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The suggestion of developing a native mobile app for the site is already showing signs of being a popular request on our new Feature Requests list.  Developing an app (or in practice several apps would be needed for different types of device) is a big investment, so it would be very important for us to understand exactly what features and benefits people are looking for in such an app.  In particular, as we already have a mobile version of the site, I'd like to understand a bit more about what you feel a mobile app could provide that the mobile site can't, so that we can be clear about the objectives if we were to develop an app.  It may be that some needs can be met through enhancements to the current mobile site.

Thanks in advance for your input.

John

John

Having been using the mobile site recently (which is excellent!), I don't see any advantages to having an app, whose only purpose, that I can see, would be to re-package the existing mobile functionality.

Given the development time needed to do that, I think it would be a much better use of you resource to develop some of the other features that have been requested.

Pending any specific requests from anyone who feels the mobile site is lacking, I would definitely put this one way on the back burner

Thanks for your feedback Ian.  I'd be interested to hear other peoples' views.  The mobile version of the website already offers most of the features available on the desktop site, so we would need to understand what additional benefits a native app would need to deliver before considering an investment in this.  

In the meantime, we'll keep working through the other suggestions.

John

Where an app is a sizeable outlay it also opens up a whole new market. Add in adverts and it makes money. 

It'd be a useful tool if people could save plotted routes and access the app offline and navigate it purely with GPS. Etc. Thus making offline access more accessible perhaps. 

The mobile site.is great though. It even works like a good app in how well formatted it is. 

At the moment I plan on the plotaroute website and then export the GPX to Komoot to navigate on my rides.  It would be great if plotaroute could also do the turn by turn with voice instructions, eta, onscreen distance to go etc etc (like car satnav but for cyclists, runners, walkers). That way I could ditch Komoot (which isnt anywhere near as good as planning as plotaroute).  I personally would be willing to pay for such an app.

A mobile app with offline functionality.

The main issue with web sites especially for walking is lack of decent network signal out in the middle of nowhere.

Some ability to cache a map of an area in a similar manner to Google maps.

Thanks for everyones input on this so far.  It's important that we understand the key objectives from an app before investing in this.

John

I suspect most people posting here will be those who want a new app, so I thought it wouldn't do any harm to confirm that I don't need an app for route plotting.

I've got a 24" screen at home and I certainly wouldn't try plotting a route on a phone regardless of how good the app might be, because I want to be able to see the big picture ...

As for following the plotted route, I only use voice navigation and that is using the Android Track Navigator app.  (An alternative app is OSMAND)

So there are already apps that do the job I want.  For me, Track Navigator works perfectly.

I also use the Endomondo app, but that is just to record the history of routes that I ride so I can look back at where, when, route details and calories.

So, if I was looking for something better, then that would be an app which both follows the plotted route AND keeps a history, so I only have to run one app.

Before anyone tells me that I can already do the two things with a single app, I should mention that the above apps are free.

Track Navgator is always free.  OSMAND is free for my requirements including downloading some maps to use offline.

Endomondo is also free for my requirements and that's because I have absolutely no interest in the functionality relating to sharing data and competing against anyone else.

For many people, I'm sure apps like Strava are indispensable and already has lots of users to compete against.

Any new Plotaroute app might have to be good enough to draw people away from those already established apps to make it viable ...

Thanks Colin - that's very helpful feedback.

John

In reply to Colin.  Android apps and perfect turn by turn navigation using .tcx files.

1. Excelllent and very simple to use app: Track Navigator ! Uses online maps or simply a blank.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thunkmonkey.tracknav&hl=en

2. Locus map.  (Free and Pro).  The online manual:  http://docs.locusmap.eu/doku.php?id=:main&redirect=1

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=menion.android.locus&hl=en

Excellent app that understands .tcx navigation. Instructions by TTS or by simple beep or by simple loud and clear Morse sign for L/R/S...(= very limited so no morse training necessary ;-)

Uses online or offline 'vector' maps and more and more.

Reading the online manual is a MUST to understand all available features ! =  A lot !  

@ Willy

Yes, Track Navigator only navigates plotted tracks and nothing more, so as you say it's simple to use.  The only configuration option is metres or feet (yes, feet, not yards.  I therefore use metres as the numbers are smaller ...)

For me, the screen is blank (apart from the plotted track) and that is fine as I don't look at it - I just listen.  It knows where I am on that plotted track and directs me accordingly.

As for Locus, the thought of having to study a manual is slightly off-putting, so I'll give that a miss but thank  you for mentioning it :)

OK, so my twopeneth...

There is one already and you can export your GPX files to Plotaroute! :) Does everything you want and offline! So its perfectly compatible with Plotaroute! Would this help?

http://osmand.net/

Just to echo Andy Owen's comments on this one I think.

Why do I need an app instead of the mobile site?  Because it shows my route (selected from a list of my routes) on the map, and most importantly it shows where I am on the map while I'm out and about. My position is kept updated.  As far as I'm aware the mobile site won't do that.  I can (and do) download a gpx and upload it to a different app - conveniently one that stores map data offline, although most of the time I'm in town with a good signal so that isn't really an issue - but for many people downloading/uploading, worrying about formats and GPX types is a deal breaker.

I generally don't like mobile apps and would prefer to use my browser, but GPS is one aspect where I want to get full integrated use of my device hardware.  So for me I would like an app which does the following:

1) Display list of routes (mine, or bookmarked, whatever).

2) Display selected route overlaid on map (google map, whatever).

3) Also display my position (and ideally track my position, zoom to my position, etc).

Just to be clear I have no requirement to edit/plot routes in an app.  The website is excellent for that and that's why I use it, but the problem is when I then want to use my routes.  I also have no desire for voice navigation while out running/cycling/whatever.

Thanks for the feedback Tim - that is very helpful.  Just so you are aware, you can indeed see your position on a route on the mobile website.  When you view your route map on a mobile device there is a tracker icon in the bottom right corner of the map - touch this to activate the tracker and touch it again to deactivate it.

John

 Do you have an app for my iPhone 

As this old thread has just been posted to again, I have re-read my post from 2016.  In that, I said I used Track Navigator for audio navigation following routes plotted on Plotaroute. 

I'd like to update that by saying that I've not used Track Navigator for 8 months because I now use Bike Tracker from PC Ability.  It's much better, very flexible and provides performance information on route.

Note that these apps are only for Android and only for audio ie an earpiece, so you don't need to look at anything. 

Bike Tracker does have a map showing current position.  You'll need to be online to see the map, BUT the app is so good I've not needed a map since I started using it.  If you miss a turn, it tells you how to get back on track.

Hi Michael - we don't currently have a mobile app but do have a mobile friendly version of the wesbite.  Also, you can download routes from the site for use with other apps like the ones that Colin refered to - thanks Colin for sharing these tips.

John

Isn't this Feature Request rather similar to Request 26 (Develop a mobile app for route navigation (following a route using GPS enabled mobile devices) ? 

- tracks downloaded onto the phone 

- GPS guidance along a plotted track

- ideally using offline maps because internet access might not always be available 

- ideally with voice guidance along the route

- ideally with visual guidance along a route ??

Does anyone use or want visual guidance with a phone ?  In my experience, it's no good on a bicycle.  I suspect a dedicated navigation device which fills the small screen with big graphics would be better ...

For walkers, perhaps detailed offline maps overlayed with progress along the track would work ...

If no-one needs to plot a new route on a phone without internet access, then this Feature Request (24) seems to be superfluous .... or am I wrong ?  (I've never used the mobile site)

I think number 24 was the original feature request for a mobile app but then we created separate ones for navigation and recording of routes. Feature request 24 is more about replicating the mobile site as a native app rather than creating new functionality to record or navigate that doesn't exist now, so in that respect it probably isn't redundant.

John