10-Oct-2026 — native recording and the walking app experience ref #151
What's new
- Recording a route waits until you tap Start recording, then shows GPS acquisition, pauses and recovery in the bottom tray. Stationary GPS fixes no longer draw false breaks in the line. New recordings open at your current location. Stopping collects any points gathered in the background, then asks for a name and description; those fields keep focus while you type, and you can edit them later on a saved route. Discard confirmation offers Keep recording as the primary choice. Walking no longer triggers the iPhone shake-to-undo dialogue.
- The native iPhone and Android app uses the platform artwork for its Home Screen icon, loads site images correctly, and keeps controls clear of the phone's hardware edges. Loading screens explain what is happening. The website splash still says Preparing your view.
- The walking home has compact sticky controls, working Customise navigation, and tooltips that do not get in the way of a tap. Pull down on your phone, or use the desktop toolbar, to refresh walks and maps without reloading the whole screen. Cached maps stay visible while the list updates. Maps load in batches of twenty, nearby thumbnails keep their route detail, and slower responses have more time to arrive.
- Favourites and Near me show whether they are on or off. The distance filter stays on screen while you scroll, updates the matched count as you drag, and the centred header count follows the view and filters you have chosen. Distances are spelled out as 1 mile or 2 miles, including the header, the Near me slider, map cards, remaining distance on a route, and the map scale. The header count is a little bolder so it is easier to read. Existing maps no longer offer a confusing Record action. Action buttons fit narrow screens, with consistent corners and spacing on cards and controls.
- On Maps admin, each row has full-width Open, Delete and OS Maps controls. Delete removes the map from the list immediately, so the screen does not wait on a slow refresh. The OS Maps button only appears when there is a real OS Maps page to open. Hidden maps use Show 1 hidden map or Show 2 hidden maps, matching the number.
- A GPS walk is labelled Recorded, an OS Maps import is Imported, and other saved GPX files are Saved. Created, updated and Available off-line share one typeface and icon column, with compact dates and the creator shown once beside the map.
- Opening a saved route on a wide screen shows Route details without tapping Edit: who recorded or imported it, Available off-line, the description when there is one, whether Everybody or Only me can see it, and the Ramblers grade image when a grade is set. Empty description and unset grade are omitted. Edit uses the same frame with Name, Description, Who can see and the grade picker.
- On a phone, follow stays map-first: remaining distance and time, then Start, Save off-line, Edit and Close. Additional settings is the same height and gap as those pills and spans the row above them. It reveals elevation, audit, directions, who can see, and difficulty. Name and Description are on Edit. Elevation Low, High and Ascent appear only when the route has height data; a GPS track with all zeros is treated as having none. Start and Finish stay under Points. If a route has no directions yet, you will see Choose Edit, then Generate directions when you can edit it, or This route has no directions yet when you cannot. Generate directions is a full-width pill button, with the step controls on the row below.
- Editing Name or Description keeps Cancel and Save. If the line has a lot of points, a short note explains that, with optional Keep all points and Reduce density; those choices no longer replace Save. Close stays the last action. On a phone, swipe the sheet handle up or down to show or hide the panel; the handle is a larger tap target, so a swipe is not treated as a click. The action row sits above the home indicator, so Start, Save, Edit and Close stay fully visible.
- Native map preferences stay on the device until profile synchronisation is available, without misleading connection warnings.