Release Notes (Geocaching® app for iOS: Widget) - June 28, 2022

[+Geocaching HQ]

Release Notes (Geocaching® app for iOS: Widget) - June 28, 2022

 

With the 9.5.0 release, we are introducing a new widget on the Geocaching® app for iOS. The widget shows nearby caches that you haven’t found and do not own, allowing a quick view of what’s available to find near you!

 

   .  

 

Widget features:

• The widget shows the closest caches up to a 20 mile radius.
• It comes in two sizes: Large shows the five closest caches, while Medium shows the two closest caches.
• The widget will refresh whenever the app is opened from being in the background, or when a significant location change occurs. Outside of this, it will also attempt to refresh after a certain interval (currently 10 minutes). If the widget cannot refresh, you will see the latest data available or an error message.
• The Large version also includes the last time the widget was updated.
• The distance to the closest cache(s) will go as low as 0.1 miles or 0.1 km (depending on your settings).
• Dark mode support

 

You can install the widget directly on your device’s home screen. Follow these steps:

1. From the home screen, touch and hold an empty area until the apps jiggle.
2. Tap the + button in the upper-left corner.
3. Select the Geocaching widget and choose your widget size.
4. Tap Add Widget.
5. Tap Done.

 

Nicole (nykkole), Product Manager, is watching this thread to answer questions whenever possible.

 

Any posts in this thread should relate to features in this release. Comments unrelated to the release may be removed. Please direct unrelated comments to other appropriate threads. Thanks!

[+biketom]

Hi Nicole

I'm from switzerland and I can't find the GC widget on my iphone.

Iphone OS is 15.5 and GC app version is 9.5.0. 

Any hints why this great feature doesn't show up on my iphone?

Thanks for you help, much appreciated

Thomas

 

[+PlantStrong]

THINK TWICE before adding this "widget". I made the mistake of following the instructions without knowing the effect it would have on my iPhone's screen setup:

(1) It deleted the geocaching app from my phone's dock at the base of the screen. I couldn't find it anywhere;

(2) It "exploded" my phone's desktop, scattering apps everywhere, and taking them out of the way I wanted them arranged;

(3) The "widget" dominates the screen, and it seems that one cannot get it to minimize. I am vision impaired and need all the space I can get on the screen without clutter.

 

Needless to say, I've removed the widget and am now going through the labor of reorganizing all of the scattered apps and trying to rearrange them according to what I had before.

 

BEWARE. This is not what I'd call an improvement.

 

Thanks.

[+underwood4finding]

2 hours ago, biketom said:

Hi Nicole

I'm from switzerland and I can't find the GC widget on my iphone.

Iphone OS is 15.5 and GC app version is 9.5.0. 

Any hints why this great feature doesn't show up on my iphone?

Thanks for you help, much appreciated

Thomas

 

Hi biketom, 

I couldn’t get it to work at first because I was trying to add it on my main page — which was already full of apps and widgets.  I scrolled right to a less full page and then I was able to add it there.

Thanks and happy finding!

[+Annie Organ]

Hi, Nicole.

In theory, I love the widget but even the smaller version displaced 8 of the most frequently used app tiles from my Home Screen. I deleted it and instead swiped right to my Today View screen, and followed the same instructions to install it there with my other widgets.

Thanks for the enhancement.

Annie Organ

[+thebruce0]

2 hours ago, PlantStrong said:

This is not what I'd call an improvement.

 

Have you used widgets before? Most of that would be an expected behaviour; they take up more than one icon spot (as mentioned above there are two sizes available), thus necessarily shifting app icons around.  Beware indeed, but it's a tradeoff for using widgets, not a fault of the devs. The appearance and effect seems reasonably explained in the first post. My Geocaching app wasn't moved from the docker bar in the footer.

 

Perhaps there are other side effects if there are accessibility settings in play? Maybe that's an issue?

[+PlantStrong]

Nope. If that's an expected behavior, then it isn't for me. Lesson learned. No pox on the developers. Sorry if it seemed that way. Thanks.

[+PlantStrong]

Incidentally, I had no intention whatsoever of sparking a controversy or sniping at anyone's tech work. I did, however, feel compelled to share my own experience with the "widget" in order to warn other unsuspecting users of the potential (and to me, real) issues. To do less would be a disservice to fellow geocachers. Thanks.

[+SpiritGuide]

Android users have had widgets for years... you need to find screen real estate to display whatever size the widget is. That's normal. 

[+CAVinoGal]

17 hours ago, thebruce0 said:

Have you used widgets before? Most of that would be an expected behaviour; they take up more than one icon spot (as mentioned above there are two sizes available), thus necessarily shifting app icons around.  Beware indeed, but it's a tradeoff for using widgets, not a fault of the devs. The appearance and effect seems reasonably explained in the first post.

Yes, it clearly showed the screen real estate it would use.  I saw how large it was (most of my widgets use 2 icon spaces, 4 at the most, and the smallest available size for this app is 8 spaces - that's too much of my screen taken up for something I probably won't use much - I'll just open the app!) and decided not to even attempt it - just too big for me unless it's on a dedicated screen.  I might as well just open the app as to scroll through screens to find the right one...that's just me, though.  I may just do that to see, it sounds like it may be useful for some situations!  But for my main phone screen - nope.  That screen has a few shortcuts and icons that I use a lot, atrategically placed around the photo I have as a background so I can still see faces!!  The rest of the widgets and shortcuts go on other screens.

 

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by CAVinoGal
Clarification

[+TNgeopals]

Hello, and I have to agree that it takes up way to much space even for the smaller version.  And it can't be resized nor moved to a better location on the screen.  I appreciate the techs and their help on new innovations but this is one that although seems great on the surface will probably not be used.  Using the actual map in the app will be more helpful as it shows the relative distance to where one is.  Thanks for the work you do.

[+TheWanderesss]

Hi, my iOS and Geocaching app are the latest versions. The widget doesn't appear among the widgets I can add. How do I do this?

[+thebruce0]

The widget can be added to other icon pages remember, it doesn't have to be on the front page with all our most actively used apps. Just a tip. (I'm not using the widget)

[+mijdeets]

Not sure I understand all the negative posts.  I quite like the widget.  Sure it's not the same as the app but it's an additional tool and I think it's kinda cool.  I added the large widget to a separate page on my phone.  I do have one question though.  Is there a way for the widget to reflect what I have selected in the app filter?  In the app, I have filtered out (unchecked) the mystery and multicache items.  But the widget is currently ONLY showing me those nearby ha ha.  I prefer to just see traditional geocaches nearby.  Thanks for your work on this widget!

[+gadget63]

I ran the Jun 28th app update on my iPhone. Now the app doesn't open. I tried rebooting the phone and still the same result. Any one ells having the same problem?

[+CAVinoGal]

1 hour ago, gadget63 said:

I ran the Jun 28th app update on my iPhone. Now the app doesn't open. I tried rebooting the phone and still the same result. Any one ells having the same problem?

 

This has nothing to do with the widget.  There is another discussion about the update and how to get it working again here:

 

[+Jimrky]

I think many might be new to using Widgets and their effects on the screen where they are installed. A bit of warning on the size of this puppy would have been nice 😁
After installation I moved it to the page with my Geocaching® apps. Even that was a bit of a struggle with the size.

Also, I think it could easily have taken up 1/2 the real estate that it does. I don't mind crowding in the widget frame, in this case, because it's only going to spawn the app on use, anyway. The big thing is: have I found this or not and the type and the cache icon in the widget tells me that. Cache Icon, GC, short name, D/T, maybe a 3-dot series for Last Finds/DNF are all I need - and I already know who the Widget is from! Poof - over to the app with full info.

And it is fast to do that.

But hey - it works correctly! Let's see how handy it is for me. Still - Good Things come in small packages, Signal! Like pollywogs in frog eggs. 😎