Common questions
Is Mapelle really free?
Yes. There is no paid version, no subscription and no ads. There is nothing to buy inside the app.
Which phones does it work on?
iPhone, with iOS 15.1 or newer. There is no iPad or Android version.
Is it on the App Store?
Not yet. It is still being built. This page will say so when it is.
Do I need an account?
You sign in with Apple, and that is the only sign in. Mapelle never asks you to make up a password.
Where is my map kept?
On your iPhone and in your own iCloud Drive, in a folder called Mapelle (you can see it in the Files app). It is not sent to us. Mapelle has no server. iCloud Drive has to be switched on for the copy in iCloud to be kept.
On a new iPhone, sign in to the same iCloud and to Mapelle, and your map and your places come back.
I walked down a street and it did not clear. Why?
The fog only lifts when the phone is sure where it is. Indoors, underground or between tall buildings its position can be a guess from wifi and phone masts, and a guess clears a small dot at most. This is on purpose, so that nothing you have not been to is ever marked as discovered. Walk the street again under open sky and it will clear.
Does it work with the phone in my pocket?
Yes, if you allow location Always. Open Settings in the app and look at Always Discover: it says whether it is on and takes you to the right place to switch it on. Background App Refresh also has to be on for Mapelle, in the iPhone's own Settings.
What happens on a train or the tube?
A phone on a train only knows where it is now and then, mostly at stations. Mapelle joins those points along the real railway or tube track, so the ride is a line on your map and not a row of dots. The tracks are built in for Britain and Ireland today. Anywhere else, a ride stays as dots.
If you would rather not have this, switch off Train journeys in Settings, under Map. The joined lines come off, and come back if you switch it on again.
How do I add lots of photos at once?
Tap Add POI and choose where the photos are: Photos or Files. Pick as many as you like. Mapelle reads where each one was taken and asks where they should go: each where it was taken, all in the place most of them were taken, or a place you pick yourself. It also tells you which ones are already on your map, and leaves those out unless you say otherwise.
Can I see more places on the screen at once?
Yes. At the top of the POI list there is a mark made of small tiles. Tap it to switch between two, three and four photos in a row.
Can I use my own music?
Yes. A place can have a voice recording, a song picked in the app, or an audio file of your own. In Settings you can also keep a list of default songs. A place with no music of its own plays one of them, and in Pick music you can choose which.
Can I start my map again from nothing?
Yes. Settings, Map, Reset Discovery. The fog comes back over everything and clearing carries on from where you stand. Your places, photos and music are not touched.
How do I delete everything?
Settings, Account, Delete account. You are asked to type a sentence to be sure. It removes your map, your places and their photos, videos and audio from your iPhone and from your iCloud. It cannot be undone.
My question is not here.
Write to antwijason55@gmail.com. One person reads everything, and answers within a few days.