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Troubleshooting

Login and Account​

The app shows "Anonymous" in my Profile​

This is the intended behavior on first launch. The app creates a private anonymous session automatically so you can start using it immediately without signing in. You only need to create an account if you want to sync data across devices or make a purchase. Tap Create Account on the Profile tab when you are ready.

I upgraded from anonymous to a real account and my data is missing​

When you tap Create Account and complete Google, Apple, or email sign-in, the app links your anonymous session to your new account — all visits, bucket list items, and journal entries are preserved. If you instead signed out first and then created a new account, the data from the anonymous session cannot be recovered. Contact support if this happened unexpectedly.

Sign-in fails with an error​

  1. Check your internet connection.
  2. For Google Sign-In: ensure your Google account is active on the device (iOS: Settings > Passwords & Accounts; Android: Settings > Accounts).
  3. For Apple Sign-In: ensure it is enabled in Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security.
  4. Try the email magic link option as a fallback — it is the most reliable sign-in method.
  5. Close the app completely and try again.

Map Issues​

The map is not loading​

The interactive map requires an internet connection to load tile images. If you are offline, the map tiles cannot render — this is expected. Your lighthouse pins and any visit/bucket-list markers are stored locally and will appear once the map loads with a connection.

If you have an internet connection but the map still won't load:

  1. Close the app completely and reopen it.
  2. Check that location permissions are not blocking map initialization (Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Lighthouses).
  3. The map works without location permission — you just won't see a "my location" dot. Grant location permission if you want distance and directions features.

"Get Directions" is not working​

"Get Directions" opens your device's native maps app with the lighthouse GPS coordinates as the destination. If it is not launching:

  1. Ensure your device has a maps app installed (Google Maps, Apple Maps, or similar).
  2. Ensure the lighthouse has GPS coordinates — check the detail screen for a "GPS" field. If it is missing, the lighthouse may not yet have coordinate data.
  3. On iOS, check that your default browser is set and maps app links are not blocked.

Visit Tracking and Journal​

I can't add a journal entry​

Journal entries require the lighthouse to be marked as visited first. Open the lighthouse detail screen and confirm it shows a visited checkmark. If it does not, tap Mark as Visited to log your visit, then tap Add Journal Entry.

My journal entry photos are not loading​

Photos for Free and Ad-free (Tier A/B) users are stored locally on the device. They will not appear on other devices. Subscribers (Tier C/D) have photos synced to cloud storage and accessible across devices.

If photos are missing on the same device:

  1. Ensure the photos were successfully uploaded during entry creation (look for a loading indicator that completed).
  2. Close and reopen the app.
  3. If photos are still missing, re-edit the journal entry and re-attach the photos.

I accidentally deleted a visit — can I recover it?​

Visit deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. If you deleted a visit and want to restore it, re-log the visit from the lighthouse detail screen by tapping Mark as Visited and selecting the original date from the date picker.

Offline Mode​

Can I use the app without cell service?​

Yes. The app works fully offline for reading cached lighthouse data, logging visits, writing journal entries, and managing your bucket list. All writes go to your local database first. An offline indicator banner appears when you have no connection.

What does not work offline:

  • The map tile layer (map base imagery requires network)
  • Loading lighthouse detail pages that haven't been previously opened
  • Community ratings updates (reads from local cache; new community data requires connection)

My offline data is not syncing after I reconnect​

  1. Ensure the app is open and active — sync starts automatically when the app is open and online.
  2. Check you are signed in with an account (not anonymous) — anonymous users are local-only.
  3. Cross-device sync requires Tier C or D subscription. Free and Ad-free users' data stays on-device.
  4. Force-close and reopen the app to trigger a fresh sync attempt.

Subscriptions​

I subscribed but Advanced Stats is still locked​

  1. Open the Profile tab and check your tier shows "Basic" or "Premium."
  2. If it shows "Free," tap Restore Purchases in Profile > Settings.
  3. Sign out and sign back in — subscription status is re-checked on login.
  4. If the issue persists, contact support via Profile > Settings > Report a Bug.

I purchased ad-removal but ads are still showing​

  1. Go to Profile > Settings > Restore Purchases to re-apply your purchase.
  2. Ensure you are signed in with the same account used for the purchase.
  3. Force-close and reopen the app.

Contacting Support​

Open the app, go to Profile > Settings, and tap Report a Bug or Request a Feature. Include your device model, OS version, and steps to reproduce. For subscription billing issues, contact Apple Support (App Store) or Google Play Support directly.

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