Why do we need an app?

artbone · 2 Dec 2023, 15:04

I’m a long time user of MRA since it was called Tyre2travel. I use it to plan routes on an ipad, then transfer them to my Garmin XT, which works great. I also have tried to open the app on my Android phone and use it for navigation because I would like to not ever have to buy another Garmin but I’ve found it’s useless without an internet connection. When I try to plan a route on the app on my iPad, I can’t even give it a name because when I try to type certain letters the app will skip to another page. Very frustrating. Also, I can’t open a route or track from the app unless I have an internet connection. If I have a route or app open, then I can navigate it without problems. So, what is the purpose of the app?

Art

Rob Verhoeff · 2 Dec 2023, 15:17

@artbone I suggest that you go through the manual. You can certainly use MRA without internet. To do so, you need to download the maps of the regions through which you'll be navigating. Also, you should download the routes you plan to take to your device. After that, you can navigate without internet just fine. However, you will miss the live traffic information on your routes.

In addition to this guide on the app, you can find more detailed information on planning your routes here (click).

Lynchy67 · 2 Dec 2023, 19:05

@artbone

Switch off Bluetooth, and you will be able to select those letters.
With Bluetooth on, the app is simulating the use of an external handlebar controller like Bar Buttons, Carpe Iter or Remotek One.

Jörgen · 2 Dec 2023, 23:05

@Lynchy67 said in Why do we need an app?:

@artbone

Switch off Bluetooth, and you will be able to select those letters.
With Bluetooth on, the app is simulating the use of an external handlebar controller like Bar Buttons, Carpe Iter or Remotek One.

You can select in the App setting what you are using.

Jörgen · 2 Dec 2023, 23:07

@Rob-Verhoeff said in Why do we need an app?:

You can certainly use MRA without internet.

that's not quite right, as you say yourself, you need internet at least once to download the maps and routes.

Con Hennekens · 3 Dec 2023, 15:42

@Jörgen said in Why do we need an app?:

that's not quite right, as you say yourself, you need internet at least once to download the maps and routes.

Duh... you cannot download maps on any device without internet...

Rob Verhoeff · 3 Dec 2023, 18:42

@Jörgen you also need internet to download the app itself! I guess you know the context of my awnser! Seems logical to me!

artbone · 4 Dec 2023, 00:35

@Lynchy67 After I turned bluetooth off, I started to write you a thank you note (on the Forum section of the app) but as soon as I typed the “N” in “thanks” the forum disappeared and I was on a different page. Sorry but that didn’t work.

Art

artbone · 4 Dec 2023, 00:38

@Jörgen There is no setting for iPad in the menu. The only setting I recognized was “Standard” and that’s what I’ve been using.

artbone · 4 Dec 2023, 00:54

@Rob-Verhoeff As I stated in my query, I’ve been using this service since it was Tyre2Travel. I’ve been trying to use the app, off and on, ever since I downloaded it as soon as I received the first email about it. I downloaded the manual and have it in my Books app and I’ve read it extensively. Please, if you’re going to answer a question from me, give me a specific answer. Don’t start with “read the manual.” Rest assured I’ve read the manual and discussed this with my other friends who use MRA, and spent several hours trying to work out it out on my own. I wouldn’t be asking the forum if I hadn’t already done all those things. Telling me to read the manual is an insult to my intelligence.

Art

Drabslab · 4 Dec 2023, 08:36

@artbone

Intelligence is artificial these days

Lynchy67 · 4 Dec 2023, 10:53

@Con-Hennekens

Many moons ago you helped me with a case regarding the same issue that Artbone is now having regarding certain letters being typed causing it to jump to a new page.
I didn’t have the skill set to resolve the issue then but in the previous case you were able to advise the solution.

Maybe you could help Artbone with this issue?

Jörgen · 4 Dec 2023, 11:31

@artbone said in Why do we need an app?:

@Jörgen There is no setting for iPad in the menu. The only setting I recognized was “Standard” and that’s what I’ve been using.

I have this on iPhone and iPad.

Con Hennekens · 5 Dec 2023, 16:10

@Lynchy67, Maybe I will, but I hope @artbone can act a bit less easily offended...

The cause of this (I think) is that @artbone is using the forum through the embedded web-view within the app. Certain keys have a meaning towards the control of the app in navigation mode. This is to enable the use of BarButtons and other types of hardware keys within the app. I think when developing the app, no one considered the possibility of using the forum through this loophole in the app.

Easy solution: open the forum in your webbrowser instead of within the app.

@Corjan-Meijerink, as unlikely it is for people to use the forum within the app, it seems that some people do this. Perhaps it is possible to pause the hardware key compatibility when activating the embedded website view?

artbone · 5 Dec 2023, 16:26

@Con-Hennekens Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. The site works fine when I’m on the internet. No problems. The problems are all with the app when I try to do anything off the internet. That’s when I have the page jumping problem and not being able to plan a route, even though I’ve got the whole area downloaded, and not bing able to open routes I’ve already done.

As far as being easily offended, I don’t think that’s the case. I’ve been married 40 years.

Art

Rob Verhoeff · 6 Dec 2023, 15:22

@artbone said in Why do we need an app?:

The problems are all with the app when I try to do anything off the internet. <.....> and not being able to plan a route, even though I’ve got the whole area downloaded

Refering to the bold/italic sentence: Planning a route with waypoints (via and shaping) always uses the internet! That's done on the website itself. You do need a live internetconnection for that part of your activities.

Regarding your other points, I cannot assist you with those.
Perhaps you should create a service ticket for that. It's possible that you can get assistance through MRA's service channel. As far as I can tell, I can navigate an A2B route perfectly fine without an internet connection.

Con Hennekens · 6 Dec 2023, 09:03

@artbone said in Why do we need an app?:

as soon as I typed the “N” in “thanks” the forum disappeared and I was on a different page.

@artbone said in Why do we need an app?:

When I try to plan a route on the app on my iPad, I can’t even give it a name because when I try to type certain letters the app will skip to another page. Very frustrating.

It were these sentences I was trying to help you out with in my earlier reply. Like @Rob-Verhoeff says, the MRA planner is an online service and won't work without a live internet connection. The planner function within the browser is nothing more than an embedded view to the (live) website.

@artbone said in Why do we need an app?:

I can’t open a route or track from the app unless I have an internet connection. If I have a route or app open, then I can navigate it without problems.

That is by design. If you want to navigate a route offline you first need to download it, to make it available for offline use. Much like you need to do with your offline XT. Your Garmin also does not automagically get its routes transferred, does it?

To do that, with a live internet connection (obviously) select a route and click the download arrow

Then choose "Make available for offline use" (or something alike, it's the default from within the app) and click downloads. After this, you can start your route offline by going into your profile and choose "Downloads".

There is a really handy option in the navigation-settings under Functional, that says something like "Store used routes and tracks for offline use"

This really does all the previous completely automatically for me when I am preparing my trips.

@artbone said in Why do we need an app?:

So, what is the purpose of the app?

The app is mainly intended for tracking your rides, and since "Next" also for navigating your routes. What Tyre2Travel has to do with anything is beyond me.

I really don't mean to insult your intelligence, but all this is completely covered in the manual. And that is okay, me too am learning a lot more from trying things myself and reading the forum, where a lot of enthusiastic people are trying to help you without the need of any offensive replies.