MyWay Pro - User Manual

For App-Store-Version 1.2 / 06. july 2021 / T&I / Erkan K.

Table of contents

 

1.0 Introduction

“MyWay Pro” is a navigation app that can be operated via voice commands (VoiceOver) and which will guide you reliably to a destination you specify. Thanks to intelligent route guidance, you are always aware of which direction you need to travel in until you reach the next point along your route. The app provides all of the information that blind and visually impaired people need to get from A to B. The app also gives you up-to-date information about interesting places and points of interest (POI) in your vicinity. You can make routes that you have mapped yourself available to others by using the export function. It is also possible to import routes. “MyWay” recognises the following route formats: OSM, GPX, PLIST and ARDN.

Why “MyWay Pro”?

  • You always know which direction to travel in.
  • You will find the correct route.
  • Developed to be barrier-free by the Swiss Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBV), tailored to the needs of blind and visually impaired people.

 

1.1 Disclaimer

The “MyWay Pro” app was developed to help blind and visually impaired people to orientate themselves and navigate around public places. The data used for this purpose come from third parties or are user-generated. The Swiss Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (SBV) assumes no responsibility for the validity, accuracy or completeness of the information and data provided in the “MyWay Pro” app.

By installing and using the “MyWay Pro” app, you agree to SBV’s terms of use. Any liability claims against SBV which refer to material or immaterial damage caused by using or not using the information provided and/or by using incorrect or incomplete content are expressly excluded. This applies as long as there is no evidence of deliberate or gross negligence on the part of the SBV.

All services are non-binding. The SBV expressly reserves the right to change, supplement, delete or temporarily or permanently cease publication of parts of the app or the entire service without further notice.

 

1.2 Privacy policy

Personal data are not collected or passed on to third parties during the installation or use of “MyWay Pro”. The SBV has no influence over the completeness or accuracy of the map data used or other data sources; as such, users should not rely solely on this app for navigation. In addition, the strength and accuracy of the GPS signal can vary greatly depending on the weather, shade, etc. Using GPS in the background can significantly shorten the battery life of your smartphone.

“MyWay Pro” uses the following data sources: OpenStreetMap, Apple Maps and Opentransportdata.swiss.

“MyWay Pro” is not a replacement for a white cane or a guide dog! The app must not be used with peripheral devices that impair the acoustic perception of the environment!

 

1.3 "MyWay Pro" pricing model

“MyWay Pro” can be downloaded from the App Store as either a subscription service or a perpetual version. In the “Info” tab, you can get an overview of the various options and manage the “MyWay Pro” subscription accordingly. The subscription model allows you to test the full version of “MyWay Pro” for free for one month. Here is an overview of the various options for use:

Subscription model

CHF 1.00/month or CHF 10.00/year (the full version is available for free for the first month). The subscription renews automatically unless the user cancels renewal.

 

Outright purchase

The app can be unlocked for lifetime use for a one-off payment of CHF 30.00.

 

 

2.0 General information

This document provides a brief description of the functions of the new “MyWay Pro” app. This is based on experiences with the previous app, “MyWay Classic”. To get the best out of “MyWay Pro”, an adequate GPS signal is required for determining the user’s current location and calculating a route. Other accessibility features of “MyWay Pro” include:

  1. The app is barrier-free and can be easily operated using VoiceOver.
    1. The control elements are arranged in the correct order for optimum navigation and usability.
    2. Control elements are marked with accessibility labels so the user always knows which screen elements they are dealing with.
    3. Screen elements have actions so the user understands, for example, that there is a button and they can click on it.
    4. Buttons contain additional instructions to provide help, for example, “Double tap to map a new route”.
    5. The VoiceOver cursor is focused on the correct point during route navigation.
  2. The routes mapped are saved to the iPhone and are available again even after restarting the app.
  3. No user data is stored or processed.
  4. Map material, route calculations and route instructions come from Apple.
  5. Timetables are only available in Switzerland for the time being.

 

2.1 New features compared to the previous app "MyWay Classic" 2.5.0

  1. More user-friendly user interface through observing Apple’s usability guidelines
  2. Depiction of waypoints in a list and map view
    1. Tabular view for easy operation using VoiceOver
    2. Overview of surroundings and tracking of route in map view
  3. Navigation to any address
    1. Route calculation by entering start and destination addresses
    2. List of waypoints in a table and map view
    3. Ability to further process the route with “MyWay Pro” (save, remove or edit waypoints) or just start navigating
  4. Take Me Home function: navigate to a stored address.
  5. Dynamic font size support: the layout adapts to the font size set on the iPhone.
  6. Mark routes as favourites
  7. Search function (search for routes by entering the route name)
  8. Filter routes by favourites and imported routes
  9. Sort routes (alphabetically, date created, favourites)
  10. Display route distances in metres in the route overview
  11. Display points of interest (POI)
    1. POI categories and area search can be modified as desired.
  12. Display public transport
    1. Display connections (tram, bus) and stops and stations in the vicinity
    2. Display departure times for each line in minutes and display time
    3. The list updates automatically if the user is moving.
  13. Display blind-specific navigational information such as junctions and pedestrian crossings
  14. Navigation to POI
  15. POI monitoring in the background
  16. User manual integrated in the app
  17. Display current location: GPS signal strength, longitude and latitude
    1. Share current location (longitude, latitude and address) by SMS or e-mail
  18. Integration of Siri
    1. The route overview can be brought up via a user-defined Siri command.

 

2.2 Structure of user interface

“MyWay Pro” is divided into four tabs:

  1. Home tab
    1. Displays the user’s current location
    2. POI list tab: displays points of interest in a list format
    3. POI map tab: displays points of interest as pins on a map
    4. The area and category of the POI can be modified in the settings.

If a user selects a POI, they will be shown more information in the detailed view. The user can also be directed to the POI displayed by using “Navigation to POI”. In Switzerland, upcoming departures are also shown next to stops and stations.

  1. Navigation tab
    1. My routes: overview of all mapped routes
    2. Routes from the Internet: overview of all routes that can be downloaded from the Internet (originally FTP).
    3. Take Me Home: navigate to a stored address. The address is stored in the settings.
    4. Navigate to an address: navigate to an address or contact from the contacts list
  2. Settings tab
    1. Modify the Take Me Home address
    2. Set the interval at which navigational information should be provided
    3. Set the time interval at which points should be automatically saved
    4. Choose POI categories
    5. Choose area search in distance for displaying POI
    6. Choose the map view, from standard, satellite or hybrid
    7. Choose whether traffic and compass should be displayed
    8. Set the direction indication
    9. Set whether the iPhone should also vibrate when storing a point
    10. By clicking on the “Default” button, all of the modified settings can be reset to the default values
  3. Info tab
    1. “MyWay Pro” manual
    2. SBV contact details
    3. GPS info displaying the current GPS strength, elevation and address. The following information is displayed under “Compass”: the longitude and latitude, and the compass direction in degrees and text. With VoiceOver enabled, the iPhone announces the compass heading: hold the device flat and rotate it left/right to hear e.g. “Compass: 177 degrees south”. The compass information is updated
      1. Option to share location via SMS or e-mail
    4. Information about the SBV
    5. Option to recommend or rate “MyWay Pro”
    6. Link to SBV’s Facebook page, homepage and YouTube channel

 

2.3 SIRI

“MyWay Pro” is compatible with Siri. If the user says “Routes” with Siri enabled, this launches “MyWay Pro”, switches to the “Routes” tab and brings up the “My routes” screen. This gives the user quick access to all of their routes. The Siri text can be modified as follows:

  1. For iOS versions up to iOS 13
    1. In the iPhone settings, click on Siri & Search, then select “MyWay Pro”
    2. Click on “Shortcuts”
    3. Click on “Bring up route overview” to view the text for Siri or to re-record it.
  2. For iOS version 13.0 and above

Under “Settings / Siri Shortcuts”, the user can also add Siri shortcuts directly to the app. Simply click on “Add to Siri”. This starts the “Add to Siri” dialog. We have two predefined Siri shortcuts:

    1. Bring up route overview: brings up the “Route overview” screen
    2. Bring up Take Me Home: this starts the “MyWay Pro” app and runs the Take Me Home function. So, for example, you can say “Hey Siri, Take Me Home My Way” to launch the app and start navigating to your stored home address.
    3. The Siri commands can be viewed and edited in the app under “Shortcuts”

 

3.0 Route navigation

The “Navigation” tab contains the menu items for “Route navigation” and “Address navigation”. Here is a description of the individual menus.

3.1 My routes: Overview of my mapped routes

All of the routes mapped or imported by the user are listed here:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. The first line of a table cell contains the route name.
  5. The second line shows all of the points created, as well as when the route was mapped and the distance in metres.

 

3.2 Detailed view of a route

To follow the waypoints along a route, proceed as follows:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. Select a specific route. This brings up a new “Route details” screen.
  4. Under “Route details”, all associated points are displayed in a list and map view.
  5. The map view shows a plot of the route. The map view can be resized when creating a new route and during navigation. The Maximise/Minimise button is located in the upper left half of the map view: tapping on Maximise displays the map in full screen mode. Tapping on Minimise returns the map view to its original size.
  6. The list view shows the name of the point and a detailed description (if available). When navigation is started, it shows how many metres away each point is and which direction they are in.
    1. More information
      1. Name of route / Total distance in metres
      2. GPS: Current GPS strength (continuously updated)
      3. Current address (continuously updated)
      4. Route information: name, description, distance and direction to next point

 

3.2.1 Defining a specific point as the next point

It is possible to define any point along the route as the next point by swiping up (with VoiceOver enabled) or swiping right and clicking on “Define this point as the next point”. This can be useful if you need to navigate to a specific point or if “MyWay Pro” has not registered that a point along the route has already been reached.

The following instructions explain how to define a point as the next point:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. Select the relevant route
  4. Click on “Start navigation”
  5. Define the point as the next point
    1. For VoiceOver users:
      1. Mark the waypoint
      2. Swipe up
      3. The voice output will say “Define this point as the next point” – confirm by double-tapping
      4. Selection is confirmed with “Defining point as the next point”
    2. For sighted/visually impaired people: swipe right and select “Define this point as the next point”. The point is marked (grey background).

In addition, the “Go to previous point” and “Go to next point” buttons allow the user to switch the current point one step at a time. Clicking on “Go to previous point” defines the previous point. Clicking on “Go to next point” defines the next point as the next point along the route.

 

3.2.2 Subsequently adding points to a route

Points can be subsequently added to a route at any time:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. Select the route to edit
  4. Under “Route details”, all associated points are displayed in a list and map view.
  5. Click on “P+” (Add point) in the footer menu
  6. The new point is added at the end and saved automatically.

 

3.2.3 Changing the order of points along a route

The order of waypoints can be changed at a later time:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. Select the route to edit
  4. Under “Route details”, all associated points are displayed in a list and map view.
  5. Click on “Sort” (third element in the footer menu)
  6. A symbol for changing the order of the points appears on the right-hand side of each table cell.
  7. The relevant point can then be dragged and dropped into position.
  8. Click on “Save order” to save the new order after you have made changes.

 

3.2.4 Setting a point to the current position

A point along a route can be set to the current position. This point is then given the coordinates of the current location:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. Select the route to edit
  4. Under “Route details”, all associated points are displayed in a list and map view.
  5. Swipe right
  6. Click on the “Set to current position” button
  7. The point is set to the user’s current position. This can be confirmed by checking that the point is 0 metres away.

 

3.2.5 Adding a point in front

A point can be added to a route at a later time, and it can be placed anywhere. This comes in handy if you wish to add a point during a route navigation:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. Select the route to edit
  4. Under “Route details”, all associated points are displayed in a list and map view.
  5. At the position where you wish to add the new point, swipe right
  6. Click on the “Add point in front” button
  7. This brings up the “Create point” screen. You can define a name and a point description here. The point name is automatically predefined and can be overwritten.
  8. Click on “Save” to save the new point and place it in front of the desired point

 

3.2.6 Removing a point

A point can be removed from a route at a later time:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. Select the route to edit
  4. Under “Route details”, all associated points are displayed in a list and map view.
  5. Swipe left
  6. Click on the “Remove” button
  7. Confirm that you are sure you want to remove the waypoint by clicking on “Yes”.
    1. Caution: the waypoint will be permanently deleted from the iPhone. This operation cannot be undone.

 

3.2.7 Editing a point

The point name and description can be changed at a later time:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. Select the route to edit
  4. Under “Route details”, all associated points are displayed in a list and map view.
  5. Swipe left
  6. Click on the “Edit” button
  7. This brings up the “Modify point” screen. The point name and point description can be modified here.
  8. The “Save” button only becomes available if changes are made.
  9. In each case, a check is performed to see whether the point name already exists along the route.
  10. Click on “Save” to accept the changes.

 

3.3 Mapping a new route

Waypoints can be created manually or automatically.

 

3.3.1 Creating waypoints manually

Here are the individual steps for creating waypoints manually:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. Click on the plus icon (VoiceOver “Add a new route”) at the top right of the navigation bar
  5. Enter the route name (required)
    1. The route name is then validated. The route name must be unique.
    2. At this point, you can cancel the entry by clicking on “Cancel”.
  6. Click on “Create point”. This brings up the “Create point” screen.
  7. Enter the point name (required)
    1. This is pre-populated with a “P” and an index number, but these can be overwritten.
    2. The index number of the point name is incremented automatically. (P1, P2, P3....)
  8. Enter a point description (optional)
  9. Click on “Save point” to save the point
    1. The point is saved directly to the local database.
    2. The current GPS data (longitude and latitude) are saved. The new point is displayed in the list and map view. In the map view, the points created are plotted along a route.
    3. For VoiceOver users, the saved point name is repeated back: “P1 has been saved”
  10. The user can save more points or click on “Finish” to return to the “Overview of my routes” screen.
  11. In this screen, the user is shown the GPS signal strength (footer menu, bottom right) and the distance to the previous point (right-hand side, next to the point input field) as aids.

 

3.3.2 Creating waypoints automatically

In addition to creating waypoints manually, it is also possible to save waypoints automatically:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. Click on the plus icon (VoiceOver “Add a new route”) at the top right of the navigation bar
  5. Enter the route name (required)
  6. Enter a point name (required)
    1. This is automatically populated with a “P” but this can be overwritten.
  7. Enter a point description (optional)
  8. Click on “Plot points automatically” (the second element in the footer menu) to begin creating points automatically.
  9. The user can now start walking, and waypoints (longitude and latitude) are saved automatically after significant changes in direction. The points are displayed further down in a list and map view. The user can stop saving points and start again at any time.
    1. Significant changes in direction are those where the user’s orientation changes by a certain number of degrees.
    2. This requires the user to activate the “Significant changes in direction” item under “Navigation/interval for saving points automatically”. Otherwise, a point is automatically added to the route after a specific period of time.
  10. If users do not make any significant changes in direction, a point is saved after at least 200 metres.
    1. The point is saved directly to the local database.
    2. The current GPS data (longitude and latitude) are saved. The new point is displayed in the list and map view. In the map view, the points created are plotted along a route.
  11. When they have finished saving points, the user can click on “Finish” to switch to the “Overview of my routes” screen.
  12. In this screen, the user is shown the GPS signal strength (footer menu, bottom right) and the distance travelled from the previous point (right-hand side, next to the point input field) as aids.

Shake function

Instead of clicking on the “Save point” button, points can also be saved by shaking the iPhone in a horizontal position. Simply enable the shake function in the “Create point” screen to use this feature. The button can be found in the footer menu (first element on the left). This function is enabled by default and can be modified in the settings.

Info: the shake function only works if the app is not on the lock screen.

 

3.4 Editing a route

3.4.1 Deleting a route

A route can be easily deleted:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. At the “Route navigation” level, click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. Swipe left
  5. Click on the “Delete” button
  6. Confirm that you are sure you want to remove the route by clicking on “Yes”.
    1. Caution: the route will be permanently deleted from the iPhone. This operation cannot be undone.

 

3.4.2 Modifying a route name

A route name can be modified as follows:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. At the “Route navigation” level, click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. Swipe left
  5. Click on the “Edit route name” button
  6. This brings up a notification window entitled “Modify route name”. You can edit the existing route name or specify a new name here. The route name must be unique. If you enter a route name which is already in use, you will see the message “Route already exists”.
    1. The new name can only be saved if a change has actually been made, i.e.: the “Save” button only becomes available if a change has been made.
  7. Click on “Save” to accept the changes. Changes are immediately visible in the route overview.

 

3.4.3 Editing a route

A route can be fully edited. Points can be added, edited or removed.

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. At the “Route navigation” level, click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. Select the route to edit
  5. In the footer menu, click on “Edit route” (first button in the footer menu)
  6. This brings up the “Edit route” screen showing the waypoints. This is the same screen as for entering a new route.
  7. Waypoints can be removed, edited and added manually/automatically here. Any changes made are saved directly to the local database.
  8. Click on “Finish” to return to the route details screen.

 

3.4.4 Copy route

A route, including all its waypoints, can be copied. “MyWay Pro” automatically saves the copied route, takes the name of the copied route and also adds the suffix “_copy”.

A route can be copied as follows:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. At the “Route navigation” level, click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. Swipe right
  5. Click on the “Copy route” button
  6. This creates a new route with the suffix “_copy” which is available to the user in “Overview of my routes”

 

3.4.5 Copy route and reduce waypoints

Route generators such as SwitzerlandMobility often generate routes which look good visually, but have far too many waypoints. If the waypoints in such a file are located close to one another, they cannot be followed properly in “MyWay Pro”. As such, waypoints along such routes can be reduced by clicking on “Copy and reduce waypoints”. The waypoints are reduced in line with the Reumann-Witkam algorithm. This ensures that there is at least one waypoint every 300 metres. Waypoints with a description are never removed, either.  Routes which have already undergone reduction or have less than four waypoints cannot be reduced any further.

Waypoints along a route can be reduced as follows:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. At the “Route navigation” level, click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes
  4. Swipe right
  5. Click on the “Copy and reduce waypoints” button
  6. The existing route is copied (the suffix “_reduced” is added to the route name) and the waypoints are reduced
  7. The message “Waypoints successfully reduced” appears, showing how many waypoints were removed

 

3.5 Sorting routes

Routes can be sorted. Routes are usually sorted according to their creation date (the route created first is shown at the top). However, routes can also be sorted according to four other categories:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. At the “Route navigation” level, click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. There are five buttons in the footer menu:
    1. Sort alphabetically (ascending)
    2. Sort alphabetically (descending)
    3. Sort by most recently mapped routes (set as default)
    4. Sort by oldest mapped routes
    5. Sort by favourite routes
  5. Click on the corresponding button in the footer menu to sort the routes in each way.

 

3.6 Filtering routes

Routes can be filtered by favourites or imported routes:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. Click in the search box
  5. The filters “All routes”, “Favourites” and “Imported” are shown.
    1. “All routes” is set as the default.
    2. Favourites: filter by favourite routes
    3. Imported: filter by all routes that have been imported from external sources (e-mail, Internet, etc.) and were not created in “MyWay Pro”.
  6. Click on the relevant filter to filter all routes accordingly and display them in the table below.
  7. The filter can be cancelled at any time by clicking on “Cancel”.

 

3.7 Searching for routes

The user can search for a particular route under “Overview of my routes”. The search results are updated automatically as soon as the user starts typing. You can search for the route name:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. Click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. Click in the search box
  5. Enter the search term (route name)
  6. The search can be cancelled at any time by clicking on “Cancel”.
  7. If VoiceOver is enabled and no search results are found, VoiceOver says “No search results found”.

 

3.8 Defining a route as a favourite

A route can be defined as a favourite. In the screen showing an overview of all routes, you can filter or search for routes as follows:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. At the “Route navigation” level, click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the “Overview of my routes” screen, showing all mapped routes.
  4. Select the route marked as a favourite and switch to the “Route details” screen
  5. Click on the star icon (VoiceOver: “Define route as favourite”) in the footer menu (last element)
    1. The star icon changes from a star outline to a filled star.
    2. Depending on the selection, the VoiceOver text will say “Selection – Remove route from favourites” or “Define route as favourite”.
  6. Click on a route already marked as a favourite to remove it from favourites.

 

3.9 Exporting a route

Routes can be exported in GPX format and then sent via AirDrop or e-mail. An e-mail account must be set up on the iPhone to use this feature:

  1. Click on the “Navigation” tab
  2. At the “Route navigation” level, click on “My routes”
  3. This displays the "Overview of my routes" screen, showing all mapped routes
  4. Select a specific route and bring up the “Route details” screen
  5. Click on “Export” (VoiceOver: “Export”) in the footer menu (fourth element)
  6. This brings up the “Select export options” screen.
  7. After selecting “E-mail”, the route is converted into GPX format and added as an attachment.
    1. If an e-mail account is not set up, the error message “E-mail not sent” is displayed.
  8. After selecting “AirDrop/Save to file”, the route is converted into GPX format. The next step simply involves choosing the recipient. An app such as DropBox or GMX mail can also be selected as the recipient.
    1. Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth must be enabled to share files via AirDrop.
    2. When selecting “Save to file”, the GPX file can be saved to the iCloud Drive or iPhone.

 

3.10 Importing a route

MyWay recognises the following route formats: PLIST, OSM, GPX and ARDN. These routes can be imported into “MyWay Pro” as follows:

  1. Switch to the e-mail inbox containing the route file
  2. Route files in the formats GPX, OSM, PLIST or ARDN are already shown with the “MyWay” logo (this means that “MyWay Pro” recognises these formats).
  3. Click on the relevant route file
  4. This brings up a menu
  5. Select "Copy to MyWay Pro"
  6. This opens the “MyWay” app (if it is not already open)
  7. The message “File successfully imported” is shown when the route has been imported.
  8. The imported route can be viewed under “My routes”.

 

3.11 Routes from the internet

All PLIST, OSM and GPX files that are currently on the FTP server are displayed here. These files are sorted by country and town/city. The user can swipe left and click on “Download” to import a route file. The route file is saved to the iPhone and displayed in the route overview. It can take around 4-5 seconds to load a file, depending on the file size. Loading progress is shown while the file is downloading. If the file is larger than 5 MB, a message will appear asking whether you are sure you want to download the file.

 

3.11.1 Obstacle-Free routes

SwitzerlandMobility’s obstacle-free routes can be displayed in MyWay Pro by tapping on “Navigation/routes from the internet/obstacle-free footpaths (Switzerland)”. These obstacle-free routes are listed with their unique numbers and names. Selecting a route takes the user to the detailed view, complete with additional information such as description, distance, duration and difficulty.

Tapping on the Download button (top right) downloads the route to the iPhone. Once downloaded, the “Route detail” view appears, where navigation can be started or the route saved locally for further editing.

Included in the download are individual waypoints and directions. Tapping on “Display route description” displays it under “Route detail”.

 

3.12 MyWay routing widget

With widgets, users can get up-to-date information about their favourite apps at a glance. The “MyWay” routing widget gives users information about the previous, current and next point while navigating.

Add the “MyWay” routing widget

You can add and remove widgets.

  1. Swipe right on the home screen or lock screen.
  2. Scroll down and tap on “Edit”.
  3. To add a widget, tap on the green plus icon. To remove a widget, tap on the red minus icon.
  4. To finish, tap “Finish”.

 

4.0 Navigation

This contains all of the functions required to navigate the user from A to B.

4.1 Navigation in general

Here are a few general explanations about using navigation in “MyWay Pro”:

  1. The waypoints along a navigation route are visible in a list format (list view) or as pins in the map view.
  2. After clicking on “Start navigation”, the distance in metres and the direction is calculated for each individual waypoint in the list.
  3. Navigation always begins at the point closest to the user.
    1. This can be modified in the settings under “Route start: nearest point”.
  4. The following checks are made at specific time intervals (7 seconds is the default; this can be modified in the settings):
    1. Calculation of the remaining distance to the destination
    2. Calculation of the distance and direction to each individual point along the route, always based on the user’s current location
    3. Additional coloured marking of the distance to every point along the route
      1. Green: this point has already been reached.
      2. Orange: this point is more than 27.5 metres but less than 150 metres away.
      3. Red: this point is more than 150 metres away.
  5. The closest point along the route is always marked in the table.
    1. For sighted people: grey background
    2. Sighted / blind people: VoiceOver focus
  6. In the settings, you can also specify the interval at which navigational information should be provided. Information is given about the distance and direction to the next point.
    1. The information is provided in this format: “Next point P1, distance 12 metres at 4 o’clock”
  7. The route information element in the footer menu provides information about the distance and direction to the next point.
    1. This information is updated when a point is reached or the user double-taps (VoiceOver) or single-taps on the element.
  8. “Cockpit” tab: reduced view of the navigation. With information about the previous, current and next point along the route. The list is updated automatically.
  9. If the nearest point is only 27 metres away, a check is made. If the distance to the nearest point does not decrease, it is highly likely that the point was missed. In this case, “MyWay Pro” automatically switches to the next point after 40 metres. The user can modify this behaviour in the settings under “Navigation/automatic point switching”.

 

4.2 Starting navigation

Here is a description of how users can start route navigation:

  1. Select the route on the “Overview of my routes” screen
  2. Under “Route details”, click on “Start navigation” (top right of the navigation bar)
  3. This brings up a notification window with direction selection. Here, the user can choose whether they want to follow the route forwards or in reverse, or monitor points along a route. If the user selects “Reverse”, the waypoints are sorted in the opposite order. If the user chooses to “Monitor points along a route”, waypoints at the 10, 11, 12, 1, or 2 o’clock position are displayed at the top. This function is not traditional point-to-point navigation; it simply monitors and announces points that are each located in a direction of travel.
    1. Under “Distance to destination”, the user always knows how many metres they still need to travel to reach their destination. The GPS signal strength is displayed under “GPS”. This value is continuously updated.
    2. The current address can be viewed at any time under “Current address”.
  4. After starting the route, the list view shows the direction in which the user needs to travel and how many metres they are from the individual points.
  5. The VoiceOver cursor is placed directly over “Route information”.

 

4.3 Stopping navigation

Navigation can be stopped at any time by clicking on “Stop navigation” (top right of the navigation bar) and started again by clicking on “Start navigation”. When starting navigation, “MyWay Pro” takes into account the user’s current location and continues the route.

 

4.4 Take Me Home

“Take Me Home” navigates the user to their home or to another predefined address from their current location. The address can be modified at any time in the settings. Here is an explanation of how the Take Me Home function can be used:

  1. In the “Navigation” tab, click on “Take Me Home” (“Address navigation” section)
  2. A screen is then brought up which lists the individual directions that take the user home or to a specific address.

 

4.5 Address navigation

The user can enter a start and destination address here. The app then shows a list view of the individual steps to be taken to reach the destination. For example, a direction might be “Turn right after 200 metres”. The app always searches for the shortest route from start to finish, taking account of footpaths.

  1. Click on the “Address from” text box

The start address is pre-populated with the user’s current location by default. If an address is not available, the text “My location” is displayed. In this case, navigation will still work, taking into account the longitude and latitude of the current location.

  1. This brings up the address screen
    1. You can exit the address screen at any time by pressing “Cancel”.
    2. The user can search for an address here. It is also possible to select a contact’s address. “Search for contact” shows a list of all contacts with an address stored.
  2. When the user begins to type, the search results in the table are updated automatically.
  3. Clicking on the “i” icon or swiping right + double-tapping accepts the present search suggestion and pastes it into the search box.
  4. Click on the relevant address to select it and populate it in the previous screen.
  5. Click on “Calculate route” to begin calculating the route and bring up the route details view screen.
  6. Click on “Start navigation” to begin navigating.
  7. Click on “Save route” to save the route.

 

5.0 VoiceOver announcement & point switching

5.1 VoiceOver

If VoiceOver is enabled, it provides important information about the navigation direction and distance. The following is a description of instances in which VoiceOver is active and how to set the frequency of announcements.

  1. General: the distance and direction to a waypoint are updated depending on the distance travelled and the orientation of the smartphone. Announcements are made if the switch next to “Automatic announcements” is set to “ON” in the settings. The same applies to direction indication. The distance and direction are updated at each individual point along the route in the following instances:
    1. The user has travelled at least 5 metres. Updates occur every 5 metres.
    2. The user turns the phone at least 10 degrees either clockwise or anti-clockwise. Voice output works even if the mobile device is on the lock screen.
  2. Voice output can be activated manually at any time by shaking the smartphone, regardless of the distance travelled or orientation of the iPhone. The output only works if the iPhone is held horizontally and the screen is unlocked. After shaking the phone, VoiceOver will say: “Next point P2, 2 metres at 6 o’clock”.
    1. If the next point is the final point on the route, the announcement will say: “Final point on the route, P8, 14 metres at 2 o’clock”

5.2 VoiceOver announcements in seconds

If the output frequency is set in seconds in the settings (7, 10, 15, 30 or 60 seconds), the direction and distance are provided at selected time intervals. The output frequency is supplemented by intelligent announcements regardless of this setting.

 

5.3 Intelligent announcements

Intelligent announcements are made depending on the distance to the next point. If the distance from the current location to the next point along the route is less than 27.5 metres and more than 15 metres, information is given about the next-but-one point: “You have almost reached point P3. Continue for another 44 metres at 12 o’clock for P2”.

 

5.4 Announcement if "One third of the way to the next point" is set

In the settings, if the output frequency is set to “One third of the way to the next point”, VoiceOver provides information about the next point when the user is one third of the way to the next point. This only ever takes into account the remaining distance to the next point, and not the original distance from the starting point to the next point along the route. The closer the user gets to the next point, the smaller the interval becomes and thus the more frequently they are notified. However, voice output does not function if the VoiceOver focus is on the route table or route information. Voice output is also stopped if the remaining distance is less than 50 metres, because intelligent announcements kick in from 27.5 metres.

Example of the “one third” announcement with 120 metres remaining to the next point

  1. One third of the remaining distance of 120 metres is 40 metres.
  2. The user travels 40 metres, so the remaining distance is now 80 metres.
  3. VoiceOver announces the distance and direction to the next point as follows: “Next point P3, 80 metres at 2 o’clock”.
  4. One third of the remaining distance of 80 metres is 26.6 metres. The next announcement is made when the user has travelled more than 26 metres.
  5. The user travels at least 26.6 metres.
  6. VoiceOver announces the distance and direction to the next point as follows: “Next point P3, 54 metres at 2 o’clock”.
  7. This is the last voice output until the next point has been reached, as the remaining distance is only around 50 metres.

 

5.5 Point switching

Here is an explanation of when and how points are switched automatically:

  1. The next point is less than 15 metres away from the current location.
  2. A “whoosh” sound indicates that a point has been reached. The point reached is marked with the accessibility hint “Point reached”.
  3. The next new point is marked in grey and announced as “Selection” when VoiceOver is focused.

5.6 Informatiopn modules

As a general rule, there are 4 information modules for each point.

  • Title
  • Description
  • Distance
  • Direction

Distance and direction can be calculated at any time. The title should be short. If a title is not entered, the point will be designated from P1 to Px. The description can be any length.

This means that

  1. if a new route is mapped, the titles of the points are set as P1 to Px and the description will be the descriptive text.

5.6.1 Action points

Information points are the points between two waypoints for which information is announced in the background.

These are:

  • Chattiness
  • Info
  • Point switching

Chattiness indicates the action points that can be defined in the settings. That is, every 7, 10, 15, 30, 60 seconds or after 1/3 of the distance to each point. The info is the point that is activated 27 metres before the point is reached. The point switches 15 metres before each point. The following information is read out:

  • Chattiness: title, distance and direction of the targeted point
  • Info: title, description of the targeted point “then continue” direction and distance to the next point “to” title of the next point. See the example in section 5.6.2  
  • Point switching: acoustic and vibration. Then everything is set to zero, and the chattiness takes effect immediately

Shaking the device also triggers chattiness.

5.6.2 Example

We have the following route:

  1. P0: Start here.
  2. P1: Please turn right.
  3. P2: You have arrived at your destination.

Here, P0 is the starting point, P1 is 200 metres later and P2 is 100 metres later. The chattiness is set to 1/3.

Position in metres – text:

  • 0: P1 – 200 m at 12 o’clock
  • 65: P1 – 135 m at 12 o’clock
  • 110: P1 – 90 m at 12 o’clock
  • 140: P1 – 60 m at 8 o’clock
  • 160: P1 – 40 m at 12 o’clock
  • 173: P1 – Please turn right Then continue at 3 o’clock to P2.
  • 200: Point switching
  • 200: P2 100 m at 12 o’clock (or 3 o’clock, if the person has not turned yet).
  • 233: P2 – 65 m at 12 o’clock
  • 260: P2 – 40 m at 12 o’clock
  • 273: P2 – Arriving at the end of the route
  • 300: P2 – You have arrived at your destination.

 

5.7 Monitoring POI

With the “Monitor POI” function, “MyWay Pro” reads out information about POI if the app is running in the background. As this increases battery consumption, it has to be explicitly enabled. You can enable POI monitoring in the top left of the home screen.

If POI monitoring is enabled, the following information is read out in the background:

  1. Surroundings: if the phone is held flat and pivoted, the app reads out the nearest three points of interest at 12 o’clock. The distance and direction are provided. This helps you to orientate yourself in your surroundings.
  2. If the user is less than 30 metres from the POI, this is read out once. The distance and direction are provided.
  3. Current address: from time to time, “MyWay Pro” receives an update about the current address. If POI monitoring is enabled, the address change is read out.

The POIs that are monitored are those that are also displayed on the home screen, i.e. the categories that are selected in the settings. (See section 6.1)

 

6.0 Settings

This shows all of the settings the user can modify so that the app meets their needs. Here, they can decide whether public transport is displayed on the map and the unit that direction should be provided in. Clicking on “Default” resets all of the settings to the default settings. The settings are saved to the smartphone and are available again even after a restart.

Here is a description of the individual settings:

 

6.1 Home tab

Points Of Interest

Here, you can select individual POI categories to be displayed in the home tab. No POIs are selected when the app is launched for the first time. The area search in metres (distance) indicates the area in which the app should search for Points Of Interest.

OSM data are processed for POIs. The POI categories are shown in a hierarchical tree structure. When a folder is selected, all of the subcategories are also selected. In addition to the standard OSM categories, the app also offers categories which are still being computed, such as public transport, junctions and pedestrian crossings. The POIs that belong to the selected categories are displayed on the home screen and read out in “Monitor POI” mode.

Address announcements during POI monitoring

“ON” means that addresses are read by voice output if POI monitoring is enabled.

“Default”: Off

 

6.2 General

Modify home address

The user can save their home address here. This address is used for navigation in the “Take Me Home” function.

Distance unit

Choose between metres, feet or yards. All distance information in “MyWay Pro” is then provided in this unit. For example, this is used during navigation to announce how many metres away the individual points are.

“Default”: Metres

 

Direction indication

Direction indication is used during navigation to announce the direction. By doing so, the user is always aware of which direction they need to travel in to reach the next point.

Choose between “North/East”, “1-3 o’clock”, “Degrees” or “Off”.

“Default”: “1 o’clock / 3 o’clock”

 

6.3 Route mapping

Vibration when saving points

“ON” means that the iPhone vibrates briefly when saving an individual point. This applies to points created both manually and automatically.

“Default”: ON

 

Shake “ON” when saving points

Here, “ON” means that a point can be added to the route by shaking the iPhone in a horizontal position while mapping a route.

“Default”: ON

 

Interval for saving points automatically

Choose the time interval at which points should be saved automatically. If “Significant changes in direction” is selected, points are saved after a significant change in direction or after 200 metres.

“Default”: Significant changes in direction

 

6.4 Navigation

Route start: nearest point

If this is set to “ON”, the point nearest to the user is set when navigation is started. Navigation begins at this point. If this is set to “OFF”, navigation begins at the first point along a route.

“Default”: ON

 

Vibration and audio for directions

If this is set to “ON”, the next point is signalled by means of both vibration and audio during route navigation. The iPhone must be held horizontally for this to work. Vibration and audio also work when the screen is locked.

“Default”: ON

 

Highlight the distance to waypoints in colour

If this is set to “ON”, the waypoints are marked in colour depending on how far away they are from the current location.

“Default”: ON

 

Automatic point switching

If the GPS signal strength is weak, it is possible that “MyWay Pro” can miss a waypoint during navigation. If “Automatically switch to next point” is enabled, the app automatically switches to the next point along the route’s direction of travel. If “Do nothing” is selected, “MyWay Pro” does not automatically jump to the next point. The user must then manually select the next point.

“Default”: Automatically jump to next point

 

Voice output frequency

If automatic output is set to “ON”, information about the distance and direction is read out to the user. The user is usually told the distance in metres and the direction to the next point. Example: “P3, 14 metres at 2 o’clock”. If direction is set to “OFF”, the user is only given the distance to the next point, and not the direction. Output frequency in seconds determines the interval at which this information is provided. If this is set to “One third of the way to the next point”, the user is notified when they have travelled one third of the distance to the next point.

Default: Every 30 seconds

 

6.5 Reading options (on the lock screen)

The voice and speed of speech on the lock screen can be defined here. The voices installed for the respective languages are displayed. Speed can be set from 10 to 100%. This voice is different to the VoiceOver voice.

 

6.6 Map view

Map view

Choose from standard, satellite or hybrid. This selection applies to all of the maps in the app.

“Default”: Standard

 

Prioritise map view

If set to “ON”, the map view is prioritised everywhere that “List & map view” is shown. This means that the cursor automatically focuses on map view when starting the relevant screen.

“Default”: OFF

 

Show traffic

If set to “ON”, the traffic on a street is displayed on every map.

“Default”: OFF

 

Display compass

If set to “ON”, the compass is displayed on every map.

“Default”: ON

 

6.7 Siri

The user can add Siri shortcuts here. Simply click on “Add to Siri”. This starts the “Add to Siri” dialog. We have two predefined Siri shortcuts: “Bring up route overview: Bring up the route overview screen” and “Bring up Take Me Home”