Add all to list; 3) Share; 4) Open in Browser. That's all.

If I am navigating after pressing start, the three dots disappear, replaced by an "i" in a circle, which only tells me the cache type (which, I might add, is of ZERO use to anyone but a first-time n00b. I knew what a "traditional" was my first 30 minutes into this hobby. This button is a waste of space 99.9% of the time, now that I think about it.)

If I press or swipe "Log", the three usual choices (found, dnf, note) appear, but there are no dots in the upper right corner. Everything except for those three choices is grayed out, and I see no path to any other choices. The three "more" bars in the lower right seem to be there for general housekeeping functions outside.

Are you certain you're not speaking of an Android app function that the iPhone app lacks? 

Edited by actualsize
Link to comment
3 minutes ago, actualsize said:

Thanks, as for the three dots, I do not see them in the iPhone app. Are you perhaps thinking of the Android app?

If a cache is selected, but I have not pressed "start" to begin navigation, I see three dots in the upper right. But the choices are 1) Add selected to list; 2) Add all to list; 3) Share; 4) Open in Browser.

If I am navigating after pressing start, the three dots disappear, replaced by an "i" in a circle, which only tells me the cache type (which, I might add, is of ZERO use to anyone but a first-time n00b. I knew what a "traditional" was my first 30 minutes into this hobby. This button is a waste of space, now that I think about it.)

If I press or swipe "Log", the three usual choices (found, dnf, note) appear, but there are no dots in the upper right corner. I see no path to any other choices. The three "more" bars in the lower right seem to be there for general housekeeping functions. Are you certain you're not speaking of an Android app function that the iPhone app lacks? 

Yep, definitely the iPhone app. :) Make sure you're tapping the (...) menu when you have a cache's full details open (i.e. the cache info takes up the whole screen). When you tap that menu with the full screen cache view, you should see the Report a problem option. I am assuming that you've updated your app version with the last 8 months. We added the Report a problem option in version 4.10 of the app which was released last February

Link to comment

Hmm. I'm always very up to date. How come I'm only seeing four choices, none of which is Report a Problem?

Oh, I see my mistake. I often press start without opening the cache details first. And I sometimes press the three dots before I examine the cache details. Now I see the fifth choice as long as I first open up the cache details before I select the three dots. Now that I know where it is and that the list differs slightly based on when you access it, I'm set.

Thanks for that!

So we're back to the D/T slider issue, the original topic! ;)

Link to comment

I too have become more and more satisfied with the official geocaching app on iPhone.  Good job!  My one reservation is a little different.  I wish there was a summary of log types like on the webpage.  This is very useful information to me.  This helps me determine whether the last 3 logs being DNFs likely indicate a difficult cache or a missing cache?  I also wish it listed the find count with each username.  Were those last 3 DNFs from cachers with less than 10 finds each, or with many finds under their belt?  Makes a difference.  So, I still open the browser for this info.

Ok, I guess that 2 remaining complaints.  But, still, very nice app now, overall:)

 

Log Type Summary.PNG

Link to comment
On 10/17/2017 at 6:29 AM, m0bean said:

I too have become more and more satisfied with the official geocaching app on iPhone.  Good job!  My one reservation is a little different.  I wish there was a summary of log types like on the webpage.  This is very useful information to me.  This helps me determine whether the last 3 logs being DNFs likely indicate a difficult cache or a missing cache?  I also wish it listed the find count with each username.  Were those last 3 DNFs from cachers with less than 10 finds each, or with many finds under their belt?  Makes a difference.  So, I still open the browser for this info.

Ok, I guess that 2 remaining complaints.  But, still, very nice app now, overall:)

 

Log Type Summary.PNG

Thanks for chiming in. Although it will likely be a different experience than the digest you screen grabbed from the website, we're currently looking into ways to make the most recent log type more obvious/discoverable so that players have a better preview to decide whether they want/need to dig into the full list of logs. We're also working on adding the ability to view profiles for other players, which would give you the chance to determine a find count for them.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...