Tracks4Africa Guide App for Smart phones - iOS update

**Lizette Swart** · 2020/11/09, 09:39 AM

Greetings all,

Many of you are familiar with and use our Guide App for smartphones: https://t4a-guide-app.tracks4africa.co.za/. Our Android app took place earlier this year, but unfortunately our developer for iOS had some "lockdown problems", and the update for iOS never took place. But the update is finally available and was loaded on the iStore this weekend. We recommend that you first uninstall the old version from your phone and then install the new app, and then restore your purchased maps - that will avoid any migration issues.

The iOS updated app now also includes the High Definition(HD) map as we have on Android. The free app will come bundled with a free base map, but users who own three or more guides will also be able to download the HD map for free. The Free version of the HD map will become visible after you restore your guides (if you have three or more). If you only purchase one guide, but would like the HD map with it, you can purchase the HD map for R199.

Enjoy!

Lizette

**JP vd Merwe** · 2020/11/09, 01:52 PM

Hi Lizette,

Thank you, I updated my app and downloaded more maps last night.

How is the information available being verified before the updates? Reason I am asking, is I would like to go through to Klaserie in the 2 weeks, however found that 1 site's contact number does not exist, neither their website. Unfortunately, such an experience so soon after the update download is a bit of a downer

Yes, one do realise that we do have COVID, however, to me, this was the where the value of the app was supposed to be.

We do like to plan to a point and for that, whilst at home, one do have all sorts of resources. however, once traveling and one requires information, one do not always have the luxury of time and network available to contact or search for an overnight stay.

Kind regards
JP

**Lizette Swart** · 2020/11/09, 02:28 PM

Hi JP,

The T4A maps are built on information supplied by a community of data members, i.e. travellers record their tracks and POI's and send the information to us, and we build the maps from that information. When a data member finds a new lodge, they mark the waypoint on the GPS, and send us the coordinates with the name, contact details etc. and we create the POI on our maps. We only remove the POI, or change contact details, etc. when we are notified of a change, either by a data member or on a forum such as this - so if you could tell me which lodge it was, our research team will investigate to find new contact details, or we will mark it as closed if we are unable to contact them. You can also send an email to [email protected] and notify us of the change.

When we publish our paper guide books (Botswana, Namibia and soon to be released Zambia) all the accommodation venues printed in those books, are verified first - so we go through a major data clean up before printing the books. Unfortunately we do not have the staff to continuously check contact details for all our listings (we have hundreds of thousands of listings) that appears in the app, and it is possible (especially in this difficult time for tourism) that they may have changed contact details or even have closed down, but that it would still appear in the app as we were not notified of this.

We are working on building a functionality into the app, that will allow you to comment directly from the app if a venue has closed or changed contact details, this will help a great deal in keeping the information current. You will also be able to "check in" to a venue from the app, and this will inform us that it is still operational.

I hope that helps, and if you do find incorrect details, it would be great if you forward it to me so we can clean up the data!

Kind regards

Lizette