GPS Tracks 4+

Frustrating user interface

I chose this over similar better known apps like Gaia and All Trails because it supposedly collects less data but it’s frustrating to use and has essentially no documentation. For example if you recall a previously completed track on the map there’s no obvious way to get rid of it to start a new track. The app assumes you want to continue and resume the old track even if it’s days later. Then you’re given the choice to save or delete the track you only wanted to view. If you click save it creates a duplicate of the already saved track. Most are not going to click delete for fear of losing their previously saved track. This is a classic example of a competent developer designing an app that works for his needs but isn’t very user friendly to others. Various functions are scattered all over the place with some under obscure icons. A nice simple single hierarchical menu structure would be much better and more intuitive.

Developer Response ,

Thank you for your purchase and for the feedback. I would love to hear more details from you about this as it sounds like there may be some issues in the app. Please reach out to me at support@dmsoftwaresolutions.com and I will be more than happy to take care of you.

Thanks,
David

Best for Navigating

My new favorite place to walk is a park that has a lot of paths but the paths are not mapped out very well. The only way I knew to create an accurate map of the paths were to simply walk them, and have my phone track me while I walked. I did this using this app, and only on days where I had a lot of time, since once I picked a path I didn’t know how far it would go or how long I would walked. I simply kept doing this until I had walked all of the paths.

There were so many trails that I didn’t walk them all on one day. I usually walked one trail a week. But the cool thing was that I was still able to create a map that showed all trails at once, so that from then on I was able to pick and choose what trails I wanted to take and even go from one trail to another during a walk.

Other apps didn’t give me that freedom. They only showed one track at a time, and that made it impossible to connect the tracks together. Only with this app was I able to get the full picture so that I’d be able to pick which paths I wanted to take on any given day or view how long each path I picked would be on the days I didn’t have a lot of time.

Professional grade capabilities

As a long time Biological Field Technician I have nothing but good things to say about this app. I use it daily in the rugged and remote terrain in Hawaii. I have ditched my clunky Garmin handheld unit and can run tracks and take photo waypoints for my work all day long. I’m freed up from needing a PC to transfer data and I can now deliver info straight from the field via text msg or email. Loading external maps and data that have been emailed to me is a cinch.

I use GPS Tracks to inspect conservation fences, track invasive species control and search for endangered plants as well as field navigation. I have even used it while flying to locate helicopter landing zones.

The app doesn’t have a huge impact on my iPhone 8 battery life. So far it has performed very well when offline/No Service which is imperative in the Hawaiian backcountry. Although I am concerned about using it in a dense forest canopy, perhaps an accessory antenna may help. Love the mapping subscription and benefit highly from the ESRI contour map. Usability is easy to learn and I have gotten a number of coworkers to use the app on their phones.